Kidate says, "I don't buy stationery just for fun anymore." Because he reviews stationery for a living, "When purchasing stationery, I'm thinking, ‘If I review this, what kind of audience will be interested in it?’ Surprisingly, I don't have much stationery for myself."

He has been obsessed with stationery for decades, and says that his collection of thousands of stationery items has been too large for his house for a while. He rents a warehouse to store it all. "I don't know what I have or how much there is anymore, really..."

That's why today, he'll spend 100% of the 10,000 yen on himself. Kidate will explain the purchases he made just for fun in his own words.

(*Information on products, prices, places of purchase, etc. is from February 2023. Current information may differ.)

Comment from Kidate:
The ZOOM pencil series from TOMBOW PENCIL was rebranded in March 2023, and one of the first in the series was L1.

The silver metal shaft is wrapped in glass-like transparent resin that brings out the metal's sheen. The two-layer structure gives it a sleek, icy appearance. So icy, in fact, that it would be the perfect pencil for summer! From the moment I saw the release announcement, I wanted it.

The ZOOM logo printed on the resin casts a shadow on the metal shaft inside, giving it a doubled effect. The end of the cap has a subtle wave rather than being flat. I could go on and on. It's quite stylish in every detail. Every time I hold it, I feel cooler just for being able to use this pen. The price of the pen itself is 4,000 yen (w/o tax), but in fact, you're getting an extra 6,000 of value from this for free.

The pen uses gel ink, but it glides very smoothly. That complements the icy aura of the design.

Comment from Kidate:
It may look like just a simple square nylon pen case, but the key feature is the deep mesh pocket on the outside. As the product name suggests, you can stick cords or cables in here.

You only forget to bring cables when you need them the most. We all have dozens of cables we bought at convenience stores out of desperation, right?

I got sick of doing that, so usually I carry all my cables in my gadget pouch, but when I need to use one, it's a pain to go digging through my bag for the pouch.

But by using this deep pocket to store the cord I use the most, my Lightning cable (which connects my iPhone to my PC), I'll finally solve that problem, right? So I decided to give it a try.

Plus, there are more little mesh pockets inside. I'm going to put a small portable mic for video conferences in there.

Mind Wave, calico cat butt standing sticky notes
Sun-Star Stationery, fluffy cat butt sticky notes

Comment from Kidate:
Right now, we're living in the era of fluffy butts. Cute animal butts are all the rage on Instagram. Of course, the stationery industry, which is quick to capitalize on trends, has caught on to this wave and is making products like these.

However, when you look at these together, you can see that even if they're both cat-butt-themed sticky notes, each interpretation of the cuteness of the booty is different.

While Sun-Star Stationery focused on the plumpness of the buttocks with a three-dimensional, squishy cover, Mind Wave posed the cat looking back, to include their face in the design. Personally, I prefer the Sun-Star version, because it believes in the power of the butt alone. However, if you're not as drawn to the booty by itself, Mind Wave is the better option.

By the way, I have a real cat in my house, so I don't need to buy these sticky notes to see a cat's butt. That just shows you how adorable I think cat butts are.

(*This product was sold for a limited time until April 3, 2023 at OTOME BUNGU EXPO' 2023.)

Comment from Kidate:
I was just at the stationery expo and found this product there. It's an original notebook created by osoblanco, a gallery and general store in the Namba area of Osaka. The cover's design is a parody of weekly shonen manga magazines, but the most amazing thing is that the paper is also a recreation of the paper used, which makes me so nostalgic. The rough texture and the green and orange colors will be familiar to 100% of Japanese people. You'll probably gasp when you touch it.

By the way, this paper is called printing paper and is 100% recycled. Of all the paper used in recycling, newspapers are the most common. However, when newspapers are pulped, the ink can't be completely removed, which stains the paper. This paper is colored so that the discoloration isn't so conspicuous.

Putting aside that incredible insight, seeing this paper empty, with no manga printed on it, is very strange. Or rather, it makes a big impact. What could be better than being able to draw your own manga on this paper and put yourself in the role of the manga artist?

(Actually, I already had one of these notebooks, but it wrinkled in the humidity, so I bought another one.)

You can also write proper author's notes.

Comment from Kidate:
These are so-called "twin marker" colored pens, but these ones are unique. One side is a regular pointed tip for thin lines, while the other side is a roller stamp that can draw wavy or dotted lines.

When I take notes, I sometimes like to emphasize something by underscoring it with a wavy line, or to connect things with dotted lines to show they're related. Wavy lines and dotted lines are actually surprisingly difficult to draw. However, these pens make it super easy. You just roll the stamp around, and there you have it.

Also, the way they feel when you roll them around is awesome. For the wavy lines, it sways side to side. For the dotted lines it kind of pops, creating a nice, steady vibration. Pressing it down and dragging it across the paper, I feel a sense of accomplishment, like riding a wild horse. Even when I don't need to, I want to keep rolling it around.

By the way, the reason why there's a "3" in the product name is because this is the third lineup of colors.

We conducted a retrospective interview with Kidate after he spent the 10,000 yen.

- You have been obsessed with stationery since you were in elementary school. Have your preferences changed since then?

Kidate: Not really. For a little while, I was really into fountain pens, and I've had a few other phases, but basically I just like stationery as a whole.

- That's true love.

Kidate: Well, no. I think it's different from love.

- You don't think your obsession with stationery is love?

Kidate: You see, I'm extremely clumsy. My handwriting is atrocious and I couldn't cut a straight line with a cutter to save my life. I respect stationery as an aid to help combat my clumsiness. My life is propped up by helpful stationery.

- So rather than loving stationery, you respect it. Actually, that comes across in your reviews. On the other hand, you are also a "unique stationery enthusiast." I can sense that duality in your writing.

Kidate: That's right. Unique stationery is like a bug. Stationery is supposed to be practical, so how did this useless stuff get in here? Starting with that question in mind, it's pretty interesting to think about.

- You have respect for its convenience, but you've developed an interest in other aspects of it too.

Kidate: Let's consider the cat butt sticky notes I bought today. These two designs were both inspired by the popularity of cute cat butts, but in each product, we see the difference in the designer's interpretation of what's cute about the trend and why people like it. It's fun to think about the perception of social trends and other topics, and how those ideas are expressed in products.

- Cultural anthropology through stationery.

Kidate: Today, it was so fun to just shop for myself, rather than imagining my target audience and shopping for things that would interest them.

- How was the product line-up at Hands?

Kidate: No matter how big or small the store is, there's a sense of reassurance being in Hands. Like, what you're looking for will probably be there. Usually, when I'm going to buy something, I'll call Hands first. Thank you for your continued support!

Photography and comments: Taku Kidate
Editor: do-ya? Editorial Department

Taku Kidate
Born in Kyoto in 1973. A unique stationery enthusiast writing about stationery. When I was in elementary school, I wondered how a guy like me, who was average in brains, athletic ability, appearance, and every other aspect, could get attention from my classmates. I decided to stand out with my eye-catching stationery, which I've continued doing to this day.

*Information was current as of March 30, 2023. As some details may have changed, please check current information before visiting these locations.