Paper Tasting
Find your pen-friendly paper
“Japanese notebooks are so pen-friendly and there are so many types of great paper. How can I learn more about them? Where do I begin?” This product was born from such a conversation with a friend living abroad. Paper Tasting is a collection of writing pads, expressly to let you try different kinds of papers and enjoy the pleasure of writing on them. Like wine tasting, you will be able to find your favorite pairing of pen and paper, or even pencil and paper. Each package comes with a short description of the included papers, along with a classification table that will show you how the papers fit into the broader landscape of Japanese paper categories. It is like having your very own paper sommelier!
Our plan is to continue with future releases to guide you through the full spectrum of wonderful writing papers available in Japan today. Come on the journey with us.
You can Find the perfect pairing with your favorite pens.
Enjoy the different ways the paper responds to different instruments.
Discontinued paper is also included.
We will continue to enrich our supplemental content to help you learn more about paper.
Silky vol.1
Capital wrap
A single-side glossy kraft paper made using bleached kraft pulp. Made using a special Yankee machine with a pre-dryer, it has high dimensional stability and strength. It is usually used for envelopes and shopping bags.
Mashmallow COC
A paper characterized by its soft touch. With its excellent surface strength, it is used for business cards, invitations, brochures, and general publications. It is also suited for offset printing, indigo printing, and laser printing.
Tomoe River
Thin and light notebook paper. Suitable for writing by fountain pen, ballpoint pen, and pencils. The soft paper quality helps notebooks open and lay flat. It has been made popular by the Hobonichi Techo.
Capital wrap
A single-side glossy kraft paper made using bleached kraft pulp. Made using a special Yankee machine with a pre-dryer, it has high dimensional stability and strength. It is usually used for envelopes and shopping bags.
Mashmallow COC
A paper characterized by its soft touch. With its excellent surface strength, it is used for business cards, invitations, brochures, and general publications. It is also suited for offset printing, indigo printing, and laser printing.
Tomoe River
Thin and light notebook paper. Suitable for writing by fountain pen, ballpoint pen, and pencils. The soft paper quality helps notebooks open and lay flat. It has been made popular by the Hobonichi Techo.
Translucent vol.1
Glassine
A paper made from chemical pulp. By applying heat and high pressure, it gets the smoothness and density to produce its translucency. Because it has food safety, it is used as a package of medicine and food.
Tracing Paper
A translucent paper that is made by processing finely beaten chemical pulp. As the name indicates it is used for tracing drawings, but is also used in lighting fixtures.
Kinshachi
In Japan, jumpaku-roll paper is most commonly used as wrapping paper. It is also used in 365 day calendars and small gift bags. It has a glossy surface and a scratchy back. This unique texture is very typical of paper made by the Yankee machine.
Glassine
A paper made from chemical pulp. By applying heat and high pressure, it gets the smoothness and density to produce its translucency. Because it has food safety, it is used as a package of medicine and food.
Tracing Paper
A translucent paper that is made by processing finely beaten chemical pulp. As the name indicates it is used for tracing drawings, but is also used in lighting fixtures.
Kinshachi
In Japan, jumpaku-roll paper is most commonly used as wrapping paper. It is also used in 365 day calendars and small gift bags. It has a glossy surface and a scratchy back. This unique texture is very typical of paper made by the Yankee machine.
Kraft Paper vol.1
Gintake
One sided gloss kraft paper made from unbleached kraft pulp, made with a Yankee machine . Excellent dimensional stability and high paper strength. It is used for packaging, paper sacks, shopping bags, etc.
Atlas kraft
This paper is known for its stretch resistance and is commonly used as wrapping paper. It is made from unbleached kraft pulp. It is used in shopping bags and wrapping paper.
Suji iri kraft
It is a wrapping paper that is both light and strong, thanks to the use of streak pattern felt during the manufacturing process. The surface is slippery and the reverse side is rough. This is a characteristic of paper made with a Yankee machine. It is used for food packaging, envelopes, insulation, masking paper, and other uses.
Gintake
One sided gloss kraft paper made from unbleached kraft pulp, made with a Yankee machine . Excellent dimensional stability and high paper strength. It is used for packaging, paper sacks, shopping bags, etc.
Atlas kraft
This paper is known for its stretch resistance and is commonly used as wrapping paper. It is made from unbleached kraft pulp. It is used in shopping bags and wrapping paper.
Suji iri kraft
It is a wrapping paper that is both light and strong, thanks to the use of streak pattern felt during the manufacturing process. The surface is slippery and the reverse side is rough. This is a characteristic of paper made with a Yankee machine. It is used for food packaging, envelopes, insulation, masking paper, and other uses.
Red vol.1
ST Cover
It is laid paper made in the style of British charcoal paper. It is said that the “ST” comes from the initials of the president of the manufacturer, Seiichi Tani. It has a smooth touch, but you can also feel the irregularities of the line patterns.
Kony wrap
It is a kraft paper of abundant color variations. It is commonly used for envelopes, handbags, wrapping paper, and flyleaves.
Colored woodfree paper
Uncoated paper which has abundant color variation and stable quality. It is often used for book covers, table of contents, flyleafs, programs, catalogs, and tickets.
ST Cover
It is laid paper made in the style of British charcoal paper. It is said that the “ST” comes from the initials of the president of the manufacturer, Seiichi Tani. It has a smooth touch, but you can also feel the irregularities of the line patterns.
Kony wrap
It is a kraft paper of abundant color variations. It is commonly used for envelopes, handbags, wrapping paper, and flyleaves.
Colored woodfree paper
Uncoated paper which has abundant color variation and stable quality. It is often used for book covers, table of contents, flyleafs, programs, catalogs, and tickets.
Blue vol.1
Paradise
It is a paper with colorful dots. Unfortunately its production was halted in early 2017, so it will not be available in the future.
Kony wrap
It is a kraft paper of abundant color variations. It is commonly used for envelopes, handbags, wrapping paper, and flyleaves.
Colored woodfree paper
Uncoated paper which has abundant color variation and stable quality. It is often used for book covers, table of contents, flyleaves, programs, catalogs, and tickets.
Paradise
It is a paper with colorful dots. Unfortunately its production was halted in early 2017, so it will not be available in the future.
Kony wrap
It is a kraft paper of abundant color variations. It is commonly used for envelopes, handbags, wrapping paper, and flyleaves.
Colored woodfree paper
Uncoated paper which has abundant color variation and stable quality. It is often used for book covers, table of contents, flyleaves, programs, catalogs, and tickets.
Yellow vol.1
Kaguya
An embossed paper made to look like the surface of the moon. The name comes from Princess Kaguya, a fairytale character who ascends to the moon. It is used for pasting boxes, wrapping paper, and book bindings.
Kony wrap
It is a kraft paper of abundant color variations. It is commonly used for envelopes, handbags, wrapping paper, and flyleaves.
Colored groundwood paper
Groundwood paper that is suitable for offset printing. It is widely used in magazines, office paper, and school paper. Because of its vibrant color, Kizara was particularly popular as newspaper inserts. Unfortunately the “Top Color” brand is no longer being manufactured.
Kaguya
An embossed paper made to look like the surface of the moon. The name comes from Princess Kaguya, a fairytale character who ascends to the moon. It is used for pasting boxes, wrapping paper, and book bindings.
Kony wrap
It is a kraft paper of abundant color variations. It is commonly used for envelopes, handbags, wrapping paper, and flyleaves.
Colored groundwood paper
Groundwood paper that is suitable for offset printing. It is widely used in magazines, office paper, and school paper. Because of its vibrant color, Kizara was particularly popular as newspaper inserts. Unfortunately the “Top Color” brand is no longer being manufactured.
SOLD OUT
Green vol.1
Ichimatsu
It is a paper that takes the timeless checkered pattern and arranged it with a modern Japanese twist. The three dimensional feel of the geometric patterns stimulate your imagination through your fingers. It is used in bindings, cards, product tags, boxes, etc.
Hiwa colored paper
A colored soft roll paper. It is not well known, but is used widely in food packaging and for serving finger foods. It has a glossy surface and a rough back.
Colored woodfree paper
Uncoated paper which has abundant color variation and stable quality. It is often used for book covers, table of contents, flyleaves, programs, catalogs, and tickets.
Ichimatsu
It is a paper that takes the timeless checkered pattern and arranged it with a modern Japanese twist. The three dimensional feel of the geometric patterns stimulate your imagination through your fingers. It is used in bindings, cards, product tags, boxes, etc.
Hiwa colored paper
A colored soft roll paper. It is not well known, but is used widely in food packaging and for serving finger foods. It has a glossy surface and a rough back.
Colored woodfree paper
Uncoated paper which has abundant color variation and stable quality. It is often used for book covers, table of contents, flyleaves, programs, catalogs, and tickets.
Egg Shell vol.1
Cosmo Air Light
Micro-coated book paper that is suited for printing. Often used in books and magazines. Also handles fountain pen ink well. The boutique bookstore Daikanyama Tsutaya uses this paper in their Ink Journal.
New Chiffon Cream
Light-cream colored book paper that is thick, light, and soft. Given that it is PH neutral, it does not discolor over time and has great archivability. It is great for writing, especially with ballpoints and fountain pens. Here at Yamamoto Paper, we use it in our RO-BIKI NOTE.
Frontier Tough 70
Medium quality book paper with 70% whiteness. This paper was developed to meet the needs of publishers who wanted to balance portability with thickness. It is a paper with low fiber density that is very light for its thickness.
Cosmo Air Light
Micro-coated book paper that is suited for printing. Often used in books and magazines. Also handles fountain pen ink well. The boutique bookstore Daikanyama Tsutaya uses this paper in their Ink Journal.
New Chiffon Cream
Light-cream colored book paper that is thick, light, and soft. Given that it is PH neutral, it does not discolor over time and has great archivability. It is great for writing, especially with ballpoints and fountain pens. Here at Yamamoto Paper, we use it in our RO-BIKI NOTE.
Frontier Tough 70
Medium quality book paper with 70% whiteness. This paper was developed to meet the needs of publishers who wanted to balance portability with thickness. It is a paper with low fiber density that is very light for its thickness.
Washi vol.1
Shikoku Tenrei
This is a modern arangement of the royal coronation paper used in the enthroneent ceremony of the Showa Emperor in 1928. Clusters of fiber, known as "Hana" are scattered in the pulp to give the paper an elegant touch.
Nagomi Unryu
Unryu (Dragon cloud) paper was developed in the 1920s in the Echizen area of Fukui prefecture. Cloud patterns are created by blending long strands of mulberry fiber into the pulp. In the case of Nagomi Unryu, Rayon fiber is used to give the paper an elegant shine.
Kinkakuden
Made on the banks of the Nito river in Kochi prefecture, this is a paper popular with brush calligraphers and ofen used for copying Buddhist prayers. While the paper itself is made by a machine, all other steps, including QA, counting, cutting, and packaging are done by hand.
Shikoku Tenrei
This is a modern arangement of the royal coronation paper used in the enthroneent ceremony of the Showa Emperor in 1928. Clusters of fiber, Known as "Hana" are scattered in the pulp to give the paper an elegant touch.
Nagomi Unryu
Light Unryu (Dragon cloud) paper was developed in the 1920s in the Echizen area of Fukui prefecture. Cloud patterns are created by blending long stands of mulberry fiber into the pulp. In the case of Nagomi Unryu, Rayon fiber is used to give the paper an elegant shine.
Kinkakuden
Made on the banks of the Nito river in Kochi prefecture, this is a paper popular with brush calligraphers and often used for copying Buddhist prayers. While the paper itself is made by a machine, all other steps, including QA, counting, and packaging are done by hand.
Gray vol.1
Tone F WG5
Tone F is a series of papers covering 14 shades of gray ranging from "cool gray" to "warm gray." By overcoming some of the manufacturing difficulties of accurate color reproduction, it has gained the praise of many book designers.
Kony Wrap Gray
Color craft paper with a wide variety of colors. Used as envelopes, hand carry bags, wrapping paper, and inner covers of books.
Tablo
A rare form of recycled paper with very low density (i.e. high bulk). This is made possible by mixing New Zealand radiata pine, Ezo spruce, and Sakhalin fir into the recycled pulp base. Made at the Oji Paper's Hokkaido Tomakomai factory where news paper is mainly produced. Most commonly used in catalogs and magazines.
Tone F WG5
Tone F is a series of papers covering 14 shades of gray ranging from " cool gray " to " warm gray." By overcoming some of the manufacturing difficulties of accurate color reproduction, it has gained the praise of many book designers.
Kony Wrap Gray
Color kraft paper with a wide variety of color. Used as envelopes, hand carry bags, wrapping paper, and inner covers of books.
Tablo
A rare form of recycled paper with very low density (i.e.high bulk). This is made possible by mixing New Zealand radiata pine, Ezo spruce, and Sakhalin fir into the recycled pulp base. Made at the Oji Paper's Hokkaido Tomakomai factory where news paper is mainly produced. Most commonly used in catalogs and magazines.
Black vol.1
Tone F CG7
Tone F is a series of papers covering 14 shades of gray ranging from "cool gray" to "warm gray." By overcoming some of the manufacturing difficulties of accurate color reproduction, it has gained the praise of many book designers.
Kony Wrap Black
Color kraft paper with a wide variety of colors. Used as envelopes, hand carry bags, wrapping paper, and inner covers of books.
Colored woodfree paper Black
An uncoated paper of solid quality with a wide veriety of colors. Used for a broad range of purposes, including covers, book inserts, programs, catalogs, and tickets.
Tone F CG7
Tone F is a series of papers covering 14 shades of gray ranging from " cool gray " to " warm gray." By overcoming some of the manufacturing difficulties of accurate color reproduction, it has gained the praise of many book designers.
Kony Wrap Black
Color kraft paper with a wide variety of color. Used as envelopes, hand carry bags, wrapping paper, and inner covers of books.
Colored woodfree paper
An uncoated paper of solid quality with a wide variety of colors. Used for a broad range of purposes, including covers, book inserts, programs, catalogs, and tickets.
