User:Endroit/Japanese pens and stationery

Background

There is a belief that inexpensive Japanese pens are of unusually high quality. This is caused by the need for precise writing in Asian culture. The Japanese use kanji, or script derived from Chinese characters. A single Chinese character can have more than a dozen strokes, so the need for accuracy and preciseness is apparent. That's why the Japanese have so many thin pens, while in comparison the US has a lot of thick pens.

Manufacturers

Pilot Ohto Mitsubishi

Erasers

One of the most interesting erasers from Japan is the Kokuyo Kadokeshi eraser. It is a 28 corner eraser that won the 2002 Kokuyo design award. It utilizes a clever design to stack multiple cubes upon each other. The result is an eraser that is "never without a corner". You can keep erasing but you'll always have a clean edge to eraser with.

The Japanese also have an extensive line of novelty erasers. Most of their novelty erasers resemble food items, such as this Iwako sushi eraser set.

Others include famous shrimp cracker chip bags, sake bottles and soda cans.