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Japan's Paper Culture

jetpens.com

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Re: Japan's Paper Culture

#71

Post by neilv »

JohnBooty wrote: post #43
bluedino wrote: post #12

I have no affiliation with jetpens - but if you are into pens at all, buy one of their sampler packs. It's a great way to try out different styles of pens that you won't find at Staples or Walgreens (or the office supply closet).

pens that you won't find at Staples or Walgreens (or the office supply closet) You'll still have to hit up the office supply closet or one of those other places for "decoy pens." You leave the decoy pens in a cup on top of your desk, while you keep the good stuff inside a drawer. That way your officemates and/or partner and/or housemates borrow (steal) the decoy pens and not the good stuff.

I now carry decoy pens in my backpack.

It goes back to when someone in the MIT student center asked to borrow a pen to fill out an ATM deposit slip, I had only a Cross pen engraved with my name and the first project team I was on, and I reluctantly handed it over while emphasizing that I needed it back...

Re: Japan's Paper Culture

#72

Post by resonious »

Freak_NL wrote: post #68
bmitc wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This drives me crazy. Greater than 90% of our mail is junk mail and goes straight into the recycling bin. I was watching some recycling process videos the other day, and when it came to bailing up the sorted paper, it looked like it was basically all junk mailers. We literally have systems that supply time and money to design the mailers, supply ink and paper and probably some plastic to make them, mail them, pass th…

In the Netherlands we have stickers you can stick on your letter box that stop 99% of unaddressed spam from being put in. The sender can get into trouble with the regulator if they don't adhere to this system. It works really well (it has existed for decades), and many municipalities are now moving towards making this 'no sticker' the default! This means that if you want flyers, you have to put up a 'yes sticker' ins…

This actually works in Japan too. I'm not sure if there are regulators who have your back here but I've been using a "no spam" sticker to pretty good effect.

Re: Japan's Paper Culture

#73

Post by yoz-y »

I always loved the look of notebooks in pen and paper ads. Neat text here, nice drawing there… however, does anybody actually take notes like this? My notes always look like trash, and back in school it was the same for everyone.

It almost looks like if you want to take notes this way you have to plan ahead to be sure to have space?

Re: Japan's Paper Culture

#74

Post by Ma8ee »

kmonsen wrote: post #70
Freak_NL wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the Netherlands we have stickers you can stick on your letter box that stop 99% of unaddressed spam from being put in. The sender can get into trouble with the regulator if they don't adhere to this system. It works really well (it has existed for decades), and many municipalities are now moving towards making this 'no sticker' the default! This means that if you want flyers, you have to put up a 'yes sticker' ins…

We had that in Norway too. We don't have that in the US since it's part of the business model of the postal office or USPS to deliver ads in your mail box.

At least in Sweden those stickers only stop the unaddressed leaflets or catalogs they put in the mailbox. If someone printed your name and address on it, the junk will still be delivered.

Re: Japan's Paper Culture

#75

Post by cpach »

yoz-y wrote: post #73

I always loved the look of notebooks in pen and paper ads. Neat text here, nice drawing there… however, does anybody actually take notes like this? My notes always look like trash, and back in school it was the same for everyone. It almost looks like if you want to take notes this way you have to plan ahead to be sure to have space?

My notes look kinda like that. My drawing and hand-writing is not stellar, but hey, at least I can read it myself.

Not sure why you feel the need to plan ahead…? Just write and draw :)

Re: Japan's Paper Culture

#76

Post by suction »

rayiner wrote: post #29
JohnBooty wrote: post #7

Growing up, I had a friend with a Japanese parent. She had supernaturally neat handwriting, produced with various impossibly cute and meticulous-looking Japanese pens and stationary over the years. I felt like some kind of clumsy, nasty barbarian in comparison. Japan is, of course, just a place. The people there are ordinary humans. Fetishizing a particular culture is both cringeworthy and genuinely harmful. Their co…

> Japan is, of course, just a place. The people there are ordinary humans. Fetishizing a particular culture is both cringeworthy and genuinely harmful. Their country and society have plenty of problems, just like any other. There is nothing magical about Japan or any other place. Japan, by your own description, isn’t just a place. It’s the place of a people who share a long and deep culture. If you substituted New Yo…

No post body was provided.

Re: Japan's Paper Culture

#77

Post by srazzaque »

Reading this makes me yearn for paper/fountain again! But I think the convenience of Rocketbook scanning plus reusability has me hooked. At least for now.

I recently found myself wanting to source some Japanese notebooks en-masse, as I prefer handwritten notes for meetings and general "thinking" work. I continually run out of notebooks at the worst possible times.

Instead, I ended up buying a Rocketbook. I thought I'd try it out, it wasn't a huge outlay (compared to, for example, ReMarkable). I've gone through the notebook quite a few times now, works quite well.

Rocketbooks definitely aren't perfect. The tactility is nowhere near that of fountain/paper. You must use Pilot Frixion pens. And you can only buy frixion pen inks in their insanely small and wasteful plastic cartridges (you cannot just buy a bottle of the ink, as far as I'm aware). I do sometimes wonder if it is better to fill up my recycle bin with paper, or fill up my garbage can with frixion cartridges.

But, I'm still not sure I'll go back to standard pen and paper any time soon for my daily notetaking.

Slightly off-topic but I'd be curious if any of you are Rocketbook "expats" or converts.

Edit: spelling, plus further thought on wastefulness.

Re: Japan's Paper Culture

#78

Post by beermonster »

I should really buy something from jet pens. Not sure how how expensive they are for non-US international orders but I’ll have to check. It could potentially add quite a mark-up to a cheaper item such as the sampler packs someone else mentioned. But those packs look GREAT.

You should check out the rest of their posts/articles. I’ve ended up on them before when trying to find out the difference in the types of inks and types of pens. I have always been really impressed by the quality of their articles. Really want to give them some cash so will wander over there in a bit.

Sadly, my writing has got worse and worse since my life has become more and more digital. I should really have a goal for 2022 to be able to write legibly once again. I can’t even read my own hand writing any more - it must just be the lack of practice and it’s very sad as people used to comment on how beautiful it was (decades ago). Now it looks like a Doctor’s prescription order!

Re: Japan's Paper Culture

#80

Post by DavidGetchel »

beermonster wrote: post #78

I should really buy something from jet pens. Not sure how how expensive they are for non-US international orders but I’ll have to check. It could potentially add quite a mark-up to a cheaper item such as the sampler packs someone else mentioned. But those packs look GREAT. You should check out the rest of their posts/articles. I’ve ended up on them before when trying to find out the difference in the types of inks an…

I just bought some things from them. Great experience! Not sure what international shipping is though, but give them a shot.
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