The winners of the 2026 Japanese stationery awards were announced in February. While we loved creative products like the Unidentified Flying Flat Pouch or the Cicada Shell Pencil Case, we were picky in deciding our favorites. Here are our favorite Japanese Stationery Award winners from 2024, 2025, and 2026.
1. Idea Award 2025: Kori Zojirushi Ice Cube Stamp
The Kori Jirushi Crystal Clarity stamp series is our favorite. The six stamps resemble ice cubes. Their transparent design is aesthetically pleasing, but it isn’t just for looks. It allows you to make fine adjustments, preventing smudging or misprints. The acrylic body makes cleanup easy.
We’ve linked to the Flower Set below. You can also find the Tiger, Maltese, Cross Stitch Set, Pug, Corgi, Salmon, and more on Amazon. Some sets, including the 6-stamp animal, cat, dog, meal, and sweets set, are available on the King Jim website.
2. Note Award 2024: SUNNY LIGHT Notebook
Iroha Publishing’s SUNNY series is colorful, lightweight, and has a pleasant feel. It contains an index, a monthly calendar, grid note pages, and label stickers. It lies flat when open, which we love. The elastic band, bookmark, pen holder, and inner sleeve make it easy to take your work on the go or pick up right where you left off. Best of all, it comes in multiple colors.
3. Grand Award 2025: Pilot Kire-Na Highlighters
Pilot pens are the standard in Japan, so it’s no surprise Pilot’s Kire-Na Highlighter set won the Japanese Stationery Award’s Grand Prize in 2025. It comes with five dual-ended highlighters, each a different color. Since they use rapid-drying ink, they don’t smudge. The chisel side features a tip cover, ensuring clean, smooth lines every time.
4. Eraser Award 2026: SEED Kadoloop Eraser
Erasers become rounded with use, making it difficult to erase finer details. The SEED Kadoloop self-reshaping Eraser solves this problem by using a heat-reactive material, which is why it won the Japanese Stationery Award for Best Eraser in 2026. Simply soak the rounded edge in hot water for 30 seconds and then press it into the shaping sheet to return it to a 90-degree angle.
5. Mechanical Pencil Award 2025: Uni Kuro Toga Metal
Unlike a standard mechanical pencil, the Uni Kuro Toga Metal Mechanical Pencil has a lead rotation mechanism, meaning you don’t have to rotate the pen to get a fine line. It features an aluminum barrel, giving it a lightweight, sturdy feel. It also has a resin nib damper that reduces tip wobble and smear-resistant lead. If you need to erase something, simply remove the cap.
6. Ballpoint Pen Award 2026: Pilot Juice+
The Pilot Juice Plus is a set of gel ballpoint pens, as the Japanese Stationery Award category suggests. This pack comes with eight colors — black, orange, red, blue, baby blue, lavender, mint, and Sakura blossom pink. The pens have needle-point 0.4mm tips, use water-based, fade-resistant pigment, and have translucent, frosted clips.
7. Stamp Award 2024: Iromoyo Kosai Stamp Pad
Glitter may be impractical and slightly unprofessional, but it is guaranteed to liven up any dreary office space. The 2024 Japanese Stationery Awards saw the value in glitter and named the Iromoyo Kosai Stamp pad the winner of the Stamp Award. On paper, the ink dries within 10 seconds. However, the pad won’t dry out if you leave the lid open.
8. Seal Award 2024: Cosmetic Motif Film Sticker
The Hitotoki Coffret stickers were inspired by cosmetics, so they feature shimmering foil accents and contemporary colors. They are thin enough to be somewhat transparent, but are sturdy enough to be written on. You can use them to create a no-label look to organize your desk. The six-design pack comes in blue, yellow, pink, and green hues.
9. Pencil Case Award 2024: Sonic Pen Case
This uniquely shaped pencil case props itself up, providing easy access to all your writing utensils. Pens, highlighters, pencils, and rulers go in the top two pockets. The bottom two securely hold sticky notes, tape, and erasers. The case comes in blue, green, purple, and pink.
10. Design Award 2026: SAKURA Komagoma File
The 2026 Japanese Stationery Awards gave the Sakura Komagoma File organizer the Best Design award. It opens accordion-style, allowing you to compactly store letterheads, bills, receipts, or documents. You can use the handle to carry them. The velcro clasp ensures the organizer stays closed.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Japanese Stationery Awards
Do you want to learn more about the Japanese Stationery Awards? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions.
What are the Japanese Stationery Awards?
The Japanese Stationery Awards is an annual event. Each year, retail and stationery experts vote for the best pens, pouches, stamps, notebooks, binders, erasers, and more. It started back in 2013 as a way to highlight the best new products, providing consumers with a trusted guide. There are also many unofficial versions.
How does the award process work?
Every year, manufacturers submit hundreds of items, which are voted on by actual stationery store staff rather than designers or executives. The judges focus on innovation, design, and functionality. The results are published annually in Bunbōguyasan Taishō, which is Japanese for “Japan Stationery Awards.”
Why is Japan famous for stationery?
In Japan, writing is deeply rooted in tradition and daily life. Japanese Calligraphy has been practiced for over 1,500 years, making it an ancestral art. Today, retailers lean into ridiculous, kawaii, and aesthetic ideas to breathe fresh life into the art form.
Ukiyo-e art — which spans the 17th to 19th centuries — is a genre of art that originated in Japan. It often depicts picturesque landscapes or popular fashion trends accompanied by Japanese calligraphy.
Manufacturers take great pride in meticulously designing artistic, functional products that solve everyday problems. For example, the SEED Kadoloop self-reshaping eraser was developed in collaboration with elementary students who disliked how difficult it became to use erasers as they wore down.
What are the best stationery brands in Japan?
The top stationery brands in Japan include Kokuyo, Pilot, Uni Mitsubishi, King Jim, Sailor, Sun-Star, BENU, Midori, Platinum Pen, and Furukawa Paper Works. You may recognize some names from this list.
Which of These Japanese Stationery Award Winners Will You Use?
The beauty of the Japanese Stationery Awards is that these products do not come from high-end designers. Even if you don’t live in Japan, you can easily purchase them online. They are relatively affordable, with some costing just over $5 new.
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