
How often do you sit down, dip your pen in some ink and write a letter or put your thoughts down on paper? The art of handwriting might be lost in the West, but surprisingly, students in Japan will often practice cursive writing even though they aren’t taught it in class. And in Japan, there are still plenty of chances for people to write things out from resumes and New Years cards to love letters and condolences, so there is always an opportunity to show off your epic penmanship.
And if you feel your written notes are lacking a certain artistic flair, the stationery store KINGDOM NOTE has just the thing for you: Colors! It’s not just normal boring colors that they are offering either, but original inks in colors inspired by crustaceans.
The Japanese fountain pen company Sailor is collaborating with KINGDOM NOTE to bring you amazing inks in colors inspired by our natural world. This is actually the fourth time the two have put out a series of inks, with previous inspirations coming from insects, wild birds, and mushrooms.
▼ KINGDOM NOTE x Sailor’s first three original ink sets
This time around, they are borrowing from the vast ocean to create colors fit for a king crab! Actually, the king crab is not one of the colors on offer this time, but you will be able to dip your pen in zarigani (Japanese crayfish) blue, coconut crab brown, giant spider crab red, Japanese tiger prawn brown and fiddler crab light green. Those are five crustacean colors you can write home to your mom about!
▼ From top to bottom: Zarigani blue, coconut crab brown, giant spider crab red, tiger prawn brown, and fiddler crab light green
Each of the ink color has a special individual hue that was created from pictures of the animal and the animal itself. Although there probably isn’t any actual crab in the ink, the colors perfectly match the original crustaceans, which are proudly displayed on the labels.
Each bottle of ink will be 2,160 yen (US $17.42) and you can get them from the KINGDOM NOTE website starting September 23. Coincidentally, that day is also National Fountain Pen day in Japan, so grab your favorite fountain pen and some quality white paper and get ready to create an ocean of new missives with this special ink inspired by crustaceans.
Source: Net Lab
Top Image: Syuppin Press Release
Inset Images: Nikkei Trendy Net, Syuppin Press Release



Feel like Neo Queen Serenity herself with this beautiful Sailor Moon fountain pen
Beautiful Japanese-Made Fountain Pens Make me Want to Learn to Write All Over Again
Limited edition Lipton’s iced tea-scented pens to go on sale
Starbucks Japan releases special pen that you can also use to buy coffee
East Japan Railway announces plans to abolish magnetic-strip tickets
New Square Enix Cafe reveals Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Nier, and Fullmetal Alchemist menu items
Anne Hathaway creates PR frenzy in Japan after mentioning Tottori in Devil Wears Prada interview
Shakey’s Japan creates matcha mochi, Kyoto fish, and Kansai Chili Con Carne pizzas
7-Eleven Japan reinvents convenience store fruit sandwiches with new salty pink sakura peach variety
Trigun Legacy Cafe coming to two Japanese cities this summer to salute series’ original form
Starbucks adds new Fruit Gummy sweets to stores in Japan
Family Mart commits “reverse fraud” in new Giant All-Star Festival, and we couldn’t be happier
7-Eleven Japan releases a chocolate chip sandwich… that tastes like ice cream
Pump yourself up with Yokohama’s new extravagant Cool Fuel ice cream
Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
Japanese convenience store shows us how to dress for the rainy season
Ghibli’s No Face continues to demonstrate his generous character growth by dispensing soy sauce
Japanese rice cooker recipe gives us a tasty new way to enjoy vegetables and wieners
Kyoto public junior high school becomes first in Japan with a hoodie school uniform
Tokyo’s Pokémon Cafe reopens this month with brand-new sweets and Pikachu show
New Tokyo sweets shop offers 648 different mochi ice cream dumpling combinations
Colour Hunting: The hot new street photography trend changing how we see Japan
Tokyo’s life-size Gundam anime mecha statue will be removed this summer
Ichiraku Ramen-inspired ramen sets from Naruto anime pay homage to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura
Kanji ice cream becomes a sell-out hit in Japan
Uniqlo reveals third round of massive 100-year-anniversary manga T-shirts for Jump’s Shueisha
New official Ghibli anime food cookbook will teach you how to make Ponyo’s ramen and more
Japanese convenience store Lawson launches new “mini supermarket” chain, L Minimart
Japan’s real-world Pokémon hot spring’s first photos are here![Photos]
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events