Yoroku: The enduring appeal of the Japanese pen in the digital age

These days, most reporters at news conferences use laptops to record what is being said rather than with notepads and pens. Sometimes reporters can even be seen transcribing the speaker’s words using their smartphones. This leaves people who still use pens and notebooks feeling a bit left out.

With the move to a paperless society, one might expect sales of writing instruments to be on the decline, but in fact the ballpoint pen market remains strong. Over the past 10 years, domestic shipments have increased by nearly 20%, with exports jumping 24% in volume and 54% in value. The weak yen has been a factor in this, but high value-added products appear to be selling well.

Japanese manufacturers are strongly focused on research and development. They have refined the smoothness of the pens on paper and have pioneered new technologies in the market like erasable ink. They are also continuing their pursuit of shapes and materials that are easy to use. Demand for such products has increased in the United States, Europe and China, and the pens are also popular souvenirs among people visiting Japan.

“Pens have become a method of expressing individuality,” says Yoji Takeuchi, who has been developing ink at Mitsubishi Pencil Co. for some 30 years. Handwriting has decreased in line with digitization, but it is apparently being reconsidered as a means of communication conveying warmth. Consumers are strongly attached to the color of the pens and the design of their barrels.

The kind of ballpoint pens we use today first appeared in 1943. The idea came from a Hungarian proofreader who thought of using the quick-drying ink for newspapers. Precision is required in the manufacturing of components including the ball in the tip of the pen, and surprisingly few countries can produce them independently.

Continually improving products based on user feedback and offering them at affordable prices — this is no doubt what makes the Japanese style of manufacturing stand out. The wide variety of pens available in stores today is a testament to the industry’s breadth.

(“Yoroku” is a front-page column in the Mainichi Shimbun.)