The six major makers of pencils and pencil products are engaged in a fierce battle for the top spot in the global stationery industry!
Kokuyo, Pilot, Mitsubishi Pencil, Pentel, Zebra, and Tombo Pencil in a fierce battle!
A Clear Weapon for Stationery Makers
The influence of the “Sanakatsu” movement seems to have reached the stationery industry, as one ballpoint pen shown in the hand of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi (64) at her inauguration press conference on October 21 is suddenly attracting public attention.
It is the “Jetstream 4&1,” sold by Mitsubishi Pencil.” It is a multifunctional model of the mega-hit series “Jetstream,” launched in 2006, and is an excellent four-color ballpoint pen (black, red, blue, and green) with the ability to switch between mechanical pencil in a single stroke. Although various stationery manufacturers sell multi-functional ballpoint pens, “Jetstream” is a product that is also easy to write with. It is clear that Mr. Takaichi, who is very busy, is particular about the pen he chooses,” said Kidetaku, a stationery writer.
The light pink Jetstream 4&1 that Prime Minister Takaichi uses is so popular that it was in short supply for a while. The stationery industry regularly produces hit products, such as the B6 size of Kokuyo’s “Campus Notebook” used by Hajime Moriyasu, 57, as a notepad at the 2010 World Cup in Qatar, which drew attention to the smaller version of the notebook. And in recent years, such products have gained tremendous support from foreign tourists as souvenirs of their trips to Japan.
In Japan, however, products with functions and designs that are meticulously crafted are available at low prices. For this reason, coupled with the current depreciation of the yen, companies are increasing their sales in overseas markets,” says Makiko Fukushima, a stationery planner.
Against this backdrop, manufacturers in the stationery industry are currently working day by day to develop revolutionary products that will sweep the world market.
Although the word “stationery manufacturers” may give the impression that each company is competing with each other to produce similar products with minute differences, in reality, each manufacturer has a clear weapon in its arsenal.
For example, Pilot Corporation, which boasts annual sales of 126.1 billion yen, has revolutionized ballpoint pens with a special ink developed with its advanced technology, making the most of its background in fountain pen sales and manufacturing.
Pilot was in the limelight with its “Doctor Grip” series (launched in 1991), which was ergonomically designed to prevent fatigue even after long hours of writing, and in 2006 Pilot launched “Frixion,” a pen that erases with frictional heat, in Europe. Although a Japanese manufacturer, Pilot was the first to market Frixion in Europe because it saw a great demand for erasable ballpoint pens in Europe, where ballpoint pens and fountain pens are also used in school education. Although the product was not launched in Japan until the following year, it was a huge hit around the world, and as a single brand of writing instruments, it boasts the top share in the world. Today, other companies also sell erasable ballpoint pens, but none of them produce colors as clearly and erase as Frixion.
On April 3, 2011, “Frixion Synergy Nock” was released, offering an even smoother writing experience. Pilot has no equal when it comes to erasable ballpoint pens.
The fluorescent marker “Kyrena” released in October last year is also amazing. By attaching a special tip to the tip of the pen, it is now possible to easily draw a straight line of a certain thickness. Until then, the market for fluorescent markers had been flat, but now I have the impression that Pilot is one step ahead of the competition.
From the November 28/December 5, 2025 issue of FRIDAY
