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This year's Mitsukoshi World Fountain Pen Fair is being held from March 8 to March 14. I decided to visit the first afternoon while the rest of the world was still working. The place will be shoulder to shoulder in the evenings and on the weekends, but this afternoon the crowd was very light, allowing for some unobstructed shots of the counters.
Packed in a relatively small space are pen makers from Japan and all over the world. This year there were counters and tables representing Japanese pen makers Sailor, Pilot / Namiki, Platinum, Nakaya, and Ohashi-Do. Overseas pen makers represented were Faber Castell, Lamy, Visconti, Omas, Stipula, Delta, S.J. DuPont, Pelikan, Waterman, Rotring, Parker, Cross, Aurora, CaranDAche, Conway Stewart, and MontBlanc.
There were pen clinics at all the Japanese counters, and this week various demonstrations will be held. One of the bigger attractions will be maki-e master Kyusai Yoshida demonstrating his art at the Pilot / Namiki table. (Pilot uses the Namiki name even in Japan for its high end pens).
If you are anywhere near Tokyo this week, you owe it to yourself to get over and see this incredible event!
Click on any of the images below to see enlarged photos.
A shot of the entrance banner |
The first afternoon is a great chance to view all the pens without the crowds. |
A table where visitors can sit down and try out variety of fountain pens. |
The Nakaya table: Mr. Nakata is on the far left |
The Nakaya table: Ms. Ogawa and Mr. Watanabe |
 The Nakaya table: Mr. Matsubara |
 The Nakaya table: some pens on display |
The Nakaya table: Mr. Watanabe grinds a nib for a customer |
The Nakaya table: Pens handpainted by a nail artist |
The Ohashi-Do table: Mr. Kimura, Mr. uehara and a customer |
The Ohashi-Do table: Mr. Kimura
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The Ohashi-Do table: Mr. Kimura |
The Ohashi-Do table: Mr. Uehara |
The Ohashi-Do table: Two more artisans |
The Ohashi-Do table: Mr. Kimura on the foot powered lathe |
The Ohashi-Do table: Some hand made pens on display |
The Ohashi-Do table: More hand made pens on display |
The Ohashi-Do table: Yet more hand made pens on display |
The Pilot Namiki counter |
The Pilot Namiki counter |
The Pilot Namiki counter |
The Pilot Namiki counter: Pilot's Mr. Hirosawa |
The Pilot Namiki counter: Pilot's Mr. Hirosawa inspects a pen for a customer |
The ink table |
The Sailor counter: Mr. Nagahara (the younger) |
The Sailor counter: Mr. Nagahara at work |
The Sailor counter: Pentracer Mikiko Yamamoto (right) considering another big purchase. |
The Sailor counter: Sailor unique originals on display |
 The Platinum counter |
The Delta counter |
The Conway Stewart, Waterman and Rotring counters |
The Rotring and Waterman counters |
The Waterman counter |
The Dupont and Pelikan counters |
The Pelikan counter |
The Cross counter on the right |
The MontBlanc and Sailor counters |
The Parker counter |
The Faber castell, Lamy and Visconti counters |
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