Why Tomoe River Paper?

What is Tomoe River Paper (TRP), and why are we so obsessed? Paper so beautiful it will make you cry — Here are a few reasons why Tomoe River Paper reigns supreme.

Let me start by saying I was a huge skeptic at first. I didn’t get the hype, and when I first saw the paper I was so confused why it showed the lines printed on the other side. But when I felt it, and when I wrote on it…

TRP is truly heavenly! It’s so soft and smooth, which is weird to say about paper but it’s true. Writing on it is such a joy. It really brings more joy to my everyday journaling and planning, which is all we ever hope for as planner enthusiasts.

Let’s just say all other paper types, whether it’s from Erin Condren, Happy Planners, or generic ones at the store— they literally ruin the planning/ journaling experience for me now lol.

Honestly, it’s hard to describe without holding it in your hands, but I’ll do my best to go over all the benefits.

Tomoe River Paper has become synonymous with excellence in the realm of stationery. Crafted in Japan, this delicate yet durable paper has garnered a cult following among fountain pen enthusiasts, artists, and avid note-takers alike. In this blog post, we'll delve into the reasons behind the widespread acclaim and explore what makes Tomoe River Paper so exceptional.

Why Tomoe River Paper for Planners, Stationery Lovers, Artists and Calligraphers

The Origins of Tomoe River Paper

Tomoe River Paper, Japanese stationery, history of Tomoe River, craftsmanship

Tomoe River Paper traces its roots back to Japan, where artisans have perfected the craft of papermaking for centuries. Understanding the rich history behind this unique paper sheds light on its unparalleled quality and craftsmanship.

Tomoe River Paper has a fascinating history rooted in Japanese craftsmanship and innovation. The paper was first developed by Tomoegawa Co., Ltd., a Japanese paper manufacturing company with a rich heritage dating back to 1914. The origins of Tomoe River Paper can be traced to the mid-20th century, and its creation was a response to the changing demands of the market.

Founding of Tomoegawa Co., Ltd.

Tomoegawa Co., Ltd. was founded in 1914 in the city of Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. Initially specializing in the production of electrical insulating paper, the company expanded its operations over the years, becoming a prominent player in the paper manufacturing industry.

Development of Tomoe River Paper

The specific details of the development of Tomoe River Paper are not widely documented, but it is known that the paper was created as a high-quality, lightweight, and fountain pen-friendly alternative. The artisans at Tomoegawa Co., Ltd. leveraged their expertise in papermaking to craft a product that would cater to the discerning needs of users who sought a superior writing experience.

Key Features and Characteristics

One of the defining characteristics of Tomoe River Paper is its remarkable thinness. Despite its delicate feel, the paper is known for its exceptional durability and resistance to feathering and bleeding when used with fountain pens. This unique combination of features quickly set Tomoe River Paper apart from other papers on the market.

Rise to Popularity

Tomoe River Paper gained popularity among fountain pen enthusiasts who appreciated the paper's ability to showcase the intricacies of fountain pen ink without compromising on performance. The paper's lightweight and thin nature also made it an attractive choice for those seeking a portable and elegant writing experience.

While the exact timeline of its popularity is not precisely documented, Tomoe River Paper gained traction in the stationery and writing communities, earning a reputation for excellence. Its popularity transcended borders as enthusiasts around the world began to recognize and embrace the unique qualities of this Japanese paper.

Global Recognition

In recent years, Tomoe River Paper has become a sought-after commodity in the stationery market, with various manufacturers incorporating it into notebooks, journals, and other paper products. Its popularity extends beyond standard writing applications, finding favor among artists, illustrators, and creative professionals.

Today, Tomoe River Paper remains a symbol of Japanese craftsmanship and attention to detail, continuing to captivate users with its exceptional quality and versatility.

The Unrivaled Thinness and Featherweight Feel of TRP

Keywords: Tomoe River Paper thickness, lightweight paper, thin paper for writing

One of the standout features of Tomoe River Paper is its remarkable thinness. Despite its delicate nature, this paper manages to provide a luxurious and smooth writing experience. We'll explore how this thinness contributes to the paper's overall appeal and functionality. Coming in 52 and 68 gsm, it is much thinner than your average paper, but also much more strong. For example, hole punches in the paper won’t tear nearly as often as regular paper would.
Cheaper paper has terrible bleed-through, but Tomoe River paper can be used with inks, paint, heavy-duty markers, and calligraphy pens, and it will only show a faint ghosting on the other side. The ghosting isn’t too terrible, in fact I find it gives my notebooks a satisfying “used” look we all love!

It truly is featherweight and something to behold. Whenever I get my hands on it, I can’t stop touching the perfectly smooth surface. You should have seen me when I got my Haven Planner in the mail. Ahh the cover is so extremely soft as well.

Using Tomoe River Paper really is a form of self-care haha. Carrying around a normal notebook with 500 pages would be impossible, with TRP is it cuts down the size of notebooks in half!

TRP Fountain Pen Friendliness

Tomoe River Paper fountain pen, ink-friendly paper, smooth writing surface

Fountain pen enthusiasts swear by Tomoe River Paper for its exceptional compatibility with their favorite writing instruments. Discover why this paper is the go-to choice for fountain pen users, offering a smooth, bleed-resistant, and show-through-free writing surface.

Tomoe River Paper has earned its reputation as the preferred choice for fountain pen and calligraphy users due to its exceptional performance and unique characteristics. The paper's remarkable thinness, combined with its smooth surface, provides an unparalleled writing experience for fountain pen enthusiasts. The thinness of the paper allows for a seamless glide of the pen, showcasing the intricate details of fountain pen ink without feathering or bleed-through. This quality enhances the precision and clarity of writing, making Tomoe River Paper a favorite among those who appreciate the artistry of fountain penmanship.

Furthermore, the paper's excellent ink resistance ensures that fountain pen ink stays on the surface, resulting in vibrant and true-to-color lines. Calligraphers find the Tomoe River Paper particularly conducive to their craft, as it allows for precise control over ink flow and line variation. The paper's ability to showcase the subtleties of different inks, from sheening to shading, adds an extra layer of nuance to calligraphic creations. Additionally, the lack of bleed-through enables double-sided use, maximizing the utility of each sheet and providing an unmarred canvas for calligraphic artistry.

In addition to its performance, Tomoe River Paper's lightweight nature enhances the portability of notebooks and journals for fountain pen and calligraphy enthusiasts. Whether creating intricate calligraphic pieces or jotting down thoughts with a favorite fountain pen, users can enjoy a writing surface that complements their tools, elevating the overall writing and artistic experience.

The Artistic Canvas: Tomoe River Paper in Artistic Endeavors

Tomoe River Paper in art, artistic uses, creative applications

Beyond writing, Tomoe River Paper has found its way into the hands of artists who appreciate its unique properties for various artistic mediums. From sketching to watercolor, explore the diverse ways artists leverage the strengths of Tomoe River Paper in their creative pursuits.

Tomoe River Paper for Stickers and Bulking Up Your Notebooks

Something I don’t hear talked about a lot is how perfect TRP is for stickers!

Other paper is so hard to use stickers with, for one because it gets way too bulky.

With TRP, it’s so thin you can’t help but vomiting stickers, washi, and tabbing-in Vellum or whatever you want to make your memory keeping process more joyful and peaceful.

TRP handles the bulk perfectly, and the binding doesn’t tear because of the strong layers and coating the paper has.

When I add stickers in my Hobonichi and Haven Planners, I can even move or remove them if needed without worrying about ruining the page. Sure removing a super sticky sticker might be challenging; but the coating on the pages makes it so that you can move stickers around if needed (sometimes it tears the top coat, but nothing like other paper would).

Artists leverage the unique qualities of Tomoe River Paper to elevate their creative expressions across various mediums. The paper's exceptional thinness and smooth surface make it an ideal canvas for artists working with fountain pen and ink, allowing for intricate linework and precise detailing. Its superb resistance to bleed-through and feathering ensures that artists can confidently apply multiple layers of ink or watercolor without compromising the integrity of the paper. Whether sketching, drawing, or engaging in more elaborate artistic endeavors, Tomoe River Paper provides a versatile and high-quality substrate, enabling artists to explore the full spectrum of their creative vision with confidence and precision.

Tomoe River Paper Products: A Range of Options

Tomoe River notebooks, journals, planner inserts, paper products

The popularity of Tomoe River Paper has led to an array of products catering to different needs. Whether you're a journaling enthusiast or a planner aficionado, discover the diverse range of Tomoe River Paper products available on the market.

The Hobonichi line of planners is one, along with Sterling Ink, Papertess Designs, and The Haven Planner.

TarokoShop, Nanami Paper and Sterling Ink all have plain TRP notebooks as well, and The Haven Planner is working on a notebook as well!

Conclusion

Tomoe River Paper stands as a testament to the artistry and innovation embedded in Japanese stationery. Its unique combination of thinness, fountain pen friendliness, and versatility in artistic applications has earned it a well-deserved reputation. Whether you're a seasoned fountain pen user or a creative soul seeking the perfect canvas, Tomoe River Paper continues to captivate users worldwide. Embrace the magic of this extraordinary paper and elevate your writing and artistic experiences to new heights.

Want to purchase a Tomoe River Paper planner for 2024?

Introducing the Haven Planner Beta Version, A5 in Color Tea Rose

I am so excited to share the planner that I built by hand, grid by grid. This is my planner release with the best aspects of the Hobonichi with my own special design and preferences, and I’m SO EXCITED to show you the benefits.

NOTE: This planner is still in beta. The only way I can bulk order is if you raise your hand saying you want it! If you Pre-Order a Second Half Year Planner HERE, you will get the First Half Year Digital Version for free instantly to start testing out the design. This is perfect for Goodnotes and iPad/tablet users.

Haven Planner Details

A5 | Tomoe River Paper, 52 gsm, off-white color (pages appear white)
Softcover Texture: Very soft PU leather (one of my favorite features!)
Cover Gold Stamped with Haven Planner Logo
Cover Color: Tea Rose
Sunday Start
High-quality binding for the notebook to lay flat
Simple, minimalist design focused on goal-setting and page design
Gorgeous display heading serif font
All text in greyscale, no colors
Grid size: 4x4mm, slightly larger than most (technically, it’s 3.99x4mm)
White edges
288 pages

The Page Layout Breakdown is as Follows

1x 2024 year calendar
28x quarterly planning pages (goals, projects, tasks, plenty of space for vision boards) | 3 months of the quarter noted in the bottom right corner
6x monthly calendars on 2 pages | Jan 2024 - Jun 2024
13x vertical weekly spreads on 2 pages | Jan - Jun | 12-hour timeline 6AM to 12AM | Quarter and Week noted in the bottom right corner (e.g. Q1 W2)
183x blank grid pages with page numbers, enough for every day for the half-year
Total Page Count = 288
Check out the detailed images below to see the various page layouts.

The Haven Planner is a brand new Tomoe River Paper Planner with daily pages that are numbered, along with weekly spreads, monthly calendars and plenty of pages for quarterly planning and creating vision boards to complete your quarterly projects!

Tomoe River Paper Grid size - 4x4mm

This is a highly underrated discussion when it comes to planners like Hobonichi and Sterling Ink. I’ve found the 3.7mm size boxes to be way too small for my eyes, and I’m only twenty-nine with fairly good eyesight.

The Haven Planner features a more comfortable grid size of 4x4mm! I really couldn’t find this anywhere among the popular Tomoe River paper planners, and it’s been a dream to write only slightly larger, but not have to jump into the 5x5mm range which is way too big. I know it seems picky, but this is a big deal to many of us who write small using fountain pens and ink in the notebooks.

A5 Haven Planner Beta Version | First Half Year of 2024 | Digital PDF

Jan - Jun 2024 | Since we are already heading into the beginning of 2024, the only option available for this planner for the first half of 2024 is the DIGITAL PDF, which you can get for free if you pre-order the Second Half Year physical planner below. 2024 is my beta year, so I’m open to initial feedback. Everyone who pre-orders and downloads the digital planner will receive an exclusive Beta Feedback survey so I can improve the layout for the Second Half Year.

A5 Haven Planner Beta Version | Second Half Year of 2024 | Physical Copy | PU leather in color Tea Rose

Jul - Dec 2024 | The notebook bulk order needs to be made by February 15th, so we will need all pre-orders to be made by February 1st.

The bulk order takes roughly 3 months to be processed, prepped for the machine, printed, thread bound, finished with the cover, checked, tripled checked, shipped to the US, packaged, checked again, and finally shipped to your address. If we can hit our Feb 15th order deadline, shipping will begin in May and be completed in June for you to start using it in July!

IMPORTANT: Just like a Kickstarter, if we can’t get enough orders in by February, I’ll need to refund everyone and try again for 2025. That’s just the reality of starting up a new stationery business, so please place your order early and share this with your community of planner friends!