Publications:

To obtain books from Japan check with specialist Japanese bookstores like Kinokuniya, Asahiya, YesAsia or Amazon Japan in your search for the following books.

FURUYAMA, Koichi. Masters of the Fountain Pens of Japan. EI Publishing Company Ltd. 2006. 367p. Japanese. ISBN 477790508X.

Koichi Furuyama is an artist who has made drawings of fountain pens and their users a unique specialty. At the top of almost every page is a small drawing of a pen, many Japanese. There are also a number of color plates. You'll find a few pens you've never knew existed before or will ever see on eBay. In Japanese and 365 pages, it might be for the more hardcore collector.

KLEMANOWICZ, Stan. Collecting Japanese Pens. The PENnant, Winter 2006, pp.21-25. Article can be accessed here.

LAMBROU, Andreas. Fountain Pens of the World. 1995. English. ISBN 0302006680.

If there is one essential book, this is it. Focused on pens of the world, there is an excellent large chapter on Japanese pen history, bigger makers, and numerous photographs of high-end pens. In addition to seeing so many of the best pens made, the pictures are extremely useful for identifying model names and artistic styles. And, if you ever get bored with Japanese pens you have the rest of the world to investigate. Sadly, it is out of print, however, copies can be obtained from resellers through the Alibris or Amazon search service.

LYN, Bernard. Maki-e, an Art for the Soul (The Danitrio Maki-e Collection). Dani International Corp. 2003. 255p. English. ISBN 9579403074.

The work covers makie techniques and presents profiles of Danitrio artists and their works. If you own or plan to own a Dani, this is a great book to have to understand what it took to make your pen. Regardless of whether you are a Dani fan, Dunhill-Namiki collector, or just like Japanese pens, it is a fascinating very well-done work you will enjoy for years.

MURAKAMI, Tomihiro. Dunhill-Namiki and Lacquer Pens.2002. (2nd Edition) / 1st Edition: Shibunsha. 2000. English. Out of print.

If into makie, this is another essential book and worth the $150. Copies are out there! Well, if you can afford Dunhill-Makie pens $150 is chump change. Good work. Only 96 pages. Sometimes you can see one at a show.

NAKAZONO, Hiroshi. The Fountain Pens of the World. 1985, 2001. 190p. Japanese. ISBN 4062020874 / 4898061397.

Nakazono initially wrote this book in 1985 with the current update in 2001. It is a smallish volume with about have the plates dedicated to Japanese pens. The remainder to pens more often seen in Japan. The types of pen span the high-end makie to lower-end. A good effort it is woefully incomplete and more of a general guide to vintage pens. Both are excellent sources of information. Our preference is for the out-of-print 1st edition as it has a number of photographs in color. We have not checked page-by-page but, there may be a few more or different pens shown. Either a very useful addition.

OVERBURY, Stephen and Julia Hutt. Namiki: The Art of Japanese Pens. 2000. 160p. English. ISBN 0968643507.

This is an expensive book that is of inestimable value to the connoisseur, those interesting in historic makie pens, or in need of a really neat coffee table book. Look to spend $100+

SUNAMI, Masamichi and FURUYAMA Koichi. The Fountain Pen Chronicle (Fountain Pen's History Writing Materials Archives). EI Publishing Company Ltd. 2007. 384p. Japanese. ISBN 9784777908134.

In Japanese, it contains numerous drawings and photographs of various pens of the world, advertisements with emphasis on Japanese pens. If in English the book would be a must for every collector of Japanese pens. Drawings of pens by Koichi Furuyama are always neat and a few very unusual models are pictured. Otherwise, it is for the more serious enthusiast.

SUNAMI, Masamichi. The 101 Pen's Collection of M. Sunami. Hankyu Communications Ltd. 2006. 214p. Japanese. ISBN 4484062216.

Mas Sunami is the dean of Japanese pen collecting who had (has?) one of the largest collections in the world. The book focuses on the 101 pens he has found the most interesting for various reasons. Included are a number of rarish and more common Japanese pens. In Japanese, you really don't need this book. It does, however, fill several gaps and the pictures are great.  

Will we be adding descriptions of assorted mook in coming weeks.

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RYOJUSEN

霊鷲山