- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Kinokuniya Stationery and Gift
Categories: Event Planning & Services Cards & Stationery Shopping Arts & Crafts Cards & Stationery Shopping Flowers & Gifts Cards & Stationery Shopping Arts & Crafts Art Supplies Cards & Stationery, Art Supplies [Edit]
1581 Webster StSte 218
(between Post St & Geary Blvd)
San Francisco, CA 94115
Neighbourhoods: Japantown, Lower Pac Heights, Pacific Heights
(415) 567-8901
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 10:30 am - 8 pm
Fri-Sat 10:30 am - 8:30 pm
Sun 10:30 am - 7 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Liz P. said: "Grace, bless you. One of the nicest ladies on earth. My grandma taught me to knit when I was eight. Grace taught me all the hard stuff (cables, socks, circular knitting, continental style, fair isle, short rows, etc.) in her…" read more »
169 reviews for Kinokuniya Stationery and Gift
Review Highlights
-
"I am very particular when it comes to pens." In 100 reviews -
"Also, the single greatest selection of notebooks EVER." In 42 reviews -
"This is cutesy Japanese stationary heaven, my friends." In 12 reviews
Loading...
169 reviews in English
-
Review from DJ Guan Yu M.
Pittsburg, CA
5/25/2012
This gift and stationery shop has a lot of unique and nice cards and stationery straight from Japan. Some of it is overpriced, but it is worth it to those that like unique stuff. The place is clean and organized, and this place is part of Kinokuniya in San Francisco Japantown.
-
Review from Chloe M.
2/20/2012
Fun stationary store with lots of imported items. If you love pens, you'll love this place. Lots of colors, lots of sizes. They are pricey, but they are imported from Japan, so, it makes sense. I went here to get a special type of brush pen for my artwork. They do have a modest selection of art supplies.
Quick tip: If you'd like to test a pen, even the ones that are fully wrapped in packaging, go up to the counter. The sales staff have a sample of every pen and will let you test it out there on a piece of paper. -
Review from Angela M.
7/31/2011
Since I've started college, I come here at the beginning of every semester for my school supplies and I never walk away disappointed. The selection of pens, pencils, notebooks, paper, stationary, binders, folders, highlighters, and SO much more makes me feel like a headless chicken while I'm in here, running from one end of the store to another looking at the array of finds. There are even greeting cards here, as well as a beautiful selection of Japanese wrapping paper; you can order either half a sheet or a whole sheet, and the quality is gorgeous. I ordered half a sheet (which is actually a generous amount of paper) to wrap my boyfriend's birthday gift in and was very pleased with the look and feel of the paper.
Everything I've bought from Kinokuniya Stationary has lasted me from the time I've bought them to the present, which makes almost three years. While I do end up wincing at the prices I pay for what I buy every time, I have to admit that the quality I get is well worth what I shell out. Honestly, if you appreciate quality stationary and need some good, lasting stuff for either work, school, or simply because it's a weakness for you (as it is for me), come here to find it. -
Review from Kekumukula N.
San Francisco, CA
9/30/2011 2 Check-ins Here
It is SO fun to look around here. The eye-candy are just too cute and fun to pass up. My daughters love those sticker sets, especially the ones where you can dress the girls up over and over again. I love the washi tape. My girls and I each have our own dispensers and mini stash of washi tape.
And you can't beat that they have frequent buyer cards that have gone electronic! Tuesdays are double points day. -
Review from Stephanie S.
Newport Beach, CA
11/14/2011
Kinokuniya is one of the few places in the US to get Japanese cult pens. They stock my favorite pen in the world: Pilot Hi-Tech C 0.4. It's an ultrafine rollerball pen that comes in a rainbow of colors. Kinokuniya stocks a curated collection of the cutest Japanese stationary, origami paper, and notebooks. The perfect Cambridge and Edinburgh notebooks have the finest paper, ideal for personal notes and academia. The attention to design is unmatched. Everything I've bought from here has been high quality with reasonable prices for imports.
-
Review from Lolia S.
San Francisco, CA
12/19/2010
Now that Kinokuniya has opened a gift store (like Sanrio) downstairs, the stationery shop feels a bit redundant. You can get many of the items it carries in their gift store and bookstore. But this location is still the best one for greeting cards (including some from Japan), pencil cases, fancy patterned masking tape, Japanese wrapping paper, planners, pens, notebooks, puzzles, unique rubber stamps, and desk accessories/stationery items.
If you ever wanted to have cute push pins, pencil caps, food erasers and magnets, this is your place. Looking for staple-free staplers? They have them.
I used to buy stickers here but the current crop is too glittery and puffy. The current San X characters (e.g., Rilakkuma, Mamegoma) aren't as cute as they used to be (e.g., Tofu Oyako, the Cheese Family, Kogepan), though there is a new kitty in a cup of boba tea.
Prices aren't cheap. A simple notebook can set up back $7 (Daiso carries similar notebooks for $1.50). But they do have a frequent buyer program, so collect those stamps.
My picks:
* Sanrio silly band bracelets
* Sanrio & San X character calendars to keep track of the date the cute wayListed in: Dedicated to Tofu Oyako,…, Get Crafty, Be Crafty
-
Review from Pia V.
11/2/2010
The staff is very nice and they have everything in this shop. I could spend hours just looking around at all the little nick-knacks they have -- but of course, I always try to hurry it up for the boyfriend's sake =X.
The prices can be a little much sometimes, i.e. a bag holder for $12, when it was $1 at another place. But regardless if I'm looking for anything cute, this place will have it. Also, if I'm looking for a little gift for someone and I can't think of anything in particular to get, usually a little walk through this place will do the trick.Listed in: Born to Shop
-
Review from William H.
Oakland, CA
2/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
A simple collection of Japanese stationary can be found here.
Do people write anymore? I mean, do people write in gel pens anymore? Better yet, do people write in fuchsia sparkling gel pens on hello kitty steno notebooks anymore? If that applies to you or if you're just a fan of creating stationary, you might find yourself in this store. I, being a man of the letters, can't help but stop by every time I'm in Japantown. There's always a part of me that wants to buy an extra Campus notebook and fill it up with ramblings. If you got stationary lust, this is the place to be. Remember, it's what those pieces of paper are, it's what they can become that makes it wonderful.Listed in: Stationary Lust
-
Review from Stephanie L.
Fremont, CA
5/28/2011
The store was awesome. Many selections of pens, pencils, notebooks and etc. Some items were a bit overpriced and could have been sold cheaper at other stores. However, I buy my stationery from here and like it so far. The whole store is amazing! :)
PROS
-Many selections of Japanese pens and pencils.
-Lots of stationery.
CONS
-A bit pricey sometimes. ($3 for 10 pieces of lead? I don't think so...)
-Not located everywhere. Only in Japantown, SF. :(
I would definitely recommend Kinokuniya Stationery and Gift to everyone! :) -
Review from Lena W.
San Francisco, CA
10/1/2011
In San Francisco, I won't buy my stationery anywhere else but here (or at Maido in downtown). They have great selections of quality stationery imported from Japan. The designs of the products they carry are really cute. The price is reasonable, and the staffs are always super polite.The Kinokuniya bookstore is just next door, and the gift shop is downstairs. You can use the same point collection card across these stores as well as at Maido in downtown. It's so much joy to just browse around and I'd go back any time.
-
Review from Jessica T.
San Francisco, CA
11/16/2009
Japanese stationary is the best.
From their perfectly plastic-wrapped-letter writing paper with tiny intricate hearts and jumbled English sayings. To their adorable little diary notebooks with petite stickers and flower adorned pages.
Aesthetically everything about most nearly all Japanese stationary - seems to be just so endearing and "awwww' worthy.
I spent my freshman year of high school in Japan and one of my families' favorite past-times was to browse around some of the bigger stationary stores in Toyko - and just marvel at all of the random-ness and pure genius encompassed within them. I wish I had taken pictures to capture it all.
While this place doesn't have as much of the off-the-wall stationary as the bigger stores that I've explored in Japan - they have an amazing selection of fun art supplies, tiny erasers, lovely writing pens, charming pencil cases, origami paper, fabulous stickers - and more.
You can easily lose sense of time exploring all of the mesmerizing stuff here.
And if you're a big fan of sharpies like me - explore their fine permanent writing pens. They're truly incredible to write with - and I found myself doodling all over their scrap writing paper for a good ten minutes - I was so taken with the quality of their pens.
I ended up buying five of them.
I adore going out big on the weekends - but today - chilling in Golden Gate park and exploring Japantown gems like Kinokuniya - reminded me what bliss it is to take - your Sunday slow.
Trust.Listed in: Arts and Crafts
-
Review from kimberly v.
Berkeley, CA
9/28/2008
I was writing about ramen the other day when this should have been my focus, as it's why I really come here. Yet another revelation: I am a writing implement and paper geek. Had me an Osmiroid back in college, closely followed by a Mont Blanc as soon as I could afford one, to make my writing look exotic (that stint of Interior Architecture didn't help). Cool notebooks, antique fountain pens, felt tips with a Bauhaus aesthetic, and most especially (!) washi, the beautiful hand made Japanese papers that are art works can quicken my heart, and they are all here at Kinokuniya. Most of their little notebooks are either Japanese or French, the undisputed kings of schoolkid chic.
When I could afford their prices, Kinokuniya always made certain that my pen was the envy of all, and that important gifts were wrapped in cloth or handmade papers (although I saved the most beautiful to be framed), with the scraps going to make Xmas cards each year. Like an old man in Amsterdam, now I just pass by, gazing longingly at these things, alternately beautiful, seductive, and sometimes even appealing in their trashiness (Tortoro eraser, anyone?)
6 stars for their stuff. Minus 2 for being WAY expensive. -
Review from Patty W.
Walnut Creek, CA
12/24/2008
Who writes letters and actually mails them nowadays? Well, not me, but I still buy stationery from this store!
Kinokuniya is the perfect place to find a gift for the boss who has it all (pens and desk objects) or the 10 year old girl (pens and pencil cases, as as Nobu K mentions -- mini sushi-shaped erasers) or the suburban mom (beautiful Japanese papers and notebooks) or even yourself (I've treated myself to some purse pens nice enough but not SO nice that I'm devastated when I lose them).
Talk about a comprehensive store! The size of the store is misleading; it's not very large, but I can spend hours in here and then in the bookstore across the way (plus some sustenance at the ramen restaurant, the sushi restaurant, or crepe place in between). -
Review from Christopher K.
San Francisco, CA
12/20/2007
I love fine writing instruments and quality paper products, so I already had a predilection towards this store before I ever even walked in.
While Japan doesn't have the worldwide lock on delightful stationary, it is the only place I will find notebooks bearing the such awesome English phrases on the cover as:
Enjoy do it yourselfism in your new life style! -
Review from Steph P.
Minneapolis, MN
5/2/2007
Exhibit B in the case of "Steph is not a coconut:" I am in love with stationery, notebooks, pens, and other related accoutrements! As a young girl, I avidly collected stationery. I even had an overseas stationery exchange with my cousins in the Philippines where we would mail each other portions of colletions of cute papers, stickers, mini notebooks, etc.
Being in Kinokuniya Stationery and feeling giddy over a beautiful set of notecards, an intriguing print of paper, Japanese cartoon stickers, book flags, and notebooks transports me back to those days of innocence. I especially love to peruse the papergood knickknacks because you know that the Japanese are masters of crap-you-never-knew-you-needed-but-now-really-want -because-it's-just-so darn-small-and-cute-and-functional." I wouldn't shop at Kinokuniya for pens and paper on a regular basis (because it's really not the cheapest), but it is one of the first places that comes to mind for a small reward or a simple, functional indulgence. -
Review from M'ia K.
San Francisco, CA
12/22/2006
They now carry the Hi-Tec C pens that go 'clicky'--- the "Coleto" pens!!
If you don't know what I'm referring to:
http://www.hirohurl.ne...
You can choose the color combination yourself, and buy refills as needed...
The regular HiTec C pens have made my student life just slightly less painful, though the hole these things burn in my wallet is yet another story...
Why -1 star, you may ask?
Well, they don't bother carrying the refills for the regular HiTecC- no idea why... I *clearly* don't need to spend $4 each time I need a refill (available online at http://www.jetpens.com for $2.) I like to consider myself just a tad eco-responsible at the very least!
0.3mm HiTecCs have a tendency to stop working, so if you're starting off with them, I'd start with the 0.5 or 0.4mm.
The color selection is vast, however, which puts them a notch above the online stores.
During the Japantown street fairs they have specials when their stationery sets and notebooks go on sale...
They also carry an assortment of those Japanese Homemade Rice Papers, which I so totally love... for a slightly higher price than downstairs at Asakichi, but definitely LOWER than Paper Source.Listed in: J-town, Nihonmachi,…
-
Review from Teal H.
San Francisco, CA
10/25/2008
Gaaaaah! I could spend all day and every last cent I own in here! Must. stay. away! Literally one of my favorite places on this earth.
If, about 8 years ago, you tried to buy concert tickets at the Fillmore on a Sunday, only to find a little sign saying "back in 20 minutes" and you waited 35 minutes before you gave up, you can blame Kinokuniya.
(Or blame me and my poor retail sales ethic, WHATEVER.)
Because 20 minutes is just not enough time to look at four hundred packets of insanely cute stickers (operative word -- insane), and nonsensically-adorable stationery sets with their odd little envelopes and funny nonsensical little sayings.
Toilet panda, Happy-sushi panda, and Bunny-costume panda? I have 'em all. Kittens joyfully being made into pastry and other food items? Got 'em. Afro-Ken stationery and sticker sets? You betcha.
The stupidest thing is that I literally collect the stuff. No occasion or missive is good enough to use this stuff on, because I have to KEEP it and HOARD it for eternity.
Also, the single greatest selection of notebooks EVER. Will Cosmicfizz owns my soul.
(I have a Japanese stationery problem. Is there a J-S Anonymous?) -
Review from Jen D.
2/21/2008
You remember back in school when it was cool to carry pencil cases? And if you had the matching Keroppi stationary set, you were the shit? Yeah well, I never really grew out of that... Yeah I'm 25.. AND???
This branch off of Kinokuniya is store porn for me... I came in looking for a phone fob for me and EJ... Since we have identical blackberries and since he chose the exact same ringers as me, it's hard to tell who's phone is going off... I picked up two phone fobs and it took all my strength not to go through the other aisles with all the pens and stationary and erasers...
Fight it... Fight it... Fight it...
Straight to the cash register to pay and bounce.. If we didn't have a crepe being made next door, I would have stayed forever... This place feeds my inner pen and pencil dork... -
Review from Vicky L.
2/6/2009
I'm a total pen and stationary whore. Every single trip I make back to Asia would result with me loading up my suitcases with tons of purdy pens and stationary. My parents used to joke that my kids could inherit all my pens and it would take at least 3 generations to use up all that ink! I was definitely the cool kid in high school with the purdy sparkly silver pens before they were available here.
Now that I'm working and I can actually afford more and more pens... and less less vacations abroad, I can count on this place to keep my collection well stocked. (Yes... i still have two full under bed containers filled with pens and pencils... and I still want more!!)
Perfect place to find a little gift!
Review #885 -
Review from X marks the spot ..
San Francisco, CA
10/1/2006
When I'm in Japantown I almost always make a stop here. I stock up on gift wrapping paper or stationary with unique prints.
The pen section is a pen lover's wet dream. I bought one of those colored/scented jelly pens here once. I think I sniffed the vanilla ice cream scent out of it. -
Review from Amy D.
2/1/2007
My girlfriends and I used to collect gel pens. Kinokuniya had the best selection hands down. I've probably spent well over $100 on pens that I collected. I didn't want to use them because then the ink would run out. (You're thinking... I thought that's what pens were for. Shut up.) Now I can't use them because the ink is dried out. :(
During the Cherry Blossom festival they have a great sale. A lot of letter sets, stickers, and organizers on sale for much cheaper than regular price.
Even though I no longer collect colorful gel pens, Kinokuniya and Maido are the only places where I can buy my favorite pens, real japanese lead, and MONO erasers. That means I still come here. -
Review from Taylor S.
San Francisco, CA
7/26/2009
You provide me with all the cute and simple paper that I will ever need. Now I just need to find something to write in all of these notebooks.
Atmosphere: Cute, slightly retro but very organized (one would expect this from a paper store)
Cost: Under $10 for most binders and notebooks
Try: Pantone collection binders and A4 paper
Forget: Extremely cute $3 folders that can't hold more than 5 sheets -
Review from Joanna M.
5/3/2008
Walking into the shop, you'd think everyone there was at a toy poodle extravaganza.
"ooooh, it's SOOOOO cute."
"look at the little itty bitty thing (squeal, eek)"
"oh I need it, I cannot live without it. Soooo adorable. Get it for me, daddy?"
It's too much for me to handle. I go in, get my .03 ink pen (so small, wow, giggle!), pick up a notebook, and get out before being bitten. -
Review from Hilary K.
San Francisco, CA
4/2/2008
I went here looking for refills for my favorite pen - A 0.28mm, Blue-black Uni-ball Signo pen. (Yes, I'm that particular). They only had refills in black. And wouldn't be getting in refills in blue-black for 10 weeks. So I decided to get a blue pen, and a blue-black pen for my journal, and then a black pen for every day use, with 4 black refills... All of which came to a subtotal of $12.90. Fine, ok. I'm particular. I can deal with that. So I got my two stamps (one for each $5 pre-tax) in my 'frequent buyer' card or whatever it is.
And then I decided to get another blue-black pen to tide me over the 10 weeks. That's another $2.50 pre-tax. So I hand them the money and my stamp book again. But the lady says, no you only get a stamp when you spend $5 pre-tax. She walks away, and I look confused to the other guy standing at the counter, and show him that yes, I did just spend a enough for a third stamp, over the two transactions (which were literally 2 min apart). He said no, it has to all be in one transaction to count.
If I had felt like arguing, I would have returned the second pen, and one of the first pens, and then bought them both again. But I didn't feel like being quite that obnoxious. But really... I didn't leave the store between the first and the second purchase. I didn't even browse a second time. And its a stamp in a little club card that isn't audited. Would it really have been that hard? Just because I knew exactly what I wanted and wasn't afraid to ask for it, even if it caused them maybe 2-3 min of extra digging doesn't mean that I'm mean or a bitch or anything. -
Review from Susy C.
2/1/2007
I think i'm the only Yelper that feels this place is overpriced..
I've seen some of the stuff they carry at various other places for much cheaper.
Too bad I can't remember where exactly at the moment. -
Review from Wakako U.
San Francisco, CA
7/25/2006
I'm the pen freak!!!
Must have my 0.3mm pens in 100 different colors. -
Review from Nana K.
Alameda, CA
11/23/2008
I LOVE this little stationary store, but it's so expensive that I really hate being in it since I want to buy everything. All of the items here are either beautiful, adorable, or a combination of both. Leave it to the Japanese to be so creative and innovative that they'll make even the most useless items irresistible. I nearly purchased $12 stationary because it was so damn gorgeous when my fiance asked me: "So, who are you going to write to?" And then I almost bought the most adorable planner I'd ever seen, it was like a little diary, but couldn't justify spending $27 for it. I did leave with some really cool pens, pencils, and erasers which I probably didn't need. At some point, I knew I had to start dragging myself away for fear of needlessly blowing more dough.
Well, no need for that because the owners started kicking everyone out the minute I starting thinking about leaving. That's why I took away one star. We weren't given a 5-10 minute warning, all of a sudden, they started shooing everyone out. Granted, they let those who were in line finish paying for their items, but they couldn't emphasize the fact that they were closing enough. It was almost frantic. They weren't shy about letting everyone know that they really, really wanted to close. My fiance was paying for some items and my sister, who had come along with us and had also purchased some items, poked her head into the store to see where we were at. She didn't even step inside when one of the workers shouted: "WE'RE CLOSED!" really loudly at her.
I thought that was a little rude, although I would still come back. I still can't stop thinking about that little $27 planner... -
Review from Suan W.
Silicon Valley
11/6/2007
Browsing in this store makes me feel like a bull in a china shop. Despite being a female of Asian heritage, I am unable to embody the neat and tidy, cute stationary-toting stereotype that other little Asian girls portray. Throughout my academic career, while they meticulously took class notes with a delicate pen in an exquisitely chic notebook, I would be digging deeply in my black hole of a backpack to procure a dog-eared, Mead spiral and a fistful of chewed-up Bic ballpoints. However, one can pretend.
In an effort to feel more dainty and stereotypically "feminine", I was pleased to find that this store carries a wide array of aesthetically pleasing writing utensils. Since my handwriting tends to resemble chicken scratch when I write faster than two words per minute, I took advantage of the testers and sampled a plethora of pens until I found one that helped my penmanship stay somewhat legible. I also bought a little notebook with a picture of a green hippo that says, "what lovely friends* they will bring happy", just for its eloquent, philosophical angle. -
Review from O'Shea J.
San Francisco, CA
9/16/2008
Allow me to break down the science of my penmanship...
Long ago, I had a strong interest in architecture. While studying the subject in high school, I noticed the writing on blueprints and floor plans always looked the same. For a while, I believed it was a requirement to write that way (which turns out to be somewhat true). I mimicked the style and it eventually became my natural way of writing.
However, the technique is almost like calligraphy. You need to use a writing instrument that allows you to stop on a dime - something that either has a broad or syringe thin tip - because the lettering is very abrupt. Straight lines and sharp corners are key. That being said, it's imperative I use a pen with a .03mm tip or smaller, otherwise you'd think I was writing in Arab or Baybayin.
Go to Target, Walmart, Office Depot or any other big box and you'll notice all they carry are yucky, fat ball point pens. My favorite pen for general use is the Uni-Ball Signo 0.38mm which I can only find at Kinokuniya. And for non-gel ink, I find the Pilot Super-GP 0.5 is good (it's really closer to 0.4). For more specialized projects, I use a Sakura Pigma Micron .03mm. The good thing is, they sell em in singles so if you have a shopping list of different pens, you never have to buy a whole pack when all you want is one.
In other words, if it weren't for Kinokuniya my handwriting would be butt ugly. -
Review from Ryo M.
Berkeley, CA
2/19/2007
My favorite stationery store so far. They make pretty good use of the limited space in the store, although it certainly helps that a lot of the Japanese doohickeys (e.g., collectible erasers) are tiny.
They have a very extensive collection of pens and pencils, and a decent wall of different types of notebooks. They also have a stack of loose-leaf paper refills, which is necessary since Japanese notebooks have like 30 holes whereas American papers are in the traditional 3-hole style.
However, they lose 1 star for:
1. Having a bias towards eye-candy over usability. No, I don't want the shiny notebook with an extra see-through plastic front cover that I can use to "personalize" it by adding my own photo. I just want a plain, spiral notebook with a simple cover. Is that too much to ask?
2. Their display case, which contains a dizzying array of pens and pencils, is at their cash register, which is expected. But it's incredibly inconvenient at this location because the store is always so busy. It's difficult to just hang around and browse the collection when you're constantly surrounded by people trying to pay for their stuff.
If you look behind the register, you'll notice they have a big bookshelf of product catalogs for the different Japanese companies. Although I haven't asked myself, I expect that they'll special order anything from those catalogs. -
Review from Elle P.
San Francisco, CA
9/20/2011
This place is super cool, tons of Knick knacks, books, stationery and magazines. You can seriously look at all the cool stuff and peep things you won't find anywhere else. Some things are pricey, but worth walking in here.
-
Review from Hannah Q.
Denver, CO
3/26/2007
Moth :: Flame
That's my trouble with Kinokuniya. Here's my inner dialogue every time I wander down the hall past this store:
Do not go to the light... look away from the light!!! Do NOT walk into Kinokuniya!!!! Aaaaaggggghhhh...... Can't.... help..................... myself........................... Must... buy............................. fancy.................. pens.....
Aaaaahh.... Aaaahhhhh.......... Watch.... money............... get sucked.................. out of wallet................................... I'm drowning in ink!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They also have fantastic journals and I love how they spend FOREVER wrapping up your package "just so" with the sticker perfectly lined up on the bag. It's like you have to have OCD to work there. -
Review from Jennifer C.
Greenbrae, CA
2/15/2009
It's all just so presshus!
I hadn't been in ages, and forgot how much fun all of this stuff is! From actually useful pens to ridiculously overwrought ones, to tons of notebooks, to cute and adorable stationary packs complete with decorative stamps, envelopes and paper, to a whole wall of stickers, to a whole wall of wrapping paper, and more and more.
Definitely my go-to place now for birthday presents for the 4 to 10yo range, plus great for goody bags.
It's a bit pricy, but I think there are some good deals. And it's all just so CUTE! -
Review from Roland C.
San Francisco, CA
11/24/2009
The Japanese don't mess around with their stationery. While in America it seems the only game in town in Papyrus, in Japan there are stationery places in almost every town (and in the big cities, maybe even every neighborhood). They know how to work with paper, both as a method of correspondence and as a method of art as well.
So what does Kinokuniya Stationery bring to the table? Pretty much that cute Japanese stationery store feel right in one of the corners of the Japantown mall. Located right across from the bookstore, you'd be hard pressed not to find something worth buying. There are plenty of functional notebooks, folders, pens and pencils, but there are also always lots of cutesy gift stuff that you can purchase (the Dog calendars always seem to be around).
One can spend hours browsing around and coming out with bags full of stuff. This place is definitely worth a visit if you're on a stationery hunt. -
Review from Zac H.
San Francisco, CA
2/12/2009
Do you ever get gripped by the urge to start writing lists? Like as if by writing a list your life would just be so much more organized and you might finally get your sXXt straight? Thats the feeling I get every time I set foot in here. Its like I just need a little notebook that says "Excellent Writing Powers Make Friends Hungry" with a matching pen so I can remind myself to wash my socks go to the library.
I think this place has changed recently. At least there is less emphasis on completely bizarre Japanese school supplies and more on real stationery which is less fun. I would have given it five stars, but I go here less and less. Maybe that is more a reflection of coming to grips with my own failings than any deficiency in Kinokuniya's inventory. -
Review from Dave C.
Walnut Creek, CA
10/11/2007
They have these Pilot Gel pens there that I've been using for years, and I cant find them anywhere else. At $3.50 a pop they are kinda pricey but they have excellent line quality and make for good sketching pens.
I've found that if you go to American stationary stores, they usually carry pens with heavy strokes (.5 and .7). But once you enter the magical world of the Japanese stationary store, they give you goodies with a .3 and even a .25 point...perfect for sketching and texturing.
And If you ever need a binder with kittens yelling something in Japanese, or a panda wrapped in hamburger, this is the place for you. -
Review from Kim A.
San Francisco, CA
3/11/2007
I got a mechanical pencil here that was shaped like a little piggy. You clicked the nose to make the lead come out where the tail should be. I never use it, I just look at it on sad days to cheer me up a bit.
Another cool thing I got there were these brush pens. They have a paint/ink brush like tip and a replaceable inkwell. And they come in many many many different colors. I really enjoy using them for some of my illustration work.
so if you need cool implements of mass artage (aka spiffy pens and pencils and the like) go here! -
Review from Fannie S.
2/21/2008
The stuff here is great...it's cute and very cool.
But you know what I hate about this place? The prices. Everything is so cute-sy and you want to own it, but then you see the price tag, and just about drop the said-item.... -
Review from Grace Y.
8/19/2008
This place is so awesome. I lose hours when I'm here by myself. I thumb through all of the magazines, look at the origami books, select capsule toys, limit myself to only 2 pads of san-x stationary, scribble with their cool pens, and look for new charms.
So cute, but so expensive. *cry* I tend to start hoarding things, and then I realize that I can't afford everything that I've gathered so I'll stand there and agonize about what I'll take home with me. It's a long and painful process.Listed in: When you have money to…
-
Review from Vikki K.
8/21/2009
I get all of my pens from here! It's about Jetstream pens!! Each pen costs about $2.80 which is yes--overpriced but they work so well. There's so many pens for you to sample it can get overwhelming. I remember coming here in my pre-teen days and getting the notebooks which I never even used!! Sometimes if you're lucky, there's a sale on the front table. This store has tons and tons of San-X stuff but i's also a bit pricey. Ask for a bag when you purchase the pens because there's cute Signo bags with japanese comics on them. :)
This location is way bigger than the one in Cupertino because it's a separate store and not incorporated into the bookstore.Listed in: Born to Shop
