Midori is a Japanese stationery brand that began producing stationery and envelopes in 1950. With the theme of "colouring our lives," Midori continues to develop products that enrich daily lives through the power of design. In 2021, Midori turned 70 years old and to celebrate they have released a series of limited edition products that have been inspired by Midori’s most iconic and popular products. So let’s take a closer look at the line-up and some of the details that have gone into the design of the products.
Midori 70th Anniversary: Ojisan Carry Case Set
With his unique features and infinitely likeable mannerisms, Midori's Ojisan has won a place in fans' hearts. Ojisan, who loves eating noodles and lives in his house with his two dogs, first appeared on Midori's products in 1995. This anniversary set contains various Ojisan items in a green, cotton carry bag:
- Paintable pre-inked Ojisan stamp, which can be coloured in using the Midori paintable brush pens as the oil-based, black ink is waterproof.
- A letter cutter with ceramic blade and ring chain that can be used to cut envelopes or sheets of paper. It also has a built-in magnet so can be conveniently stored on the refrigerator or a metal desk.
- Environmentally friendly paper P-Clips featuring two different designs – one design is Ojisan and the other his two dogs. There are 16 clips (8 of each design) that come in a recycled cardboard case with a rubber band to keep is closed securely.
Midori 70th Anniversary: XS Stationery Kit
The XS Stationery Kit was designed to include some of the smallest stationery in the world, combining functionality with portability. This eight-piece kit comes in a black, zip-up case, making it ideal for the office or classroom or to keep tidy on your deck or in your drawer.
Included in the special case are small scissors with a one touch blade storage, a compact stapler that includes a stapler remover, the world’s smallest correction tape, a palm sized paper cutter, mini tape glue, 1.5m tape measure, sticky tape dispenser and a double hole punch.
Midori 70th Anniversary: Self-inking Stamp Kit
This stamp kit includes everything you need to make your own message or greeting cards - Midori’s famous self-inking stamp, two coloured pens, folding mini cards and coloured envelopes
The calligraphy pattern on the stamp was designed by popular artist Mikiko Amemiya and can be coloured in with the two pens that contain a brush tip end on one side and a fineliner on the other. To use the stamp, simply remove the cap and hold it with both hands so that it is parallel to the desk. The self-inking stamp makes about 1,000 impressions before requiring the black ink to be topped up using the Midori ink refill.
The set also contains 8 types of folded mini cards (24 in total) that are stamped in gold with various frame patterns. The cards can be mixed and matched with the 8 colourful envelopes (24 sheets) to create unique combinations.
Midori 70th Anniversary: Grid Notebook Set
The Notebook Light Colour Grid is a set of 7 notebooks, each with 64 pages of 5mm grid, resembling Japanese genko yoshi paper. Whether you use them one at a time or at the same time for different purposes, this set is designed to suit any purpose.
Each notebook features different coloured grid lines (engine, green, light blue, navy blue, purple, brown, and yellow) with matching coloured thread used for the stitching. The set comes with index tabs that can be attached to the notebook, making it easy to differentiate between each one and to archive. Sewing machine binding is used so the notebooks lay flat when in use, while also ensuring a high quality finish that will stand the test of time.
Midori Notebook Light is slim and light enough to fit two volumes of the A5 size in the Midori Notebook Cover.
Midori 70th Anniversary: Block Memo Pads
The MD Block Memo Pads feature three types of notepads - blank, ruled and grid - so you’ll have on hand paper for every purpose. Each 10 x 10cm block has 500 sheets of paper.
Midori 70th Anniversary: Recycled Leather Daily Diaries
Midori's famous daily diaries allow you to reflect on the same day each year, allowing you to look back on previous years to see what you were up to and the progress you have made.
The daily diary features a separate page for each day of the year, and each page is divided into three sections (7 lines in each section) for the 3 year diary or five sections (5 lines in each section for the 5 year diary.
This diary is undated so you can start anytime and it comes in a hardcover slipcase to protect it for many years to come. On the inside, the diary features Midori's smooth, fountain pen friendly paper, as well as two ribbon page markers to let you keep track of the day you are on.
The 70th anniversary limited edition diary is made from dark green recycled leather, which will patina over time and with use, making it worthy of a spot on the bookshelf for many years to come.
