You already know MD Paper. Midori has been refining it since the 1960s, and it has become many writers’ idea of the perfect fountain pen friendly paper. It's smooth under the nib and warm in colour, and it resists bleeding, ghosting and feathering. If you want the full story on the paper itself, our complete guide to Midori MD Paper goes deep on the variants and why they write the way they do.
Now that paper is the starting point for something bigger. MD Paper is stepping out on its own as MD Product.
From MD Paper to MD Product: what is actually changing
Here is the short version, because the name change has caused a little confusion. MD Paper products had grown up inside the Midori brand since 2008, with the MD Notebook at its heart. In 2026 it became an independent brand in its own right, relaunching as MD Product.
Midori describes the shift as moving from a brand about paper to a brand that cultivaes something called yohaku, a Japanese word for the blank space or margin that leaves room for your own thoughts - a time spent facing oneself. It is the same thinking that has always made an MD Notebook feel calm to write in, now carried across a wider range of products.
What is staying exactly the same
If you are a long time fan, here is the part that matters most: the paper has not changed. MD Notebooks are still made with the same MD Paper, refined over decades, in the same understated wrapper. Some stock may even still carry the older MD Paper logo for a while as the change rolls through. Same feel, same binding that lies flat at 180 degrees, same quietly brilliant writing experience. Only the name above the door is new.
The bigger plans
Where MD Product gets interesting is the expansion beyond the notebook. The brand is building a whole desk and writing world around MD Paper, including:
- Notebooks and journals, still the core, across blank, lined, grid, dot grid and the newer frame ruling, plus the softer MD Paper Cotton and heftier MD Paper Thick
- Paper pads and blocks, including new pad sizes and the much loved loose MD Paper sheets
- Covers and cases in paper, clear film and leather, made to fit MD sizes
- Pens and pencils, such as the water resistant MD Drawing Pen
- Stickers, letter pads and small accessories for organising and personalising your pages
- Desk and interior pieces, including a collaboration with Japanese furniture maker Karimoku on warm wooden items like a pen rest or a scent clock
In other words, MD is growing into a considered little ecosystem for writing, drawing and everyday creativity. Nothing is missing to create the atmosphere of mindfulness and introspection.
Celebrating the launch at Bookbinders Design
Throughout November we are marking the launch of MD Product in store with our full MD range plus two limited editions made just for the MD Product Showcase. Bookbinders Design is one of the participating Showcase stores, so these will not be easy to find elsewhere.
With time, our range will expand to a rounded setup of items that blend gently into their surrounding and let your creativity flourish.
The Limited Edition MD Notebook A5 Blank
This is the classic A5 Blank MD Notebook, but with a special cover: the MD Product concept calligraphy by Japanese artist Mikiko Amemiya, foil stamped in black. Amemiya is a photographer, calligrapher and illustrator, and a long time MD devotee drawn to the way the unruled pages let handwriting and drawing breathe. It is as simple as ever, but elegant, and a lovely way to mark the start of a new chapter for MD.
The MD Paper Block
500 sheets of MD Paper, glue bound into a solid block so you can tear off a single sheet whenever you need one. These are now available in various sizes. Keep in mind that these blocks are always very popular and one of the first things to go at MD events.
When and where
- Drop in any time during November
- In store at The Galleria, Little Collins Street, Melbourne
- The limited editions are available only during the showcase and in limited numbers
A few quick questions answered
Is MD Product the same as MD Paper?
Yes. MD Product is the new brand name for what used to sit under Midori as MD Paper Products. The paper and the notebooks are the same, the brand is simply expanding its story and product range.
Why did Midori MD change its name?
MD had grown well beyond a single notebook, so in 2026 it became an independent brand, MD Product, with room to expand into a wider writing and desk range.
Is it still made by the same people?
Yes. It comes from the same Japanese maker and uses the same quality MD Paper developed since the 1960s.
Where can I buy MD Product in Australia?
You can buy MD Product at Bookbinders Design, in our Melbourne store and online, including the showcase limited editions through November while stocks last.
