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✏️ The Golden Age of Japanese Pencils
A love letter to a golden age most people never knew existed. This traces the era from 1952 to 1967 when Tombow and Mitsubishi poured care, craft and industrial ingenuity into making the world's most exquisite writing tools — not through cutthroat competition but a kind of honourable arms
A love letter to a golden age most people never knew existed. This traces the era from 1952 to 1967 when Tombow and Mitsubishi poured care, craft and industrial ingenuity into making the world's most exquisite writing tools — not through cutthroat competition but a kind of honourable arms race built on mutual respect and relentless refinement. A case study in what happens when economic growth, cultural pride and the pursuit of excellence align to turn even a humble pencil into a national project of perfection.
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