If you’re anything like me, you love the smell of ink and appreciate a handwritten letter over a text on any given day. While we live in a digital age, stationaries still serve a purpose. Whether it’s making a to-do list or signing important documents, you probably haven’t completely ditched your jar of pens.

Japan has long been hailed as a paradise for stationeries. In addition to the basics, Japanese stores have creative products you won’t come across anywhere else. With a sea of stationary stores and an overwhelming amount of products, the thought of rummaging through pens and pencils may seem daunting. Don’t worry, this list has narrowed it down to 5 items. Here are 5 items you should get from a Japanese stationary store.

Juice Up – Pilot

Every once in a couple of years, I come across a stationary that rocks my world. And this time, it’s this pen. After going through a phase of using broad fountain pens, I’ve gone full circle and am back with my love for thin fountain pens. Pilot’s Juice series is back with a revamped version called the Juice Up series. If you’re a Pilot fanatic, you’re probably familiar that their Juice version was an acclaimed product. Their new version has been upgraded with a synergy tip and is truly impressive. I’m absolutely smitten with how smoothly I can write with these pens and still can’t get over the clean and sleek look it gives my notes. The Juice Up series comes in a variety of colors, so take your pick.

Frixion – Pilot

Tired of scribbling out your plans on your agenda? Me too. Luckily for us, Pilot has created yet another magical product: the erasable pen.This international mega-hit pen allows you to have typos, making it the ideal product for writing in your agenda, textbooks and important papers. While you may find a couple of colors of Frixion pens overseas, Japan is the only place where you’ll find an extensive lineup. From thin to broad fountain pens, markers to highlighters, you can get your hands on all the eraser pens that you need in your arsenal at all times.

Unruled Notebooks – MUJI

MUJI notebooks are minimalism at it’s best. These notebooks have stripped away all the excess and have stuck with the basics: high-quality paper, no lines and a nice wood texture cover. In the past, I’ve tried to cheat and use other notebooks, but the bottom line is nothing will beat a good ol’ MUJI notebook. Why get them in Japan when you can get them overseas? You can get them for approximately half the price in Japan. Plus, the MUJI stores in Japan are definitely worth a visit, as you’ll most likely stumble across items you won’t find in their overseas stores.

Portable Scissors – Sun-Star Stationary

In a country with limited land, the Japanese have mastered the art of making things smaller and better. Cars, houses, food and even a pair of scissors. At first glance, these teeny-tiny scissors may look hard to use and look like they can’t cut anything, but they’re actually super practical. You can cut anything from a piece of paper to a strong cardboard. The best part? Because they don’t take up any space in your bag, they’re super portable. With these scissors, you can handle any scissor-related problems that come in your way while you’re on the go.

Dotliner – KOKUYO

Do you ever get annoyed by how wrinkly your pages get by using liquid glue? Or perhaps, you get annoyed by how your glue stick smudges on the edge of the paper and sticks several pages together. Either way, I’m sure you’ve had your fair share of glue problems. If so, you’re not the only one. After years of testing out different glues, I’ve come to the conclusion that the Dotliner from KOKUYO works best for me. With this tape glue, you won’t be worrying about your glue drying out or getting your hands all sticky. Why not get rid of your old glue and replace it with this innovative one.

Top Image @Doing