ZenPop September 2018, Japanese Stationery Subscription Box

ZenPop September Stationery Box 2018,  Back to School

(So I just realized I've been misspelling Stationery as Stationary, which is still a word, just not the right one, dang it.)

I just got this box a couple days ago, so just shy a month of travel time, but it is coming across the Pacific ocean from Osaka Japan.

ZenPop Japanese Stationery Pack has 10 or more stationary items per box.  You can make a one time purchase, or select a subscription plan of 3 or 6 months.  One box per month and those who get a subscription receive a bonus item.  A single box is $29.50, 3 months is $28x3 = $84, and 6 months is $27.50x6 = $165.  Shipping is free (boxes come from Osaka Japan so this is a great deal) and plans don't automatically renew (which is fantastic).

In the Stationery Pack you can expect pens and pencils, washi tape, cute stickers, paper products, and accessories.   Brands included can be Sanrio, Tombow, ZEBRA, mt masking tape, Platinum, Kuretake, uni-ball, PILOT, and KOKUYO.

All quotations throughout this post come from the info paper.

 Back To School:

"In Japan, the school year begins in April, but September marks the return from summer vacation.  So whether you are going back to school, in the middle of your school year, or just living your life with no school (lucky!) we hope you'll find good use for this month's new items.  Organizing your ideas, and learning new things is important for anyone, student or not.  Please try these cute stationery goods in your daily life, and we hope you will find success in all your goals this year!"

 Hako Fusen

"If you don't like to carry sticky notes in your bag or pen case because they bend or get dirty, Hako Fusen is for you!  This is a set of cute and colorful sticky notes with a box (hako).  The box will protect your sticky notes so that you can carry and use them wherever you go.  (fu-sen = sticky notes)."

These are soooooo cuuute!!!  I just love things with a space theme, and the tiny cosmetics, plus little astro-man, are adorable.  They are pretty small, but that's okay.  I actually used a sticky note in a book I'm reading this morning as a "read to" point.  I'll enjoy using these.

 Word Cards

"Word cards are must need items for studying and memorizing all sort of things!  These word cards from & STUDIUM have cute designs on them, so studying should be more enjoyable!"

Flash cards are always useful.

I like to use these types of cards for language learning.

One of these days I'm going to admit to myself I'm not good at learning language, but today is not that day.

 ZEBRA - Mildliners 5 Pack

"These highlighters are highly coveted and for good reason.  After a while using these we are sure you will enjoy how your notes look.  A pack of 5 mildliners is a useful and fun addition to any organizers arsenal.  Mildliners are popular for the mild color, which won't bother your eyes compared to normal highlighters."

I love the fact that we got a pack of highlighters, instead of a single highlighter.

There were three sets available, and it looks like I got the more pastel one, mild fluorescent.

I like the colors.

 And these mildliners are two sided!

 Nice light colors

(The paper they're shown on I got a couple years ago at the Japan shop in Epcot.  Cute, right?

 Big Mouth Sticky Notes

"Sticky notes of cute animals with big wide open mouths!  Write your memo inside their mouth so that you won't forget.  Use these in a textbook for some smiles while you study.  You will receive either panda, pig, frog, or cat."

Cute memo pads.  I like the frog and the rain theme.

 Video Game Washi Tape

"Who likes to play video games?  You can't study all the time, right?  This unique washi tape's design is inspired by a pretty famous game you may know.  You can use this tape to bring a retro feel to any of your projects.  Thank you ZenPop, but our homework is in another castle..."

I love this washi tape!!!

When I saw this washi tape in spoiler from the ZenPop website, I giggled, and hoped everyone was getting it, as sometimes ZenPop will have a variety of washi tape, and the one you get is random.  It's totally Mario themed, and it makes me happy.  That is all.  I smile every time I see it.

 "Animal Memo Pad"

"Cute memo pad from BGM.  This has 2 ways to use!  You can use it as a vertical memo pad, or tear the sheets into 2 pieces across the middle, and use it as square notes.  You will receive either a design of Polar bear, Giraffe, fox, or cat."

So glad I got the fox theme!

I love foxes, and they're so Autumn.  Honestly, if red foxes could safely be domestic pets, I'd want one.  I want a pet red panda, too.  Dreams are good.

(Apparent there are domestic foxes, but they're crazy expensive, and only legal to own in a few states. And there are some issues worth noting, that I haven't looked into yet.  I'll research it for fun.)

 Pentel - Energize Pencil (0.5mm)

"Energize sharp pen (mechanical pencil) has two great things about it.  First, the light rubber grip will help to achieve smooth writing.  Second, it has a "Slide & Sleep style" for the pencil tip.  It retracts to make it easier and safer to store or keep in a pocket."

Click pencils are nice.  And this is a very nice one. Love the purple.

 Shitajiki

"In Japan, it is common to place a plastic board, (shita-jiki), under your paper in order to make a flat and smooth surface for writing, and to prevent marking the sheet below.  A good writing environment is important to maintaining good handwriting!"  

The art is interesting.

Actually, I'll get good use with this, because when I write I sometimes use paper underneath so that the writing is smooth or doesn't transfer ink to another page, and now I can use this.

 Smart Scissors

"To go to school or work, we don't want to carry a big and heavy pen case, but scissors, glue, or other stationery are helpful.  There are so many compact stationery in Japan.  Such as stapler, compass and these smart scissors!  Put scissors in your pen case and use it when you want to cut some notes or craft things for your journals."

I love these scissors.  Very inventive.  They are nicely compact, and I like the protection.  When you pull off the protection, open it up, move the gray thing in the handle down, these scissors work well, and they don't take up a lot of space.

 Science Boys Stickers

"Students who have a background in science or tech are called Rikei in Japanese.  Rikei boys are called Rike-dan (Rikei danshi), are Rikei girls are Rike-jo (Rikei Joshi).  Are you a Rike-dan or Rike-jo?"

These are fun.  Yeah, nerdy guys are sexy.

BONUS ITEM

(Subscription Pack Only)

Pentel - Petit Correction Tape

"No one can write without any mistakes.  Even if you have an erasable pen from a previous pack, there might be cases you need correction tape.  Petit-Corre from Pentel is small but the length of the tape is 3m, so it is enough to correct all your mistakes!"

I actually wanted to get correction tape a couple weeks ago.  I have a habit of making mistakes when I write, so instead of coloring in circles or hearts, I can use this.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

So overall a nice box with a good mix of fun and useful items.

ZenPop Japanese Stationary Subscription Box June 2018

I've been wanting to try a Japanese subscription box for the longest time.  There are so many!!  Kawaii type boxes full of plushes.  Japanese food items.  All sorts.  Then I found ZenPop, who do have food and beauty boxes, but they also have a stationary box! I love Japanese stationary.  With this box the items are small and very usable, not taking up space.  You can never have too many pens.  And I love stickers and notepads.

ZenPop Japanese Stationary Pack has 10 or more stationary items per box.  You can make a one time purchase, or select a subscription plan of 3 or 6 months.  One box per month and those who get a subscription receive a bonus item.  A single box is $29.50, 3 months is $28x3 = $84, and 6 months is $27.50x6 = $165.  Shipping is free (boxes come from Osaka Japan so this is a great deal) and plans don't automatically renew (which is fantastic).

When you get a plan the boxes ship by the 10th of each month.  Mine shipped out on June 4th and took just over two weeks to arrive.

In the Stationary Pack you can expect pens and pencils, washi tape, cute stickers, paper products, and accessories.   Brands included can be Sanrio, Tombow, ZEBRA, mt masking tape, Platinum, Kuretake, uni-ball, PILOT, and KOKUYO.

Each box has a theme.  The June box is Arigatai: "You've probably heard the Japanese word 'arigatou' which means 'thank you'.  Arigatai is an adjective that means grateful.  In this pack we found some items that you can use to express gratitude to those you care about.  Give a gift in a cute bag.  Write a letter.  Make a wish for someone.  Offer them an origami crane to let them know you care.  We are grateful to you!"

I love the theme and this is a fun box.

Under each item is a quoted description that comes from the information paper included in each box.

Bunny Paper Pack

"Have fun giving gifts with this cute paper pack from AIUEO!  Fold the ears together and tie it with the fastener to make a funny bunny bag!  This paper pack should fit many things inside.  What are you gonna put in the bag? 1 of 3 colors."

These little bunny paper bags are cute.  There's a video on the ZenPop Facebook page that shows how to fold the ears, which is very helpful.  Really cute, and goes nicely with the "Thank You" theme.  I think I'm going to have to give the nieces and nephew a cute little bag of candy.

Arigatou Washi Tape

"As many of you may know already, Thank you is ありがとう(Arigatou) in Japanese.  This washi tape has both ありがとうand Thank You on it."

I don't really use washi tape, so I've been looking up uses.  I think I'm going to do a strip of tape on the postcards I send through Postcrossing, placed in between the address and message.  That would be cute.  I like this colorful tape that says both Thank You and Arigatou in hiragana.

Rink - Watercolor Washi Tape

"Rink makes beautiful colored washi tapes with watercolor textures.  Use this one to make art, decorate you scrapbook, or brighten gift wrapping!"

There are eight different colors I could have received, and I got yellow.  The color is soft, and I like the watercolor affect.  This will look nice on the postcards I send.

A sample of what the tape looks like, placed on a notepad I got from the Dublin Disney Store.

Zebra Just Fit Highlighter

"Useful highlighter from ZEBRA called Just Fit.  ZEBRA uses a soft material for the tip of Just Fit, so it will blend very easily.  Therefore, you can draw beautiful lines without any concerns."

I don't know how many colors were sent, but I like the soft orange.  The two tips are a nice size, and I like the thin vs thick option.

Uni Jet Stream Color Gel Pen

"Very first Stream color ink pen in ZenPop stationary pack!  Jet Stream pens have an extremely light and smooth feel of writing regardless of how fast or strong you write.  Moreover, it has excellent drying properties of the drawn lines for less smudges."

This pen writes really nice.  So glad I got purple.  This will be fun to use in my planner.

Petta to Marker Glue

"'Petta to' is one of the mimetic word in Japanese we use when we paste something.  This is a marker type glue, which you can put on just like writing with a marker pen.  The color of the glue is blue, but it will become transparent when it dries!  Let the glue dry for a tacky finish and make your own sticky notes!  There are two ways to use this marker glue.  Put glue on and wait till it dries : tacky glue.  Put glue on and stick before it dries : strong glue."

I've never seen a product like this before!

It's a glue marker pen.

I pumped it a couple times, so a lot came out.  Be careful.  The glue comes out blue but dried clear.  The dried glue is tacky, which means you can write a note, place glue to dry, and temporarily place it on anything.  You can turn any piece of paper into a memo note.

 Negai Ema Sticky Notes

"Ema is a votive picture tablet which we offer to a shrine or temple when we pray for something, or after the wish we made came true.  In Japan, people used to dedicate living horses in the 17th century!  After that, people began to just draw a picture of a horse on a tablet, and this is the start of Ema.  Write a wish or messages to make your wish come true!"

These sticky notes are so cute!  I loved visiting shrines and temples in Tokyo, and I remember seeing wooden picture tablets hung in rows.  It was a neat experience.  Now I have a little Japan here at home and can write down my wishes.  This will be a nice visualization goal tool.

Present Mini Cards

"This mini message card looks like a present box!  Or you could also put a photo on the card.  Everyone who receives one of these present cards from you will feel very excited when they open it!"

I love this.  I'm in a birthday card exchange group, so I'll use these in a couple b-day cards I plan to send.  The note cards do fall easily out of the paper present.  So tip!  Use the marker glue pin, glue the back of the removable card, let it dry, and it will be sticky enough to remain in place, but can be removed and replaced to read the note.

One Piece Lock Notebook

"One Piece is one of the most famous Japanese manga, illustrated by Eiichiro Oda.  It has been serialized since 1997, and it became the best-selling mango in 2017.  This notebook has a key to lock it up, so now you have a safe place to write your secret Hatsune Miku fan fiction."

I'm aware of One Piece, but I've never read the manga nor seen the anime.  Regardless, this is a nice notebook.  It locks!  And the heart shaped locks are so small.  Thankfully this notebook comes with two keys.  Unlike some notebooks with locks in which you can use without really locking, it's hard to close this notebook without it locking.  Make sure you don't lose those keys.  Hmmm, now what to write in it?

Summer Stickers

"Summer is almost here!!  Summer in Japan is known to be humid and hot, and it is totally true.  However, there are many fun things in the summer, such as summer festivals and fireworks.  Decorate your schedule book or bullet journals with these fancy stickers and feel the summer heat coming!"

Fun Summery stickers to use in my planner.  Or I might have to use these in my travel journal.  These are cute.

"Chiyogami is Japanese traditional paper which [is] made of Washi, Japanese paper.  The biggest difference between Chiyogami and Origami is that Chiyogami has many patterns and designs on it.  Traditionally, it is used for paper crafting and decoration crafted products."

This Chiyogami paper pack has nice bold patterns. I've never really gotten into origami, but with this it will be fun to try a few patterns.  Maybe I'll finally learn how to fold a crane.  There's got to be a few good YouTube videos, right?

Mini Letter Set (1 of 2 designs)

"'Kiguru Me' express a Japanese word 'Kigurumi' which means animal suit.  This time, a polar bear is wearing a panda suit!  Make someone smile with a handwritten letter."

So cute!!!  I send postcards and birthday cards to strangers, but I really want to start sending snail mail letters to friends.  Snail mail will always be cool.  In a sea of PM's, texts, and emails, receiving a letter in the mail is extra special.

A polar bear pretending to be a panda. :0)

Bonus Item!!

3 or 6 month subscribers get a bonus item.

Summiko Gurashi Stamp

"Summiko Gurashi Stamp from San-X.  You will get one out of 18 characters.  What shy character did you get in your pack?"

Cute little onigiri stamp.

I love this box.  Cute practical items, some I can gift, some I can use myself.  I can't wait to see next months theme.  I have a feeling it's going to be character based.  The ZenPop Facebook page had a character competition and Gudetama, aka lazy egg, will be in the July box.  2nd place character Pom Pom Purin along with some other characters will also be in the July boxes.  If you want to get the July box you have 8 days to subscribe.  I think the onetime purchase receives the current box, but I'm not sure.