2021 was the year when people went back to in-store events, Sailor kicked into high gear, Pilot woke up, glass pens became unobtainable, and a North American ink brand challenged Tono & Lims.

2020 was the year of online events, glass pens, pocket pens, e-commerce, and pastel-colored chromo-shading inks.

Major trends in Japan this year: Brands, events, and more. One new ink maker made a big splash. This post is part of a collaborative year-end summary by our Tokyo pen group.

All sought-after store-exclusive Sailor inks, normally only sold in remote brick-and-mortar stores, finally available in Tokyo, for two days.