During our last Sunday opening hours, I was talking with our BK friends about the newest addition of Kakimori's pigment ink line. I visited their shop in Tokyo back in July for the first time and fell in love with their commitment to elevating the writing experience for everyday use. Their physical store was beautifully organized and a breath of fresh air in the busy city. So when I knew I was going back to Tokyo once again later in August with the whole family, I definitely wanted us to try their “ink stand” experience, where we could each create our own personal ink color to take home.
With jet lag and the hot/humid climate, a summer day in Tokyo can be pretty overwhelming for sensitive people (like me). So, walking into a quiet space where all the base ink colors were arranged on the beautiful counter for each of us to work with felt like such a gift. As soon as we sat down and listened to the brief introduction, we all got focused and started working to find “the” color.
Satchi and I were on a mission to bring the color of Yakushima to life since we were just visiting the special island. I played with all kinds of green shades, while Satchi was mixing the spectrum of blues. Frido wanted to match the color of the Converse shoes he was wearing to capture the family trip, and Coco was in search of a deep, beautiful blue with a little shimmer.
It was an individual activity yet very communal, as we looked over each other’s shoulders to check out the prototype creations and chatted about what the specific color might mean. After spending a solid hour or so, mixing and documenting all the ingredients that went into each sample ink, we felt mighty accomplished to have a finished ink bottle - something so tangible yet personal that encapsulated the moment.
Now that it's been about a month since we did this together, our day looks very different. The kids are fully in back-to-school mode with their after-school activities, social life, and homework, and Frido and I are deep in the planner season. From time to time, I like to pull out the ink bottle we brought home and use it to write in my journal. I love re-experiencing that family moment in Tokyo every time the green ink flows onto my paper - like a special touchpoint.
Color is magical that way:)
The Kakimori pigment ink we carry at BK also has special meaning behind each color. (We have them as ink samples and whole bottles.) It was fun translating the Japanese names, inspired by sound-based wordplay, into English expressions.
Po (01): cheeky blush - the color of your cheek when you hear something special
Torori (02): the most delicious omelet - the moment you put a knife into a perfectly cooked omelet.
Tototo (03): rosé - imagine pouring a glass of rosé wine for a special celebration.
Karari (04): the perfect blue sky - open your heart’s window to an expansive sky.
Kurun (05): upward momentum of vine - can you feel the plant’s life energy that’s fueling all its resources to grow in a spiral momentum?
Toppuri (06): deep night - the calm night sky. If you squint, you might even see all the stars.
Soyo (07): breeze - let the light wind gently sweep through your heart.
Zabun (08): wave - the sound of ocean waves crashing steadily on the shore. A deep blue that evokes everyone’s special seaside memories.
Mukuri (09): early spring earth - the first color a bear witnesses after a long hibernation. The color that signals the new season.
Koton (10): quiet ink bottle - late into the evening, it’s so peaceful that the only sound you hear is you putting the ink bottle on your desk.
I hope you enjoy these ink colors, inspired by subtle imagery from Japanese wordplay… and I wonder, ultimately, what you might name these colors in your world, in your language, if they were to sit on your desk?