Miniblog: Visiting the Ancōra Stationery Store in Tokyo

When Ramón’s family visited in March 2025, we took a trip to the Ancōra Stationery Store in Tokyo.

Located in Ginza, this dedicated pen and ink store delivered on every aspect of high-end stationery.

But you don’t have to break the bank to get something here. Just enjoy the multicolored inks and atmosphere.

And while you’re at it, pick out custom fountain pen parts or tour their ink collection.

Ancōra is one of few brick-and-mortar retailers authorized to carry Sailor fountain pens and ink. They also sell trinkets and other stationery goods, which make excellent souvenirs.

Props for finding this stationery store go to Ramón’s sister-in-law, Kali. She’s a Sailor fountain pen aficionado who wanted to construct some bespoke fountain pens for her family and friends.

We arrived as soon as they opened, and had the store to ourselves for a few minutes. It had an upscale, yet soft white interior lit by warm, bright lights.

Ancōra’s “My Fountain Pen” (aka make-your-own-fountain-pen) station is front and center, with helpful placards placed around the stand.

In addition to the build-your-own-fountain-pen section, they have an entire catalogue of specialty inks.

While you can buy some inks online, their specialty line of inks from the Sailor Ink Studio (インク工房 inku kōbō) is only available in-store.

Though I didn’t make my own pen this time around, Kali created 4 unique pens for her friends.

You could choose the metal color, pen cap color, cap top, main pen section, barrel, and bund cap. Ancōra’s My Fountain Pen station doesn’t require a reservation, and the price is reasonable, ¥4400 (~$30).

The staff assemble it in-store for you, so you have to wait a few minutes. But then you can take a photo of it by their majestic ink wall. You can also order a custom fountain pen online. The pen model is a Sailor ProFit Jr.

I love that you’re able to create a one-of-a-kind pen for journaling and writing with. What a cool idea.

Though I didn’t get a fountain pen, Kali and Andrés (Ramón’s brother, gifted me this stunning ink. It’s Sailor 223 from their Ink Studio.

Ancōra keeps hundreds of ink colors in stock, so I was able to sift through their catalogue for this one. They retail at about ¥3000. It seems that Ink Studio inks can also be purchased at other stationery retailers like Itoya or Tokyu Hands.

I noticed the subtle grey color split into bright pthalo greens and magentas when mixed with water on their swatches. It’s alluring to say the least.

The bottle is simple but elegant. An instruction manual for using a Sailor converter came in the box, along with some stickers for your pens or converters.

Fountain pen converters allow you to load bottled inks into your favorite fountain pens. However, they are usually different based on the brand.

So if you have a Sailor pen, you need to use a Sailor converter, and so on.

I love using converters because cartridges run out quickly, and I typically stick to only a few colors. One of my other favorites is Pilot’s Iroshizuku line, in the color Tsutuji.

In writing samples, it comes off as Payne’s gray with a hint of periwinkle. It sinks into my multi-media sketchpad and creates a deep, almost black color.

But on lighter-weight papers like my favorite Maruman Septcouleur and Hobonichi Techo, its paler gray tone comes out.

When washed over with water, the bright green and magenta separate and come through beautifully. It adds depth to the otherwise sophisticated gray.

I‘ve loved using fountain pens and ink to create interesting washes of color in my personal art for years.

Currently, I’m using the Sailor 223 ink in a Fonte fountain pen with a converter, but I also drop it onto a palette and paint with it directly using water brush pens.

I love how it can be used for darks and midtones. The color bleed creates a magical effect. It can be layered, but the multimedia pad is a very thirsty paper, so it absorbs a little quickly for my liking.

Overall, I love the depth it creates despite being an overall gray wash. The more water you use, the more the colors seem to separate, particularly fringing out over the edges of the water.

Past favorite fountain pens of mine also include the Pilot Petit1 fountain (discontinued) and Platinum Preppy fountain pens, which I still use.

This chic shop is a fountain pen lover’s dream. The staff were helpful and not clingy, and the balance of high-quality fountain pens and souvenir items was perfect.

So, if you’re in Ginza, take a detour to the Ancōra stationery store. It’s a sophisticated little shop and a stationery lover’s oasis.

And if you’re looking for more to do, check out my 7 Must-Go Places in Ginza!