Sailor

King of Pen Naginata Togi: A Tribute to Hiroshige’s Plum Estate

Sailor adds a new piece to its King of Pen Naginata Togi collection: the Umesaki. Made with the colored ebonite Chirashi technique and fitted with a 21K gold nib, this fountain pen connects traditional Japanese craftsmanship with the art of Hiroshige Utagawa. Its design takes inspiration from the woodblock print “Plum Estate in Kameido”, one of the most poetic works of the Edo period.

The Legacy of the King of Pen Series

The Umesaki continues Sailor’s tradition of combining art and precision. Its 21K Naginata Togi nib offers smooth, expressive writing, while the Chirashi ebonite body gives each pen a unique character. The technique scatters color fragments across the surface, creating subtle patterns that echo the natural flow of ink and brush in traditional art.

The Art Behind the Umesaki Design

The Umesaki’s color palette mirrors Hiroshige’s “Plum Estate in Kameido”. Pink tones evoke the background sky, white Chirashi patterns recall the plum blossoms, while gray and black suggest the tree’s branches and trunk. Each element reflects the print’s balance of simplicity and depth, capturing the calm yet vibrant spirit of spring in Edo.

Hiroshige’s Enduring Influence

The Umesaki is released as a limited edition within the King of Pen Naginata Togi series. Its design pays homage to Hiroshige Utagawa (1797–1858), one of Japan’s most important Ukiyo-e artists. Known for his landscape series “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo”, Hiroshige’s work captured the beauty of everyday Japan. The Umesaki transforms his vision into a tangible object—linking fine art, writing, and history.

About Sailor

Sailor Pen Company was founded in 1911 in Hiroshima by Kyugoro Sakata. The company began by producing gold-nib fountain pens and became “Sailor Pen Co., Ltd.” in 1917. In 1948, it launched Japan’s first ballpoint pen and, in 1954, introduced the country’s first ink cartridges. Sailor kept innovating with products like the mini clip-on pen (1963), the world’s first 21-karat gold-nib fountain pen (1969), and the Fude Pen (1972). In the late 1970s, Sailor regained popularity with the “Candy” and “Chalana” series. In 1981, it released the iconic 1911 model, symbolizing decades of craftsmanship and high-quality writing instruments.