Kokuyo Notebook Perpanep Zara Zara - textured (A5, 3mm squared)

The Kokuyo Perpanep Zara Zara is an A5 notebook built around its paper – specifically around a single, very deliberate writing experience. "Zara Zara" (ザラザラ) is the Japanese onomatopoeia for roughness, and that's precisely what describes the surface: noticeably grainy to the touch, with a characteristic resistance as you write. The binding features cheese-cloth stitching that lies completely flat – no crease, no step in the centre.

Features

• Zara Zara paper, 90 g/m²: Kokuyo uses thick pulp with a deliberately rough, hard surface – the fibres remain palpable. This gives your nib or fibre-tip pen purchase: the nib doesn't sink in, and your line ends exactly where it should. Inks display distinct shading and rich colour depth on this surface.
• Optimised for fountain pens and fibre-tip pens: The 90 g/m² paper is robust enough to handle wet nibs without showthrough or feathering. Ink drying is moderate (approximately 10–15 seconds depending on nib and ink) – no smudging, no bleeding.
• Light writing pressure: The rough surface provides enough feedback that minimal pressure is needed. This is gentler on both nib and paper, and makes longer writing sessions more comfortable.
• Flat binding (adhesive flat binding): A binding technique that creates no step between pages when opened – the spread lies absolutely flat, with no height difference at the spine.
• Cover in recycled board, subtle grey: The spine and covers are made from recycled board to keep attention on your writing, not the notebook itself. The cheese-cloth spine is the only decorative accent.
• FSC-certified paper: The Zara Zara paper carries certification for sustainably managed forests.
• 3 mm grid: The tight grid is ideal for detailed sketches, precise layouts, handwriting practice and diagrams – wherever a 5 mm grid would be too coarse.

Use & Tips

• Fountain pens with medium or broad nibs: Zara Zara paper showcases shading and ink behaviour particularly impressively. Wet-writing nibs perform flawlessly here without feathering – the paper absorbs evenly and in a controlled manner.
• Fibre-tip pens and felt-tip pens: The rough surface gives the pen noticeable grip, and strokes appear softer than on high-gloss smooth paper.
• Pencil and mechanical pencil: Graphite grips the grainy surface well – lines appear dark and high-contrast. Well-suited to sketches and drafts in the 3 mm grid.
• Calligraphy with a stub nib: The surface resistance allows precise hairlines and controlled hair strokes. The paper accepts ink and pigmented fountain pen ink without feathering.
• Mapping, circuit diagrams, grid drawings: The 3 mm grid is the finest in the Perpanep range and provides a precise foundation for detailed technical drawings or densely annotated layouts.
• Tip: Non-archival inks may dry slightly faster on the absorbent Zara Zara surface than on coated paper – test briefly before folding if the notebook is to serve as an archive.

For Fountain Pen Enthusiasts

Kokuyo's Zara Zara paper works differently from coated or calendered papers: instead of smoothing the surface, it's deliberately left hard and fibrous. The result is paper that binds ink immediately and evenly – no pooling, no feathering, even with broad or wet nibs. Shading shows up boldly on this surface; sheen inks, conversely, develop their full potential on smoother papers with longer drying times. Those writing with flex nibs will find that the rough surface renders hairlines clearly and closes spread strokes with a sharp edge. At 90 g/m², the paper is sufficient for most fountain pen nibs in the wet range, and showthrough is not to be expected even with very wet writers.

Technical Specifications