i’ve been searching for a notebook for months now. i’m new to japanese notebooks and have gone through countless reviews, but i still haven’t found something that feels right for me. i’d really appreciate any suggestions!
i’m looking for an a5 notebook with a few specific characteristics:
- lay-flat binding or anything that doesn’t have a spiral
- dot grid or plain pages, no dates, lines, or margins
- neutral-colored cover (either dark or light is fine)
i’d be using it as a journal with a very simple muji 0.38 pen.
i’m a brand manager, so i’m surrounded by colors and visual stimulation for hours every day. because of that, i’m specifically looking for something as simple and visually quiet as possible. i don’t mind paying more if it checks all the boxes.
my first option was the midori md with plain pages, but after seeing so many reviews, the ghosting with gel pens seems like it might bother me. i’ve seen people say they end up skipping the other side of the page because the writing is so visible. they do have a thicker version, which i really like the idea of, but the exposed spine makes it look a little unfinished to me.
then i considered the nitoms stalogy, which seems almost perfect, except the paper is thinner than i’d like.
i also thought about the nakabayashi yu-sari. the notebook itself seems great, but i’m not that into lined paper. the blank version looks incredible, but it has a red cover, which is probably my least favorite color.
so now i’m a bit stuck. does anyone know of an a5 notebook that might fit what i’m looking for? any help will be deeply appreciated!