ZenPop Japanese Stationery Pack is a subscription box brought to you by ZenMarket filled with unique Japanese stationery and studying goods handpicked by their staff in Japan.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes.)
About ZenPop Stationery Pack
The Subscription Box: ZenPop Stationery Pack
The Cost: $29.50 a month with free international shipping. Save with longer commitments.
The Products: 12 or more cute and useful stationery items like pens, notebooks, stickers, and more.
Ships to: Worldwide
ZenPop Stationery Pack April 2018 Review
There is first a sheet with a coupon code to use at the ZenPop Market as a thank you for subscribing.
Next, you'll find one of the most detailed info sheets of any stationery sub. The theme this month is "Lucky Cat"! Lucky ME! I love kitties! I really love their info sheet because I always learn something about Japan.
Maneki-Neko Eraser
You've probably seen a maneki-neko in an Asian restaurant or shop before. That's because it means "beckoning cat" and brings either money (right paw raised) or people (left paw raised) to the establishment. There were several color variations available and I received the classic white cat which draws happiness. Even though this was a bit big to fit on a regular pencil, it fit on the end of a marker, in case you wanted some decoration.
Maneki-Neko Message Memo Pad
More makeni-nekos grace this long thin notepad that is probably more suited for writing kanji or kana from top to bottom, but it's quite cute none-the-less and it's still perfect for writing lists in English! As I learned, the white cat is for luck (or happiness) and the black one is said to protect against harm! Apparently, black cats are thought to have magical powers and protect you which is the opposite of the folklore here in the US. My black cat (Kit) protects my sanity and mental health for sure, so I'm gonna side with the Japanese on this one!
Gohan Neko Stickers
There are few things cuter than kitties in food, so these paper stickers REALLY delight me. "Gohan" means food or meal, which is why these are aptly named. Here we have kitties in beer, burgers, ice cream cones, sushi, and even hot dogs! Can't wait to stick these all over everything I own!
Neko Work Stickers
I love the description of these:
Cats are usually relaxing or sleeping and seem they are doing nothing with their daily life. However, there are some cats who are working as you can see on this sticker.
Tee-hee! My boys are not in this category, as they never left a finger to help me. These kitties are dancers, florists, farmers, doctors, and housewives. So many important cat jobs! Which one is your favorite??
Cat's Paw Stick Markers
Even though I don't often have a use for these page markers, they are just so darn cute! There are four different paw designs (with 2 stacks of each) to help keep your place in a book or when you're studying. There is also plenty of space on each to jot down a note if you need to!
Calico Cat Washi Tape
Yay for cat washi tape!! I don't think I have ANY washi tape with kitties on it if you can believe it! This roll has a calico (mike-neko) pattern along with cats and paw prints all over it to make a delightful brown, black, white, and pink design. I'll be saving this roll to adorn letters to my fellow cat lovers.
Niramekko Ring Memo Pad
Ok, I realllly need companies to stop making cute notepads because I have more than any one person could use in a lifetime, but they are all too cute not to keep! This one has all different kitty heads on the front and back, surrounded with illustrations like fish, milk, and mushrooms. On the back, you'll see the middle cat laughing which is a nod to a popular children's game in Japan called "niramekko". In this game, 2 people face each other, countdown "3-2-1", then make a funny face. The first person to laugh is the loser! Now that I know, I'll be playing this with my friends' kids!
Manet Sakura Cats Washi Tape
Well, this washi tape is even lovelier than the last! I count seven different furry felines making an appearance on this soft colored sakura washi tape. The kitties frolic among the pale pink cherry blossoms which seems like a winning combination to me!
Sanrio Purin Binder Clips
Do you know Pom Pom Purin, the Golden Retriever who loves pudding? He was a favorite Sanrio character of mine in high school and I'm happy to see him on these three binder clips even if it doesn't fit into the cat theme. The other variations featured Hello Kitty, Gudetama, or Cinnamoroll so I am actually pretty pleased with Purin. The pale yellow clips feature our golden dog friend wearing his signature beret and hanging with an unidentified pal.
Sakura Decorese Gel Pen in Glitter Cherry Pink - Retail Value $3.30
Although I'm not a huge fan of glitter pens, this one has really wet ink that sparkles nicely and is sure to spruce up your planner. The body of the pen is black with silver flowers and gold sparkles, with a small window to see the ink color, along with a swatch on the cap.
Uni-ball Signo UM-100 Pen in Blue, 0.5 mm - Retail Value $1.95
I am familiar with the Uni Signo and have a few at home already that have a slightly different body style. The gel ink is extremely smooth and the tip is a nice middle ground of .5mm. This one will gladly be added to my pen collection.
Uni ProMark View Highlighter - Retail Value $2.40
Ooh, this highlighter is very cool! I don't use highlighters all that much because I don't do a lot of paperwork these days and I'm not in school. The design of this is really nice - you can see the thin tunnel of neon yellow ink that flows from the body to the tip. The wide body makes it easy to hold on to while gliding over those important notes.
BONUS: Gorogoro Nyansuke Sarasa Clip Pen - Estimated Retail Value $3.14 (linked to similar)
Hello there, Gorogoro Nyansuke! I've never met this character before, but we're off to a good start if it's making an appearance on my #1 favorite pen in the universe! "Goro goro" is a term for "people or animals lying awake but not doing anything useful and just wasting time". Here, we see a cat laying in a hammock, reading, or sleeping. I'd say that reading is pretty useful, but I'm guessing the term is more just for generally relaxing. The orange ink matches the colors on the pen as well. I couldn't find this exact color online but was able to find others.
Here are writing samples of all of the pens and markers.
Verdict: Being a huge cat-person, I really loved the ZenPop Stationery Pack theme this month and was excited to receive so many cute and useful cat items! I think my favorites are the food stickers, paw page markers, and the sakura washi tape. I was happy to receive four writing utensils this month as well since I am an addict.
To Wrap Up:
Can you still get this box if you sign up today? No, but sign up today to get June's delivery.
Value Breakdown: At $29.50 for this box, you are paying approximately $2.27 per item.
Check out all of our ZenPop Stationery Pack reviews and more stationery reviews in the Paper and Stationery Subscription Box Directory!
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Do you have a favorite cat item from this month's ZenPop Stationery Pack?
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