This year's Mitsukoshi World Fountain Pen Fair is being held from March 8 to March 14. I decided to visit the first afternoon while the rest of the world was still working. The place will be shoulder to shoulder in the evenings and on the weekends, but this afternoon the crowd was very light, allowing for some unobstructed shots of the counters.

Packed in a relatively small space are pen makers from Japan and all over the world. This year there were counters and tables representing Japanese pen makers Sailor, Pilot / Namiki, Platinum, Nakaya, and Ohashi-Do. Overseas pen makers represented were Faber Castell, Lamy, Visconti, Omas, Stipula, Delta, S.J. DuPont, Pelikan, Waterman, Rotring, Parker, Cross, Aurora, CaranDAche, Conway Stewart, and MontBlanc.

There were pen clinics at all the Japanese counters, and this week various demonstrations will be held. One of the bigger attractions will be maki-e master Kyusai Yoshida demonstrating his art at the Pilot / Namiki table. (Pilot uses the Namiki name even in Japan for its high end pens).

If you are anywhere near Tokyo this week, you owe it to yourself to get over and see this incredible event!

Click on any of the images below to see enlarged photos.

A shot of the entrance banner	The first afternoon is a great chance to view all the pens without the crowds.	A table where visitors can sit down and try out variety of fountain pens.
The Nakaya table: Mr. Nakata is on the far left	The Nakaya table: Ms. Ogawa and Mr. Watanabe	The Nakaya table: Mr. Matsubara
The Nakaya table: some pens on display	The Nakaya table: Mr. Watanabe grinds a nib for a customer	The Nakaya table: Pens handpainted by a nail artist
The Ohashi-Do table: Mr. Kimura, Mr. uehara and a customer	The Ohashi-Do table: Mr. Kimura	The Ohashi-Do table: Mr. Kimura
The Ohashi-Do table: Mr. Uehara	The Ohashi-Do table: Two more artisans	The Ohashi-Do table: Mr. Kimura on the foot powered lathe
The Ohashi-Do table: Some hand made pens on display	The Ohashi-Do table: More hand made pens on display	The Ohashi-Do table: Yet more hand made pens on display
The Pilot Namiki counter	The Pilot Namiki counter	The Pilot Namiki counter
The Pilot Namiki counter: Pilot's Mr. Hirosawa	The Pilot Namiki counter: Pilot's Mr. Hirosawa inspects a pen for a customer	The ink table
The Sailor counter: Mr. Nagahara (the younger)	The Sailor counter: Mr. Nagahara at work	The Sailor counter: Pentracer Mikiko Yamamoto (right) considering another big purchase.
The Sailor counter: Sailor unique originals on display	The Platinum counter	The Delta counter
The Conway Stewart, Waterman and Rotring counters	The Rotring and Waterman counters	The Waterman counter
The Dupont and Pelikan counters	The Pelikan counter	The Cross counter on the right
The MontBlanc and Sailor counters	The Parker counter	The Faber castell, Lamy and Visconti counters