Best Stationery Stores in Kyoto: 9 Shops to Visit

A row of six Kyoto shopfronts under tiled eaves whose signs read Itoya, Kyukyodo, Kakimoto, Rakushikan, Shofudo and Traveler's Factory, with a stone lantern at the end of the street — Six of the nine stores in this guide, from Kyoto Station to Teramachi, checked on October 26, 2026.

Notes on these stores

Itoya Kyoto: JR Kyoto Isetan 10F, Karasuma-dori Shiokoji-sagaru, Higashishiokoji-cho, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto Station, Kyoto. Directly connected to Kyoto Station (JR, Kintetsu and subway). Checked October 26, 2026 on the store's own page.
Morita Washi (Washi no Mise): 298 Ogisakaya-cho, Higashinotoin-dori Bukkoji-agaru, Shimogyo-ku (Kajinoha Bldg. 1F), Shijo-Karasuma (Bukkoji), Kyoto. At its present Higashinotoin address since 1942; in 1973 it helped compile Mainichi Shimbun's survey of Japan's handmade papers, per its history. Checked October 26, 2026 on the store's own page.
Hands Kyoto: 27 Naginatahoko-cho, Shijo-dori Karasuma-higashi-iru, Shimogyo-ku, Shijo-Karasuma, Kyoto. Checked October 26, 2026 on the store's own page.
Suzuki Shofudo (Shofudo main store): 421 Izutsuya-cho, Yanaginobanba-dori Rokkaku-sagaru, Nakagyo-ku, Rokkaku (Yanaginobanba), Kyoto. The main store reopened across the street from its old site on October 8, 2026, and brought back single-sheet washi sales; a second shop is in Kintetsu Kyoto Station's Miyakomichi. Checked October 26, 2026 on the store's own page.
Rakushikan: Museum of Kyoto 1F, Sanjo-Takakura, Nakagyo-ku, Sanjo-Takakura, Kyoto. Checked October 26, 2026 on the store's own page.
Traveler's Factory Kyoto: 586-2 Banocho, Karasuma-dori Aneyakoji-sagaru, Nakagyo-ku (Shin-Puh-Kan 1F), Karasuma Oike, Kyoto. Directly connected to the south exit of Karasuma Oike subway station. Checked October 26, 2026 on the store's own page.
Kamiji Kakimoto: 310 Shimohakusan-cho, Fuyacho-dori Sanjo-agaru, Nakagyo-ku, Sanjo (Fuyacho), Kyoto. Trading from this temporary shop since March 10, 2020, while its building on Teramachi Nijo is rebuilt. Checked October 26, 2026 on the store's own page.
Kyukyodo Kyoto Honten: 520 Shimohonnojimae-cho, Teramachi-dori Aneyakoji-agaru, Nakagyo-ku, Teramachi, Kyoto. Its services include name-printed letter paper, hand-carved seals and address stamps, per Kyukyodo. Checked October 26, 2026 on the store's own page.
Kamisoe: 11-1 Murasakino Higashifujinomori-cho, Kita-ku, Murasakino (Daitokuji), Kyoto. Checked October 26, 2026 on the store's own page.
Stores move, close and change hours. Always check the store's site or Instagram before you go.

Key takeaways

We list 9 Kyoto stationery stores, each checked on its own website on October 26, 2026: 7 downtown between Shijo and Oike streets, 1 at Kyoto Station and 1 in Murasakino, near Daitokuji.
Kyukyodo opened as an apothecary at the gate of Honnoji temple on Teramachi in 1663, per its own history, and now sells incense, brushes and ink, letter paper and washi crafts.
Itoya Kyoto, on the 10th floor of JR Kyoto Isetan, is one of Itoya's largest Kansai stores and the first outside Ginza to offer its Note Couture made-to-order notebooks, per Itoya.
Rakushikan sells washi by the sheet, from ¥550 (about US$3.50), but opens only 11 am to 5 pm and closes on Mondays and Tuesdays.
From November 1, 2026, Japan's tax-free shopping becomes a refund: you pay the tax in the shop and get it back after a customs check when you leave, on ¥5,000 (about US$32) or more per store per day, per the Japan Tourism Agency.

What are the best stationery stores in Kyoto?

For a first visit, go to Kyukyodo on Teramachi for brushes, ink and letter paper, Itoya Kyoto at Kyoto Station for pens and notebooks, and Rakushikan in the Museum of Kyoto for washi by the sheet. These three come first because each covers a need in depth: a shop founded in 1663, one of Itoya’s largest stores outside Tokyo, and drawers of plain, dyed and patterned washi you can buy one sheet at a time.

Store	Neighborhood	Known for	Official site
Itoya Kyoto	Kyoto Station	Fountain pens, Note Couture notebooks	ito-ya.co.jp
Morita Washi	Shijo-Karasuma	Washi from across Japan since 1927	wagami.jp
Hands Kyoto	Shijo-Karasuma	A whole stationery floor	hands.net
Suzuki Shofudo	Rokkaku	Yuzen-paper goods, washi by the sheet	shofudo-shop.jp
Rakushikan	Sanjo-Takakura	Washi by the sheet	rakushikan-store.com
Traveler’s Factory Kyoto	Karasuma Oike	TRAVELER’S notebook and refills	travelers-factory.com
Kamiji Kakimoto	Sanjo	Handmade letter paper since 1845	kamiji-kakimoto.jp
Kyukyodo	Teramachi	Brushes, ink, letter paper since 1663	kyukyodo.co.jp
Kamisoe	Murasakino	Woodblock-printed karakami paper	kamisoe.com

How did we choose these stores?

We picked shops that focus on stationery, paper or writing and were open on October 26, 2026, then weighed what each one stocks and does. Our criteria:

A dedicated focus on stationery, paper or writing; Hands is the one variety store, for its stationery floor.
Something you can only do there, such as buying single sheets of washi at Rakushikan or Shofudo, or ordering name-printed letter paper at Kyukyodo.
Depth of range, such as Itoya’s pens and Kakimoto’s handmade letter papers from Kurotani and Echizen.
A long Kyoto history, from Kyukyodo (1663) and Kakimoto (1845) to Morita Washi (1927).
Open now, confirmed on each store’s own site on October 26, 2026.

We compiled this from the stores’ own websites; we have not visited them for this guide, and we do not rate them.

Why is each store on the list?

Each store earns its place with a specific range or service, not general souvenirs.

Itoya Kyoto (Kyoto Station): fountain pens, Itoya originals and Kyoto-only items, plus Note Couture notebooks, first offered outside Ginza here.
Morita Washi (Bukkoji): a washi wholesaler’s own shop, with papers from across Japan, chiyogami and yuzen paper.
Hands Kyoto (Shijo-Karasuma): a 4th floor of pens, notebooks and letter sets, with a counter for hanko seals and printed cards.
Suzuki Shofudo (Rokkaku): yuzen-paper notebooks and boxes from a maker founded in 1893, now selling washi by the sheet again.
Rakushikan (Sanjo-Takakura): washi sorted by thickness, texture and color, plus printer washi, in the Museum of Kyoto.
Traveler’s Factory Kyoto (Karasuma Oike): the TRAVELER’S notebook maker’s shop, straight off the subway.
Kamiji Kakimoto (Sanjo): handmade Kurotani and Echizen letter paper and its own stationery, from a paper shop founded in 1845.
Kyukyodo (Teramachi): brushes, ink, letter paper and incense from a shop at Honnoji’s gate since 1663.
Kamisoe (Murasakino): a karakami studio and shop, making patterned papers printed from carved woodblocks.

Which Kyoto stores are best for washi and letter paper?

Rakushikan is the place to buy washi one sheet at a time: its drawers run from plain white kozo to dyed, patterned and yuzen papers, from ¥550 (about US$3.50) a sheet. It sits in the Museum of Kyoto at Sanjo-Takakura and closes on Mondays and Tuesdays.

For letters, Kamiji Kakimoto stocks handmade Kurotani paper from Ayabe, which it says takes ink very well, and smooth Echizen paper long enough for brush writing. Kyukyodo prints your name on its own letter paper.

Suzuki Shofudo’s ring notebooks in yuzen paper cost ¥1,540 (about US$10). See our Japanese notebooks guide for what to buy at home.

Which Kyoto stores are best for pens and calligraphy?

Itoya Kyoto is the pen stop: Itoya says it carries fountain pens, ballpoints and other fine writing instruments, Itoya originals and items sold only in Kyoto. It opens 10 am to 8 pm daily, inside the station.

For brush writing, Kyukyodo sells the “four treasures” of calligraphy, brushes, ink, inkstones and paper, and Kakimoto sells hanshi and gasenshi papers. Traveler’s Factory stocks the TRAVELER’S notebook and refills; see our TRAVELER’S notebook system and calligraphy pens guides.

How do you plan a stationery day in Kyoto?

Most of the list is one downtown walk, so check closing days first: Rakushikan shuts Monday and Tuesday, Kakimoto Monday, and Morita Washi Sunday.

Shijo-Karasuma: Hands on Shijo-dori, then Morita Washi on Higashinotoin, a few minutes south.
Rokkaku to Sanjo: Suzuki Shofudo on Yanaginobanba, Rakushikan at Sanjo-Takakura and Traveler’s Factory at Karasuma Oike.
Teramachi: Kyukyodo, then Kamiji Kakimoto on Fuyacho, under 300 m (a fifth of a mile) apart.
Kyoto Station: Itoya, open until 8 pm, on your way in or out.
Murasakino: Kamisoe opens from 1 pm, Wednesday to Sunday, near Daitokuji.

To-scale map of 9 Kyoto stationery stores at their addresses, from Itoya at Kyoto Station to Kamisoe in Murasakino, with an inset of downtown Kyoto — Where the stores are, drawn to scale from each address; check addresses before you go. Map data: MLIT National Land Numerical Information (N03) and GSI Vector Tiles (rivers, main streets, railways); store positions: GSI address search.

How does tax-free shopping work in Kyoto?

For purchases from November 1, 2026, Japan switches to a refund method: you pay the tax-inclusive price, then get the consumption tax back after a customs check when you leave Japan, per the Japan Tourism Agency. Purchases must total ¥5,000 (about US$32) or more, before tax, per store per day.

Within 90 days of purchase, scan your passport at a tax-free kiosk at the airport before you check your bags, and keep the goods with you. Hands lists tax-free service at its Kyoto store; ask at the others.

Which Kyoto stationery stores did we leave out?

We left out Kakimori, whose shop page lists only its Kuramae store in Tokyo, and TAG Stationery, a Kyoto pen and ink maker whose site lists no shop address. Its Kyo-no-oto inks are sold elsewhere.

We also left out Maruzen’s Kyoto Honten in Kyoto BAL, listed open 11 am to 8 pm, because its site doesn’t describe its stationery range. Kyukyodo’s site has posted temporary closures before, so check it first. More cities: see all our stationery store guides, city by city, from New York and San Francisco to Tokyo, Kyoto, Seoul, London, Paris, Vienna and Istanbul.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best stationery store in Kyoto?

For one stop, Itoya Kyoto on the 10th floor of JR Kyoto Isetan at Kyoto Station, one of Itoya's largest Kansai stores, with fountain pens, Kyoto-only items and Note Couture notebooks. For Kyoto's own paper culture, walk downtown to Kyukyodo on Teramachi, founded in 1663, and Rakushikan's washi in the Museum of Kyoto.

Where to buy stationery in Kyoto?

Downtown, between Shijo and Oike streets: Kyukyodo on Teramachi, Kamiji Kakimoto on Fuyacho, Rakushikan at Sanjo-Takakura, Suzuki Shofudo on Yanaginobanba, Traveler's Factory at Karasuma Oike, and Hands and Morita Washi near Shijo-Karasuma, all within about 1.5 km (1 mile). Itoya is at Kyoto Station.

Where to buy washi paper in Kyoto?

Rakushikan in the Museum of Kyoto sells washi by the sheet, from ¥550 (about US$3.50); Kamiji Kakimoto, a paper shop since 1845, stocks handmade Kurotani and Echizen letter paper; Morita Washi, a washi wholesaler since 1927, runs a shop near Shijo-Karasuma; and Suzuki Shofudo sells single sheets again at its new main store.

Is there an Itoya in Kyoto?

Yes. Itoya Kyoto is on the 10th floor of JR Kyoto Isetan, directly connected to Kyoto Station, open 10 am to 8 pm daily. Itoya calls it one of its largest Kansai stores and the first outside Ginza to offer Note Couture, its made-to-order notebook service.

Is there a Traveler's Factory in Kyoto?

Yes. Traveler's Factory Kyoto is on the first floor of Shin-Puh-Kan, 586-2 Banocho on Karasuma-dori, directly connected to the south exit of Karasuma Oike subway station, and opens 11 am to 8 pm, per Traveler's Factory.

Where can I buy calligraphy supplies in Kyoto?

Kyukyodo on Teramachi, the incense and stationery shop founded in 1663, sells brushes, ink and the other 'four treasures' of calligraphy, plus letter paper and washi crafts. Kamiji Kakimoto on Fuyacho, five minutes' walk away, sells hanshi and gasenshi calligraphy papers.

Do Kyoto stationery stores offer tax-free shopping?

Some do; Hands lists tax-free service at its Kyoto store, so ask at each counter. From November 1, 2026, you pay the tax at the till and claim it back after a customs check at the airport, on ¥5,000 (about US$32) or more, before tax, per store per day.

Sources (21)

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