Compiled from 6 sources; we haven't tested this product ourselves yet. How we research
Quick answer
The 2mm flat notes A5 is a collaboration between kleid and Nakamura Printing, the small Tokyo printer behind the flat-opening "grandpa's notebook". It has 50 sheets of OK Fools paper with kleid's 2 mm grid, and its glued binding opens 180 degrees with no step at the fold, so a spread works as one A4 sheet.
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Notes on these facts
Made by Shinnippon Calendar Co., Ltd. (kleid), bound by Nakamura Printing Co., Ltd., Tokyo. Made in Japan: kleid's Japanese product page gives 日本製 (made in Japan). Source. Price: example listing.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).
Key takeaways
kleid lists it at 210 × 148 mm (A5) with 50 sheets of OK Fools paper and a 2 mm grid, made in Japan.
kleid's list price is ¥880 (about US$5.60) with tax, for five colors from No.8401 Olive Drab to No.8407 Light Pink.
Nakamura Printing holds Japanese patent No. 5743362 for the flat-opening binding, per its own Makuake page.
Yoseka says each signature is a single folded sheet held by two kinds of glue and no thread, so pages lie flat and tear out cleanly.
Yoseka listed it at US$13.50 on October 29, 2026, in our $$ band ($5–20).
What is the kleid 2mm flat notes A5?
It is kleid’s 2 mm grid notebook bound with Nakamura Printing’s flat-opening method, so the whole spread lies flat. kleid’s Japanese page calls it a collaboration that overturns the usual idea of a notebook: there is no step at the center, and an open spread can be used as one A4 sheet.
kleid, a brand of Shinnippon Calendar Co., Ltd., added its own touches: OK Fools writing paper, its fine 2 mm grid, a grid that catches the light on the cover, and a label for a title.
What are the specs?
An A5 notebook of 50 sheets, made in Japan. All figures below are from kleid’s product page unless marked.
Spec
Value
Size
A5, 210 × 148 mm (8.3 × 5.8 in)
Open flat
About 297 × 210 mm (11.7 × 8.3 in), an A4 spread
Sheets
50 (100 pages)
Paper
OK Fools, cream or white by color
Ruling
2 mm grid
Binding
Glued, flat-opening (Nakamura Printing), no thread
kleid doesn’t publish a weight or paper thickness.
How does the flat-opening binding work?
Yoseka explains that every signature is just one sheet folded in half, held with two kinds of glue and no sewing. Most notebooks that lie flat are sewn from bundles of 4, 8 or 16 folded sheets, which is why their page counts come in multiples of 8 or 16.
With the smallest possible bundle, each fold barely curves, so a gentle press flattens the page. Because the pages aren’t sewn, Yoseka adds, a glued page tears out cleanly.
A small family printer in Tokyo whose flat-opening notebook went viral in 2016. On its Makuake crowdfunding page, the company says a single tweet on January 1, 2016 turned around a printer that was close to closing, and that the notebook became known as “grandpa’s notebook”.
The same page says it holds Japanese patent No. 5743362 for the method. Yoseka adds that the business was founded in 1938 and developed the binding in 2014; we couldn’t confirm those two dates on a Nakamura page.
What is OK Fools paper like?
kleid calls it the only dedicated premium writing paper made in Japan, smooth to write on and quick to absorb ink. It says the paper suits fountain pens and carries laid lines and a watermark, as fine writing papers do.
Our kleid 2mm grid notes A5 guide covers the same paper in kleid’s thinner stapled notebook, including a reviewer’s note that very wet, wide nibs show through.
How does it compare with other kleid and lay-flat notebooks?
It sits between kleid’s slim grid notes and a thick sewn journal.
kleid’s grid notes figures are from our guide to that notebook. For more books that stay open on their own, see best lay-flat notebooks.
Which colors and papers are there?
Five current colors in two paper shades, per kleid. Olive Drab and Navy have cream paper; Charcoal, Light Blue and Light Pink have white paper.
Yoseka still sells Gray and Blue covers with white paper, numbered 8404 and 8403, which kleid no longer lists. The Journal Shop lists the three white-paper colors.
Where is it made, and what does it cost in the US?
In Japan, per kleid. Yoseka listed it at US$13.50 on October 29, 2026, in our $$ band. The Journal Shop listed it at £9.99 (about US$13) the same day.
kleid’s own price in Japan is ¥880 (about US$5.60) with tax, so imported copies cost about twice as much.
Frequently asked questions
Does the kleid flat notes really lie completely flat?
kleid says it opens 180 degrees with no step in the middle, so the spread can be used as one A4 sheet. Yoseka adds that a gentle press is enough to flatten each page.
Can you tear pages out of the flat notes?
Yes. kleid says a removed page can be kept as a single sheet, and Yoseka explains that the pages are glued rather than sewn, so they come out cleanly.
How many pages does the kleid flat notes have?
50 sheets, which is 100 pages, per kleid and Yoseka. That is more than kleid's 32-sheet 2mm grid notes A5 but far fewer than a 176-page MD Notebook.
Why is it called grandpa's notebook?
Nakamura Printing's flat-opening notebook went viral in Japan after a single tweet on January 1, 2016, according to the company's Makuake page, and became known as the grandpa's notebook.
What paper colors does it come in?
kleid lists cream paper with the Olive Drab and Navy covers and white paper with Charcoal, Light Blue and Light Pink. Yoseka also sells older Gray and Blue covers with white paper.
Is the kleid flat notes made in the USA?
No. kleid's product page says it is made in Japan, and the binding comes from Nakamura Printing in Tokyo.
