KOKUYO Soft Ring Notebook A5: Soft Rings & Dot Lines
The KOKUYO Soft Ring Notebook is a Japanese ring notebook whose rings are soft olefin resin, so they squash instead of digging into your hand. The A5 dot-ruled book (ス-SV338BT) has 80 micro-perforated sheets of 210 × 148 mm, ruled at 6 mm with 29 lines and dots along each line. KOKUYO lists it at ¥680 (about US$4.30).
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Product facts
- Product
- KOKUYO Soft Ring Notebook, dot-ruled, A5, 80 sheets (ス-SV338BT)
- Brand
- KOKUYO
- Brand origin
- Japan
- Made in
- Not stated*
- Material
- Translucent PP front cover, board back cover, woodfree paper, olefin-resin rings
- Released
- March 2015*
- Price range
- $$$5–20 per notebook
Notes on these facts
- Made by KOKUYO Co., Ltd.. Country of manufacture not stated: KOKUYO's product pages, ASKUL's spec sheet and the US listings we read don't state where the notebook is made. KOKUYO is based in Osaka, Japan. Price: example listing. Released: Launch date of the first Soft Ring Notebook (dot-ruled, semi-B5 and A5), per KOKUYO's February 25, 2015 news release.
- Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).
Key takeaways
- KOKUYO launched the Soft Ring Notebook on March 11, 2015, in semi-B5 and A5, after what it calls three years of development.
- The A5 dot-ruled book has 80 sheets of 210 × 148 mm (8.3 × 5.8 in), B ruling at 6 mm with 29 lines.
- The rings are olefin resin and D-shaped; KOKUYO says they give when your hand presses them and keep the page edges aligned.
- KOKUYO lists the A5 80-sheet book at ¥680 (about US$4.30) in six colors; US shops sell it in our $$ band ($5–20).
- Sheets are micro-perforated to tear out cleanly, and the front cover is translucent colored polypropylene over a board back.
What is the KOKUYO Soft Ring Notebook?
It’s a ring notebook from Japanese maker KOKUYO whose rings are soft resin, not metal wire. KOKUYO says the rings squash when your hand rests on them, so you can write to the inner edge of the page.
KOKUYO launched it on March 11, 2015, in semi-B5 and A5. Its launch release quotes its own survey: 47% of ring-notebook users said the metal rings got in the way of their hand, and 37% said the rings were bulky.
KOKUYO Soft Ring A5 specs
| Spec | Soft Ring Notebook, dot-ruled, A5, 80 sheets |
|---|---|
| Model | ス-SV338BT (SU-SV338BT) plus a color code |
| Sheet size | 210 × 148 mm (8.3 × 5.8 in) |
| Sheets | 80 (160 pages), micro-perforated |
| Ruling | B ruling, 6 mm, 29 lines, with dots on each line |
| Paper | Woodfree (上質紙) |
| Cover | Translucent colored PP front, board back |
| Rings | Olefin resin, D-shaped |
| Colors | Dark gray, light blue, light green, light pink, purple, orange |
| List price | ¥680 (about US$4.30) |
| Made in | Not stated |
Sheet size, ruling and price are from KOKUYO’s Japanese pages; cover, paper and ring material from ASKUL’s spec sheet. KOKUYO doesn’t publish the outer size or the ring pitch.
How do the soft rings work?
The rings are olefin resin, a soft plastic, so they flex when your hand lands on them. KOKUYO describes them as squishy (“puni-puni”) and says this makes the notebook kinder to left-handed writers, who rest on the rings on every left-hand page.
The rings are D-shaped, not round. KOKUYO says that keeps the page edges aligned and the ring band narrow, so the books stack and travel without snagging; the pages also fold back 360°.
What does dot-ruled mean?
Each ruled line carries small dots at even intervals, which KOKUYO adds to help you line up headings, indents and tables. The A5 book uses 6 mm B ruling, 29 lines a page.
KOKUYO also sells the Soft Ring with a 5 mm grid, plain pages, 7 mm lines (the Natural covers) and 5 mm dot grid (the Clear covers).
What sizes and sheet counts are there?
The colorful dot-ruled line runs from A7 memos to B5, in 40-, 50- and 80-sheet versions. KOKUYO lists the A5 80-sheet book at ¥680 (about US$4.30) and the A5 50-sheet book at ¥390 (about US$2.50).
US shops such as JetPens and KOKUYO’s Amazon listings mostly carry the A5 and B5 80-sheet books, imported, in our $$ band ($5–20).
How does it compare to other ring notebooks?
It’s the soft-ring choice; the others use metal wire.
| KOKUYO Soft Ring A5 | Maruman Mnemosyne N195A | Oxford 1-Subject | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binding | Soft resin D-rings | Metal twin ring | Metal spiral |
| Sheet size | 210 × 148 mm | A5 (cover 210 × 161 mm) | 7.5 × 10.5 in after tearing out |
| Sheets | 80, perforated | 80, perforated | 70, perforated |
| Ruling | 6 mm with dots | 7 mm | College or wide |
| Price band | $$ | $$ | $ |
For KOKUYO’s best-known bound notebook, see the KOKUYO Campus.
Which Soft Ring should you choose?
For daily notes, the A5 80-sheet dot-ruled book in this guide is the all-rounder; pick B5 for class notes and A6 or A7 for a pocket. The colorful covers only differ in color.
If you want a quieter look, the Natural line has black, navy or beige covers with 7 mm lines, and the Clear line has a transparent cover with a 5 mm dot grid. KOKUYO’s Business line adds grid, 6 mm, plain and edge-title pages for work.
Where is the KOKUYO Soft Ring Notebook made?
KOKUYO doesn’t say on the pages we read, so we list it as not stated. ASKUL’s spec sheet and the US listings we checked don’t give a country either; KOKUYO is based in Osaka, Japan.
Frequently asked questions
What is special about the KOKUYO Soft Ring Notebook?
Its rings are soft olefin resin instead of metal wire. KOKUYO says they squash when your hand rests on them, so you can write to the edge of the page without the rings getting in the way.
Is the KOKUYO Soft Ring Notebook good for left-handed writers?
KOKUYO markets it as left-hand friendly, because the hand that drags across the rings on a left-hand page meets soft resin, not wire. We haven't tested this ourselves yet.
What size is the KOKUYO Soft Ring Notebook A5?
KOKUYO lists the A5 sheet at 210 × 148 mm (8.3 × 5.8 in). It doesn't publish the cover size; the rings add width on the left.
How many sheets are in a Soft Ring Notebook?
The A5 dot-ruled book in this guide has 80 sheets (160 pages). KOKUYO also makes 40- and 50-sheet versions, and A7 to semi-B5 sizes.
What is dot-ruled paper in a KOKUYO notebook?
It's ordinary ruled lines with small dots spaced evenly along each line, which KOKUYO adds to help you align headings, tables and diagrams. The A5 Soft Ring uses 6 mm B ruling with 29 lines.
Can you tear pages out of the Soft Ring Notebook?
Yes. ASKUL's listing calls it a cut-off type with micro-perforations, so single pages tear out cleanly near the rings.
What colors does the A5 Soft Ring come in?
KOKUYO lists dark gray, light blue, light green, light pink, purple and orange for the A5 80-sheet dot-ruled book.
Where is the KOKUYO Soft Ring Notebook made?
KOKUYO doesn't state it on the pages we read, and neither do the retailers we checked. KOKUYO is a Japanese company based in Osaka.
Sources
- コクヨ: ソフトリングノート ベーシック（特長、罫線の種類、バリエーションと価格; read in full)
- コクヨ: ス-SV338BT-LG 商品情報詳細（A5、中紙 210 × 148 mm、ドット入りB罫 6 mm、29行、80枚、JAN 4901480326337）
- コクヨ ニュース: 「ソフトリング®ノート（ドット入り罫線）」を発売 (February 25, 2015; read in full)
- コクヨ ニュース: ソフトリング®ノート（カラフル）の表紙色をリフレッシュ (2021; three years of development)
- コクヨ ニュース: ソフトリングノート10周年 記念商品を発売 (June 3, 2025)
- ASKUL: コクヨ ソフトリングノート（ドット入り罫線）（カットオフ）A5 80枚 ス-SV338BT-DM (cover, paper, ring material, perforation; read in full)
- JetPens: KOKUYO Soft Ring Notebooks
- Amazon.com: KOKUYO A5 Soft Ring Notebook, Dot 6 mm Ruled, 80 Sheets, Light Blue (SU-SV338BT-LB)
- Amazon.com: KOKUYO A5 Soft Ring Notebook, Dot 6 mm Ruled, 80 Sheets, Dark Gray (SU-SV338BT-DM)