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Quick answer
The KOKUYO Sokuryo Yacho Sketch Book (セ-Y3) is a pocket field notebook first made for Japanese surveyors in 1959. It measures 165 × 95 × 6 mm, has a stiff green cloth-look hard cover for writing standing up, and holds 40 sheets of 3 mm grid paper. KOKUYO lists it at ¥300 (about US$1.90) before tax.
On this page10 sections
The SE-Y3 closed and open on its 3 mm grid (1 mm = 1.2 px).
Hard cloth-covered board cover, woodfree (上質紙) paper
Released
1959*
Price range
$under $5 per notebook
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Notes on these facts
Made by KOKUYO Co., Ltd.. Country of manufacture not stated: KOKUYO's Japanese product page for セ-Y3 (read October 22, 2026) gives sizes, sheet count, paper and JAN code but no country of manufacture, and the Amazon US listing doesn't state one either. Check the back cover. Source. Price: example listing. Released: GetNavi's 2019 interview with KOKUYO's product developer says the Sokuryo Yacho was born in 1959, ten years after Japan's 1949 Survey Act, with the Level, Transit, Sketch and Offset books.
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
Size: 165 × 95 × 6 mm (6.5 × 3.7 in) outside; pages are 160 × 91 mm, per KOKUYO.
40 sheets (80 pages) of woodfree paper with a 3 mm grid running to the page edges.
The hard cover is stiff enough to write on while holding the book in one hand.
Launched in 1959 as a surveyor's field book; KOKUYO ships more than a million a year, per GetNavi.
A 10-pack on Amazon US had 734 ratings on October 22, 2026; KOKUYO's list price is ¥300 (about US$1.90).
What is the KOKUYO Sokuryo Yacho?
It’s KOKUYO’s surveyor’s field notebook: a tall, narrow, hard-covered pocket book first made in 1959. The name 測量野帳 means surveying field book, and KOKUYO still sells it to surveyors and builders as well as to the notebook fans who adopted it.
KOKUYO’s product developer told GetNavi in 2019 that the book was created after Japan’s 1949 Survey Act, that its basic design has barely changed in 60 years, and that KOKUYO ships more than a million a year. The SE-Y3 Sketch Book is the version with a plain 3 mm grid.
KOKUYO Sokuryo Yacho Sketch Book specs
Spec
Value
Model
セ-Y3 (SE-Y3), Sketch Book
Outside size
165 × 95 × 6 mm (6.5 × 3.7 × 0.24 in)
Page size
160 × 91 mm (6.3 × 3.6 in)
Sheets
40 (80 pages)
Ruling
3 mm grid
Paper
Woodfree (上質紙)
Cover
Hard, cloth-covered board, green
JAN
4901480781174
Japan list price
¥300 (about US$1.90) before tax
All figures are from KOKUYO Japan’s product page, read on October 22, 2026; the grid size is in the product name.
What are the three Yacho types?
Level, Transit and Sketch: the first two carry surveying layouts, and the Sketch Book has a general-purpose 3 mm grid. All three share the same 165 × 95 mm hard cover and 40 sheets.
The three classic types side by side; column positions in Level and Transit drawn by eye.
The Level Book (セ-Y1) has 22 lines with columns for recording heights; the Transit Book (セ-Y2) has 20 lines for distances and angles. A fourth original, the vertical Offset Book, was discontinued in 2002 and briefly revived for the 60th anniversary, per GetNavi.
Why do people outside surveying use it?
Because it fits a chest pocket, the cover is stiff enough to write on standing up, and it’s cheap. KOKUYO says the hard cover makes writing while holding the book easy; at ¥300 (about US$1.90) people keep one per project or per trip.
The 3 mm grid is finer than the common 5 mm grid, which suits small handwriting, sketches and tables. If you prefer a softer pocket book, compare the Field Notes Original Kraft; for a bigger KOKUYO notebook, the Campus Notebook.
What other Yacho versions are there?
Water-resistant ones with Yupo synthetic pages, recycled-paper ones, and design editions, besides the classic three. GetNavi lists a Level Book with a brown cover and a plastic sleeve, and bright PP-cover books meant to be easy to spot if dropped on site, both with Yupo pages.
KOKUYO’s design brand KOKUYO ME sells a Yacho with trend-coloured covers at ¥400 (about US$2.50) before tax, and there is a Trip Book with dot-grid pages for travel. KOKUYO also sells a 173 × 204 mm clear cover made for the Yacho, to protect the cloth from dirt.
The Yacho is the only one of the three with a truly rigid cover. For more Japanese notebooks, see our best Japanese notebooks roundup.
Where is it made, and is it popular in the US?
KOKUYO doesn’t state the country of manufacture on its page; the book is a KOKUYO Japan product, and a 10-pack on Amazon US had 734 ratings on October 22, 2026. KOKUYO also offers custom-printed covers from 100 copies and a clear cover sized for the Yacho.
Frequently asked questions
What does Sokuryo Yacho mean?
測量野帳 means surveying field book. KOKUYO made it in 1959 for land surveyors, and fans in Japan shorten it to yacho.
What is the difference between the Level, Transit and Sketch books?
The covers name the ruling inside: Level (セ-Y1) has 22 ruled lines with columns for heights, Transit (セ-Y2) has 20 lines for distances and angles, and Sketch (セ-Y3) has a plain 3 mm grid, the general-purpose one.
How big is the KOKUYO field notebook?
165 × 95 × 6 mm (6.5 × 3.7 × 0.24 in) outside, with 160 × 91 mm pages. It's narrow enough for a work-shirt chest pocket.
Is there a waterproof Sokuryo Yacho?
Yes. KOKUYO makes water-resistant versions with Yupo synthetic pages, a brown cover with a plastic sleeve and bright PP-cover types, per GetNavi; the standard SE-Y3 uses ordinary woodfree paper.
How much does the Sokuryo Yacho cost?
KOKUYO's list price is ¥300 (about US$1.90) before tax. In the US it usually sells in multi-packs or singles that work out under $5 each, our $ band.
Is the KOKUYO Sokuryo Yacho made in Japan?
KOKUYO's product page doesn't state the country of manufacture, and the Amazon US listing doesn't either. Check the back cover of your copy.
