--- title: "Maruman Spiral Note Basic: 2026 Grand Prix Notebook" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/maruman-spiral-note-basic/" description: "Maruman Spiral Note Basic, the 2026 Japan Stationery Award grand prix: 150-sheet B5 and A5 sizes, 6.5 mm rules, the coil and paper, and where to buy it." category: "Notebooks" type: "Spiral notebook" published: 2026-10-23 updated: 2026-10-23 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 10 products: - name: "Maruman Spiral Note Basic, 150 sheets, B5, 6.5 mm ruled, Black (N236OHFS_-05)" brand: "Maruman" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Japan" material: "Foil-stamped color board front cover, kraft board back cover, Maruman 70 g/m² writing paper, metal coil binding" released: "2024-11-22" price_band: "$$ ($5–20 per notebook, typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Maruman Co., Ltd." model: "N236OHFS_" mpn: "N236OHFS_-05" gtin: "4979093236053" url: "https://www.e-maruman.co.jp/products/detail/n236ohfs_.html" --- # Maruman Spiral Note Basic: 2026 Grand Prix Notebook > The Maruman Spiral Note Basic is a Japanese wire-bound notebook line, and its 150-sheet Black and Light Grey version won the grand prix of the 2026 Japan Stationery Award. The B5 is 193 × 254 × 22 mm with 150 sheets of 6.5 mm ruled, 70 g/m² paper. It is made in Japan and sold on Amazon US. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/maruman-spiral-note-basic/ - Category: Notebooks - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-23 - Updated: 2026-10-23 ![Maruman Spiral Note Basic 150-sheet notebooks drawn to scale: a B5 in Light Grey, 254 mm tall, and an A5 in Black, with copper-colored coils](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/maruman-spiral-note-basic-16x9.png) *The B5 and A5 at 1 mm = 0.8 px from Maruman's sizes; coil pitch drawn by eye.* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Maruman Spiral Note Basic, 150 sheets, B5, 6.5 mm ruled, Black (N236OHFS_-05) | Maruman (by Maruman Co., Ltd.) | Japan | Japan | Foil-stamped color board front cover, kraft board back cover, Maruman 70 g/m² writing paper, metal coil binding | 2024-11-22 | $$: $5–20 per notebook | - Made in (Maruman Spiral Note Basic, 150 sheets, B5, 6.5 mm ruled, Black (N236OHFS_-05)): Japan. Maruman Japan's product pages list 生産国：日本 (country of production: Japan) for the 150-sheet B5 and A5 in Black, Light Grey and kraft, and the Amazon US listings say made in Japan. Maruman's award notice names its Sagamihara and Miyazaki factories. Source: https://www.e-maruman.co.jp/products/detail/n236ohfs_.html ## Key takeaways - RX Japan named the Spiral Note Basic 150 sheets Black/Light Grey the grand prix of the 35th Japan Stationery Award on June 24, 2026, out of 12 category winners. - Maruman Japan lists the B5 at 193 × 254 × 22 mm and 562 g, and the A5 at 162 × 212 × 22 mm, both with 150 sheets (300 pages). - The paper is Maruman's own 70 g/m² writing paper with 6.5 mm rules and micro-perforations, bound with a metal coil through oval holes. - Maruman Japan lists the foil-stamped B5 at ¥825 (about US$5.20) and the A5 at ¥715 (about US$4.50); the kraft 150-sheet B5 costs ¥715 (about US$4.50). - Maruman Japan gives Japan as the country of production for every Spiral Note Basic we checked. ## What is the Maruman Spiral Note Basic? **It's Maruman's everyday wire-bound notebook line, and its 150-sheet Black and Light Grey version won the 2026 Japan Stationery Award grand prix.** Maruman, the Tokyo paper maker behind Mnemosyne and Croquis, says it sold Japan's first ring notebook and has made its Spiral Note brand since the 1960s. The Basic line covers A4 to A7 in kraft covers. In November 2024, for the line's 10th anniversary, Maruman added a thick 150-sheet A5 and B5, and later the Black and Light Grey covers with foil stamping. ## What award did the Spiral Note Basic win? **The grand prix (グランプリ) of the 35th Japan Stationery Award (日本文具大賞), announced by RX Japan on June 24, 2026 at the ISOT fair at Tokyo Big Sight.** It first won one of three design-category prizes, then was picked from all 12 category winners, per [RX Japan's winners page](https://www.lifestyle-expo.jp/summer/ja-jp/about/isot/award/winning-products.html). RX Japan praised the calm foil-stamped covers, Maruman's own writing paper, the easy-turning ring binding and the clean micro-perforations. DIME, whose editor sat on the jury, says the judges rewarded a basic notebook done thoroughly. See all the winners in our [Japan Stationery Award 2026 roundup](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/japan-stationery-award-2026-winners/). ## Spiral Note Basic 150-sheet specs | Spec | B5 | A5 | |---|---|---| | Size incl. rings | 193 × 254 × 22 mm (7.6 × 10 × 0.9 in) | 162 × 212 × 22 mm (6.4 × 8.3 × 0.9 in) | | Page size | 179 × 254 mm (7 × 10 in) | 148 × 212 mm (5.8 × 8.3 in) | | Sheets | 150 (300 pages) | 150 (300 pages) | | Ruling | 6.5 mm with marks | 6.5 mm with marks | | Paper | 70 g/m² writing paper | 70 g/m² writing paper | | Weight (Black/Light Grey) | 562 g (1.24 lb) | 390 g (0.86 lb) | | Codes | N236OHFS_-05 Black, -51 Light Grey | N237OHFS_-05 Black, -51 Light Grey | | Japan price | ¥825 (about US$5.20) | ¥715 (about US$4.50) | | Made in | Japan | Japan | Everything here is from Maruman Japan's product pages. Maruman's award notice gives lower prices, ¥770 (about US$4.90) and ¥660 (about US$4.20), but its product pages and DIME (as of August 31, 2026) give the figures above. ![Maruman Spiral Note Basic 150-sheet B5 at 193 × 254 × 22 mm and A5 at 162 × 212 × 22 mm beside the 40-sheet B5 at 185 × 252 × 5 mm, drawn to scale](https://stationerytimes.com/images/maruman-spiral-note-basic-sizes.svg) *The two 150-sheet notebooks are more than four times as thick as the 40-sheet B5.* ## Which version should you buy? **Buy the 150-sheet Black or Light Grey if you want the exact award winner; the kraft 150-sheet has the same paper and binding for less.** Maruman Japan lists the kraft B5 at ¥715 (about US$4.50) and the A5 at ¥605 (about US$3.80). The thinner kraft notebooks come in A4, B5, A5 and B6 with 40 or 80 sheets, in 6.5 mm ruled, 5 mm grid or blank, and an 8 mm ruled B5. The memo pads run from A6 to A7. If you're unsure between the two sizes, our [A5 vs B5 guide](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/a5-vs-b5-notebooks/) compares them. ## How does the binding work? **A metal coil runs through oval holes, which Maruman says reduces snagging and lets the notebook open flat.** The coil ends are rounded, so they're less likely to catch in a bag, and the cover folds all the way back. Every page is micro-perforated, so a sheet tears out with a clean edge. The covers have a title panel that shows on a shelf. These are Maruman's claims; we haven't measured how flat it lies. ## How does it compare with other spiral notebooks? **It is thicker than most US spiral notebooks and uses smaller, Japanese-style rules.** The [Oxford 1-Subject spiral notebook](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/oxford-1-subject-spiral-notebook/) is a thin US school notebook with college ruling, while the Spiral Note Basic has 6.5 mm rules (about 0.26 in) and 150 sheets in one book. Within Maruman's range, the [Mnemosyne A5](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/maruman-mnemosyne-a5-notebook/) is the premium option, a business notebook line with its own paper. ## Can you buy it in the US? **Yes.** On October 23, 2026, Amazon US listed the 300-page A5 in Black and the A5 and B5 in Gray, along with the kraft 160- and 300-page notebooks. The A5 Black listing was sold by Maruman US and shipped by Amazon, and the listings put it in our $$ band ($5–20). Amazon calls the Light Grey cover "Gray"; Maruman Japan calls it ライトグレー (light grey). ## Where is the Spiral Note Basic made? **In Japan.** Maruman Japan's product pages list Japan as the country of production, and its award notice credits staff at its factories in Sagamihara and Miyazaki. Maruman is a Japanese company based in Tokyo. ## Frequently asked questions ### Which notebook won the Japan Stationery Award grand prix in 2026? Maruman's Spiral Note Basic, in its 150-sheet Black and Light Grey version. RX Japan announced it on June 24, 2026 at the ISOT fair in Tokyo. ### How many pages does the Spiral Note Basic have? The award-winning version has 150 sheets, which is 300 pages. The regular kraft notebooks have 40 or 80 sheets, and the memo pads 50 or 80. ### Is the Maruman Spiral Note Basic good for fountain pens? Maruman says its 70 g/m² writing paper is made for smooth writing, but it doesn't make fountain-pen claims. We haven't tested it with fountain pen ink yet; Maruman's Mnemosyne line is its premium paper. ### Is the Spiral Note Basic made in Japan? Yes. Maruman Japan lists Japan as the country of production, and the Amazon US listings say made in Japan. ### Can you buy the Maruman Spiral Note Basic in the US? Yes. On October 23, 2026, Amazon US listed the 300-page A5 in Black and Gray and the B5 in Gray, plus the kraft versions. It sits in our $$ band ($5–20). ### What is the difference between Spiral Note Basic and Mnemosyne? The Basic is Maruman's everyday kraft-covered notebook line; Mnemosyne is its premium business notebook line with its own paper. Both are wire-bound. ### Do Spiral Note Basic pages tear out cleanly? They are micro-perforated, and RX Japan's award text praises the clean tear. We haven't tested the tear ourselves. ## Sources - [Maruman Japan: spiral note Basic 150 sheets B5, N236OHFS_ (193 × 254 × 22 mm, 562 g, 70 g/m² paper, JAN, made in Japan, ¥825)](https://www.e-maruman.co.jp/products/detail/n236ohfs_.html) - [Maruman Japan: spiral note Basic 150 sheets A5, N237OHFS_ (162 × 212 × 22 mm, 390 g, JAN, made in Japan, ¥715)](https://www.e-maruman.co.jp/products/detail/n237ohfs_.html) - [Maruman Japan: spiral note Basic 150 sheets B5 kraft, N236OHFS (550 g, ¥715)](https://www.e-maruman.co.jp/products/detail/n236ohfs.html) - [Maruman Japan: 【受賞のお知らせ】第35回 日本文具大賞 グランプリ受賞 (June 30, 2026; award notice, factories)](https://www.e-maruman.co.jp/news/detail/20260626164848.html) - [Maruman Japan: スパイラルノート brand site (lineup and prices)](https://www.e-maruman.co.jp/lp/spiralnote/) - [Maruman via @Press: 1.5cmの分厚い「スパイラルノート ベーシック」新発売 (November 19, 2024)](https://www.atpress.ne.jp/news/417249) - [RX Japan, ISOT: 2026年 受賞製品一覧 (official Japan Stationery Award winners; read October 23, 2026)](https://www.lifestyle-expo.jp/summer/ja-jp/about/isot/award/winning-products.html) - [@DIME: 「日本文具大賞」のグランプリに選ばれた商品 (September 29, 2026; prices as of August 31, 2026)](https://dime.jp/genre/2157982/) - [Amazon US: Maruman Spiral Note Basic Notebook, 300 Pages, A5, Narrow Ruled, Black (sold by Maruman US)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G9BVJ4SN) - [Amazon US: Maruman Spiral Note Basic Notebook, 300 Pages, B5, Narrow Ruled, Gray](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G99SCG7B)