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Quick answer
The MATOKA COTOMO Notebook is a slim 125 × 180 mm, 64-page notebook from EL COMMUN, made in Japan. It is saddle-stitched, about 5 mm thick and comes in three rulings: 5 mm grid, 7 mm lines, or a to-do list with 2.5 mm grid. It fits the COTOMO covers and lists at ¥418 (about US$2.65).
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Notes on these facts
Made by EL COMMUN. Made in Japan: EL COMMUN's product page gives Japan as the country of origin (the Japanese page's origin field). Source. Price: example listing.
Colors: names per EL COMMUN online shop (Japanese): COTOMO Notebook, the per-color product photos, checked November 4, 2026. The names are the maker's variant names; the ruling is part of each name. The tints are sampled by eye from the maker's per-color photos and are representative. Tints are representative, not measured. Shops stock different colors.
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
The maker lists 12.5 × 18 × 0.5 cm (125 × 180 × 5 mm), 64 pages and a saddle-stitched binding, made in Japan.
There are three rulings: Grid (5 mm squares), Line (7 mm rules) and To Do (a to-do list plus a 2.5 mm grid).
EL COMMUN's shop lists 11 cover colors, codes CTM-001 to CTM-009 plus CTM-101 and CTM-102, with the ruling stamped on the cover in foil.
The maker's price is ¥418 (about US$2.65) including tax; US stores listed it at US$6 and US$8 on November 4, 2026, in our $$ band.
The maker says to carry it with a COTOMO cover or pouch, and it gives no paper weight or paper type.
What is the MATOKA COTOMO Notebook?
It is a thin, small notebook designed to slip into a bag or a cover, in three rulings. EL COMMUN, a Japanese stationery company, sells it under its MATOKA brand as part of the COTOMO series, which the maker describes as stationery you can carry easily and use only as much as you like. It is the “insert” of the system: the notebook the series covers and pouches are made around, such as the Pocket Cover. We read EL COMMUN’s online shop and series page on November 4, 2026.
What are the size, pages and binding?
125 × 180 mm, 64 pages, saddle-stitched. These figures are from the maker’s spec list.
Grid (5 mm), Line (7 mm), To Do (list plus 2.5 mm grid)
Colors
11, codes CTM-001 to CTM-009, CTM-101, CTM-102
Made in
Japan
Price
¥418 (about US$2.65) including tax at the maker
The maker gives no weight, paper weight or paper type, so we can’t say how it handles fountain-pen ink. Our notebook sizes chart puts 125 × 180 mm next to other formats.
Which ruling should you pick?
It depends on whether you log, write or list. The maker’s product images suggest Grid for log notebooks, with 5 mm squares you can divide into two or four panels. They suggest Line for memos and diary entries, with 7 mm rules, and To Do for tasks and goals, with a to-do list area over a 2.5 mm grid.
A foil stamp on the cover shows the layout inside, so you can tell the books apart in a bag. The maker also sells an undated Log Notebook of the same size with monthly or weekly pages.
What colors does it come in?
Eleven, with the ruling part of each color’s name. The shop lists Grid in pink, mint, gray, lilac and dark blue, Line in beige, smoke blue and dark gray, and To Do in camel, navy and ivory. The maker says new colors were added to Grid and To Do, which are the lilac, dark blue and ivory entries, and its shop marks at least one color out of stock. The tints in the colors list are our reading of its photos.
Who is the COTOMO Notebook for?
It suits people who want a small, cheap notebook for logs, memos or lists, and a cover to carry it in. The maker’s pages name a use for each of its three rulings.
Journaling and planning: 64 pages in a ruling named for logs (Grid), memos and diaries (Line) or tasks and goals (To Do).
Skip it if you need a stated paper weight or fountain-pen paper: the maker gives neither.
Where is it made, and what does it cost?
In Japan, and ¥418 (about US$2.65) including tax at the maker, in our $$ band ($5–20) in the US. The maker’s series page lists ¥380 (about US$2.40) before tax and ¥418 (about US$2.65) with it. US stores charged more: Zakkajoy listed the To Do Camel at US$6.00 and Semantics Paper listed the Lined Black at US$8.00 on November 4, 2026. For other Japan-made notebooks, see our guide to Japanese notebooks.
Frequently asked questions
What size is the MATOKA COTOMO Notebook?
The maker lists 12.5 cm wide, 18 cm tall and 0.5 cm thick (125 × 180 × 5 mm, about 4.9 × 7.1 × 0.2 in), with 64 pages.
What rulings does it come in?
Three. Grid is 5 mm squares, Line is 7 mm rules, and To Do is a to-do list combined with a 2.5 mm grid. A foil stamp on the cover shows which one you have.
How is it bound?
Saddle-stitched, which the Japanese page calls center-stitched binding. A saddle-stitched book of 64 pages is thin and opens from the middle.
How many colors are there?
EL COMMUN's shop lists 11, five Grid, three Line and three To Do. It says new colors were added to the Grid and To Do ranges, and the shop marks at least one as out of stock.
Does it fit the COTOMO covers?
Yes, that is its design. The maker recommends carrying it in a COTOMO cover or pouch, and its Pocket Cover is made for one COTOMO notebook.
What is the paper like?
The maker doesn't say. Its pages give no paper weight, type or fountain-pen claim, so check a sample or a retailer review before using wet ink.
Is it made in Japan?
Yes. EL COMMUN's product page gives Japan as the country of origin.
