Midori MD System Guide: Every Notebook, Pad, Cover & Pen

The six Midori MD Notebook sizes drawn to scale: A7, A6, B6 Slim, A5 Square, A5 and A4 Variant, in cream MD Paper with glassine wrappers — Drawn to scale · 1 mm = 0.6 px · notebooks closed

Products compared

Product	Brand origin	Made in	Price range
Midori MD Notebook A5 (blank, lined, grid, dot grid, frame)Midori	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$$5–20 for the cover or binder with its starter insert
Midori MD Notebook Cotton A5Midori	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$$5–20 for the cover or binder with its starter insert
Midori MD Paper Pad (A5, A4, A4 Square, Cotton)Midori	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$$5–20 for the cover or binder with its starter insert
Midori MD Notebook Diary 2027Midori	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$$$20–75 for the cover or binder with its starter insert
Midori MD Letter PadMidori	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$$5–20 for the cover or binder with its starter insert
Midori 5-Year Diary GateMidori	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$$$20–75 for the cover or binder with its starter insert

Notes on these facts

Midori MD Notebook A5 (blank, lined, grid, dot grid, frame): Made by Designphil Inc. (Tokyo); the MD line is now sold as MD PRODUCT. Made in Japan: Midori's Japanese MD PRODUCT store gives 原産国 (country of origin) Made in Japan for the A5, as did the older Midori online store listing for the lined A5 (15294006). The Journal Shop, Galen Leather and Boston General Store agree. Source. Released: Designphil's February 23, 2018 press release says Midori launched the MD Notebook in 2008 and marked its 10th anniversary in January 2018; Midori's store says the notebook reached 15 years in 2023, when it was renewed with MD Paper covers.
Midori MD Notebook Cotton A5: Made by Designphil Inc. (Tokyo); the MD line is now sold as MD PRODUCT. Made in Japan: Midori's Japanese MD PRODUCT store gives Country of Origin: Made in Japan for the MD Notebook Cotton A5. Source.
Midori MD Paper Pad (A5, A4, A4 Square, Cotton): Made by Designphil Inc. (Tokyo); the MD line is now sold as MD PRODUCT. Made in Japan: Midori's Japanese MD PRODUCT store gives 原産国 (country of origin) Made in Japan for the A5, A4, A4 Square and Cotton pads. Retailers agree: Galen Leather lists origin Japan, and Hunter Paper Co., Jenni Bick and Totem Shop say made in Japan. Source.
Midori MD Notebook Diary 2027: Made by Designphil Inc. (Tokyo); the MD line is now sold as MD PRODUCT. Made in Japan: Midori's Japanese MD PRODUCT store gives Country of Origin: Made in Japan for the 2027 1 Day 1 Page diary in all three sizes. Source.
Midori MD Letter Pad: Made by Designphil Inc. (Tokyo); the MD line is now sold as MD PRODUCT. Made in Japan: Midori's Japanese MD PRODUCT store gives Country of Origin: Made in Japan for the MD Letter Pad. Source.
Midori 5-Year Diary Gate: Made by Designphil Inc. (Tokyo). Made in Japan: per Papeterie Makkura's listing for the black 5-Year Diary (Origin: Made in Japan). Midori's Japanese store page and its English Multi-Year Diary Gate page give sizes and materials but no country of manufacture. Source. Released: Year the Gate (扉) multi-year diary line launched, worked back from Serai's report that Midori marked the line's 10th anniversary with an exhibition on December 11, 2022. Midori doesn't give a launch date for the 5-year book itself.
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 MD Notebook comes in five sizes, all 176 pages of 80 g/m² MD Paper, thread-stitched to open flat: A7 ¥880 (about US$5.60), A6 ¥990 (about US$6.30), B6 Slim ¥1,100 (about US$7.00), A5 ¥1,210 (about US$7.70) and A4 Variant ¥2,090 (about US$13).
Rulings are blank, 7 mm lined, 5 mm grid and 5 mm dot grid; the A5 adds a Frame layout, released October 8, 2026, with a small header box above a blank page.
MD Notebook Cotton uses 75 g/m² paper with 20% cotton pulp, blank only, in A5 and 146 × 146 mm A5 Square; MD Notebook Thick has 96 pages of 141 g/m² paper, about twice the thickness.
Covers come in clear PVC from ¥352 (about US$2.20), paper from ¥880 (about US$5.60), paper hard from ¥2,310 (about US$15), goat leather from ¥6,930 (about US$44) and cow leather ¥16,500 (about US$104).
Everything in the notebook line is made in Japan, per Midori; the MD Fountain Pen is made in Slovenia with an Austrian-made cartridge.

What is the Midori MD system?

One paper, made in-house by Midori since the 1960s, sold as notebooks, diaries, pads and letter paper that share the same cream sheet, plus covers and a few pens built around them. MD stands for Midori Diary: the paper was first made for Midori’s diaries, and the MD Notebook followed in 2008. The pieces fit each other by size, so a cover bought for an A5 notebook also fits the A5 diary and the A5 1 Day 1 Page.

The core: MD Notebook in five sizes, 176 pages, four or five rulings.
The variants: MD Notebook Cotton (softer 75 g/m² cotton paper) and MD Notebook Thick (141 g/m² paper for paint).
Dated: MD Notebook Diary 2027, Diary Thin, Diary 1 Day 1 Page, plus the undated 1 Day 1 Page.
Loose paper: MD Paper Pad, Memo Block, Paper Block, 100-sheet packs, MD Letter Pad and envelopes.
Covers: 21 covers in clear PVC, paper, paper hard, goat leather and cow leather.
Tools: MD Fountain Pen, Drawing Pen, Knock Pencil, pencils, colored pencils, correction tape.

Which MD Notebook sizes and rulings exist?

Five sizes, all 10 mm thick with 176 thread-stitched pages of 80 g/m² MD Paper, in blank, 7 mm lined, 5 mm grid and 5 mm dot grid; the A5 adds the new Frame layout. Every size is made in Japan and wrapped in glassine with a string bookmark and index stickers. Prices are Midori’s Japanese list prices with tax.

Notebook	Size	Weight	Rulings	¥ / about US$
MD Notebook A7	105 × 74 × 10 mm	65 g	Blank, lined, grid, dot grid	880 / 5.60
MD Notebook A6	148 × 105 × 10 mm	130 g	Blank, lined, grid, dot grid	990 / 6.30
MD Notebook B6 Slim	175 × 105 × 10 mm	153 g	Blank, lined, grid, dot grid	1,100 / 7.00
MD Notebook A5	210 × 148 × 10 mm	258 g	Blank, lined, grid, dot grid, Frame	1,210 / 7.70
MD Notebook A4 Variant	275 × 210 × 10 mm	478 g	Blank, lined, grid, dot grid	2,090 / 13
MD Notebook Cotton A5	210 × 148 × 10 mm	240 g	Blank	1,650 / 10
MD Notebook Cotton A5 Square	146 × 146 mm	Not stated	Blank	1,540 / 9.70
MD Notebook Thick A5	210 × 148 × 10 mm, 96 pages	246 g	Blank	1,760 / 11
MD Notebook Thick A5 Square	146 × 146 mm, 96 pages	Not stated	Blank	1,650 / 10
MD Notebook 1 Day 1 Page A5	210 × 148 × 20 mm, 368 pages	498 g	Blank, dot grid	2,750 / 17

The Frame layout, released on October 8, 2026 with an A4 Square paper pad, prints a small header box for a title or date above an otherwise blank page.

What are the three MD papers?

Standard MD Paper at 80 g/m², MD Cotton at 75 g/m² with 20% cotton pulp, and MD Thick at 141 g/m². The standard sheet is the one with the fountain-pen reputation: cream, smooth, with little bleed-through. Cotton is softer and slightly more absorbent, which Pen Addict found gave more ghosting, and it’s sold blank only. Thick is about twice the thickness, in codex-bound 96-page books that Midori says take paint and bold markers.

Loose sheets come in six forms, all on the same papers.

Loose paper	Formats	¥ / about US$
MD Paper Pad	A5 / A4 / A4 Square	770 / 4.90 · 1,100 / 7.00 · 990 / 6.30
MD Paper Pad Cotton	A5 / A4	880 / 5.60 · 1,210 / 7.70
MD Paper, 100 sheets	MD Paper / Cotton	from 660 / 4.20 · from 770 / 4.90
MD Memo Block	500 sheets	1,100 / 7.00
MD Paper Block	200 × 200 mm	4,400 / 28
MD Letter Pad, Envelope	MD Paper / Cotton	550 / 3.50 · 660 / 4.20

Which diaries use MD Paper?

The MD Notebook Diary 2027, the Diary Thin 2027 and the Diary 1 Day 1 Page 2027, all on 80 g/m² MD Paper and made in Japan. The standard diary runs from ¥1,100 (about US$7.00) in A7 to the A5, with monthly pages and free daily pages; the Thin drops the daily pages from ¥1,320 (about US$8.40); the 1 Day 1 Page gives every date its own page from ¥2,860 (about US$18). Midori sells each size bundled with a clear cover, and with a goat leather cover from ¥8,030 (about US$51).

Midori’s 5-Year Diary Gate is a separate line on MD Paper with a slipcase, at ¥3,410 (about US$22).

What covers and pens complete the system?

A cover for every size in four materials, and a small set of writing tools. Midori lists 21 covers; the goat leather ones for A6, B6 Slim and A5 Square were marked coming soon when we read the page.

Cover	Sizes	¥ / about US$
MD Clear Cover	A7, A6, B6 Slim, A5 Square, A5, 1 Day 1 Page, A4 Variant	352–660 / 2.20–4.20
MD Paper Cover	A6, B6 Slim, A5, A4 Variant	880–2,090 / 5.60–13
MD Paper Hard Cover	A5, A5 Square	2,420 · 2,310 / 15
MD Goat Leather Cover	A7, A6, B6 Slim, A5 Square, A5, A4 Variant	6,930–18,700 / 44–118
MD Cow Leather Cover	A5	16,500 / 104

Tool	Detail	¥ / about US$
MD Fountain Pen	Steel M nib, 133 mm, 15 g, made in Slovenia, Austrian cartridge	2,750 / 17
MD Ink Cartridge	For the MD Fountain Pen	495 / 3.10
MD Drawing Pen	Fine liner	396 / 2.50
MD Knock Pencil B	Refills 181 / 1.10	1,320 / 8.40
MD Pencil, 6	Wood-cased	660 / 4.20
MD Colored Pencil, 6	Wood-cased	880 / 5.60
MD Correction Tape	Single use	396 / 2.50

Frequently asked questions

What sizes does the Midori MD Notebook come in?

Five: A7 (105 × 74 mm), A6 (148 × 105 mm), B6 Slim (175 × 105 mm), A5 (210 × 148 mm) and A4 Variant (275 × 210 mm), all 10 mm thick with 176 pages. The Cotton and Thick notebooks add an A5 Square at 146 × 146 mm.

What is the difference between MD Paper, MD Cotton and MD Thick?

MD Paper is the standard cream 80 g/m² sheet. MD Cotton is 75 g/m² with 20% cotton pulp and a softer surface, sold blank. MD Thick is 141 g/m², about twice as thick, in 96-page codex-bound notebooks for paint and bold markers.

Is Midori MD Paper good for fountain pens?

Yes, it's the paper's reputation: Midori has developed it in-house since the 1960s for smooth writing with little bleed-through. Pen Addict found more ghosting on MD Cotton than on the standard paper, so pick the standard sheet for wet nibs.

What covers fit the MD Notebook?

Midori makes a cover for every size in clear PVC from ¥352 (about US$2.20), paper from ¥880 (about US$5.60), paper hard from ¥2,310 (about US$15) and goat leather from ¥6,930 (about US$44) to ¥18,700 (about US$118), plus an A5 cow leather at ¥16,500 (about US$104) and a 1 Day 1 Page clear cover at ¥550 (about US$3.50).

What is the MD Notebook 1 Day 1 Page?

An undated A5 journal with 368 pages of MD Paper, 20 mm thick and about 498 g, blank or 5 mm dot grid, at ¥2,750 (about US$17). The dated version is the MD Notebook Diary 1 Day 1 Page 2027, from ¥2,860 (about US$18).

Which Midori MD diaries are there for 2027?

Three: the MD Notebook Diary 2027 with a month on two pages and free daily pages, from ¥1,100 (about US$7.00) in A7 to A5; the MD Notebook Diary Thin 2027 from ¥1,320 (about US$8.40); and the 1 Day 1 Page 2027 from ¥2,860 (about US$18). Midori also sells them bundled with clear or goat leather covers.

Does Midori make MD pens?

Yes. The MD Fountain Pen at ¥2,750 (about US$17) has a steel medium nib, measures 133 mm and 15 g and is made in Slovenia. There are also the MD Drawing Pen at ¥396 (about US$2.50), the Knock Pencil B at ¥1,320 (about US$8.40), pencil and colored-pencil sets, ink cartridges and a correction tape.

Where is the Midori MD Notebook made?

In Japan, per the product pages for every size and for the Cotton and Thick notebooks. The MD Fountain Pen is the exception, made in Slovenia with a cartridge made in Austria.

Sources (12)

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