Nouto Irotan Flashcards: 80 Washable Cards, 8 Colors

Nouto Irotan word cards drawn to scale at 110 × 35 mm: a pale yellow front card with a binding ring and a pink back card beneath it — The front card and the pink back card at 110 × 35 mm (1 mm = 7 px); the printing is drawn by eye. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.

Product facts

Product

Nouto Irotan Color Flashcards

Brand

Nouto

Brand origin

Japan

Made in

Japan^*

Material

Washable dry-cleaning tag paper, plastic cover card, plastic ring

Good for

Everyday carry

Price range

$under $5 per item

Colors

Front cover (pale yellow)

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Notes on these facts

Made by Nouto Co., Ltd.. Made in Japan: Nouto's spec says made in Japan, and the back-cover photo on its page prints MADE IN JAPAN. Source. Price: example listing.
Colors: names per Nouto (maker's product page and photos), checked November 4, 2026. The set holds 8 paper colors in a fixed order, but Nouto's page does not name them. The two tints are the front and back covers in Nouto's own photos; the other six colors are not shown, so we do not list them. Tints are representative, not measured. Shops stock different colors.
How we test and disclose samples: How we test stationery.
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

Nouto lists 80 cards (10 in each of 8 colors), 110 × 35 mm, about 40 g, on a ring 37 mm across.
The paper is washable dry-cleaning tag paper: it soaks up water but does not fall apart, and Nouto says it dries stiff.
The colors cycle in order as you flip, so Nouto says you tie each word to the color you wrote it on.
For wet use Nouto recommends pencil, oil-based ballpoint or pigment gel ink, because water-based ink dissolves.
Nouto lists ¥280 (about US$1.80) before tax, in our $ band, and says it is made in Japan.

What are the Nouto Irotan Color Flashcards?

They are a ring of 80 small word cards made from the paper dry cleaners tag your shirts with. Nouto, a small Tokyo stationery maker founded in 2017, says the paper is a washable tag stock that is normally sold only to the dry-cleaning trade. The same paper survives hot washing, dry-cleaning solvent and a hot press. We read Nouto’s product page on November 4, 2026.

The name reads as the Japanese word for color, iro, plus “tan”, which we take to be short for the vocabulary-card word. The pitch is simple: a set that changes color as you flip it, and does not turn to pulp if it gets wet.

What are the size and specs?

110 × 35 mm per card, 80 cards, about 40 g, on a 37 mm ring. Nouto’s spec list gives these figures.

Spec	Nouto says
Paper	Washable tag paper, 80 cards (8 colors × 10)
Body size	110 × 35 mm (4.3 × 1.4 in)
Ring	37 mm across
Weight	About 40 g
Made in	Japan
Item number	TSS-01
Price	¥280 (about US$1.80) before tax
Price band	$ (under $5)

Nouto does not state a paper weight or a card thickness. Compare the length with the rest of our notebook sizes chart: at 110 mm the card is shorter than any pocket notebook there.

Why do the cards change color?

To give each word a color cue. Nouto’s idea is that most vocabulary sets are all white, so learning feels monotonous. Here the cards run through 8 colors in turn, and the maker says you will remember “the 1600 date was on the light blue card” without trying. The maker adds that how well it works differs by person. We did not test it, and we cannot say whether color helps memory in general.

What is the paper like, and which pen should I use?

It is washable tag paper that soaks up water without falling apart. Nouto says it is not water-repellent: wet cards stay intact but dry stiff. The paper is 100% paper, so the ink behaves as on ordinary paper.

If the cards will get wet: pencil, an oil-based ballpoint or a pigment gel pen.
If they stay dry: any pen, but a water-based ink will run when wet.

The brand’s Nuritakurie Ink Card has the opposite relationship with water: it uses water-repellent print to show a pattern.

What colors does it come in?

Eight, in a fixed order, and Nouto does not name them. Its photos show a pale yellow front card and a pink back card. We sampled those two tints; the other six are not shown on the page, so we do not list them.

Who are the Irotan cards for?

They suit anyone who revises vocabulary or dates in short bursts, because a card is small and the set is light.

Everyday carry: each card is 110 × 35 mm and the set is about 40 g, small enough for a bag pocket.

Skip it if you plan to write with a water-based pen where the cards will be wet: Nouto says the ink dissolves. For children, Nouto suggests the loose cards as a wall toy in the bath.

Where is it made, and what does it cost?

In Japan, and ¥280 (about US$1.80) before tax. That is in our $ band (under $5). Nouto lists its own online shop, Yodobashi.com and the Tokyo shop Ishimaru Bunkodo as sellers. We did not check overseas prices, and they change with shipping and tax. Nouto’s Nombre Note N is the same maker’s numbered notebook.

Frequently asked questions

How many cards are in an Irotan set?

80 cards: 10 in each of 8 colors. Nouto says the colors come up in the same order as you flip through the set.

What size is an Irotan card?

110 mm wide by 35 mm tall. Nouto gives the ring as 37 mm across and the whole set as about 40 g.

Is the paper waterproof?

No. Nouto says it is washable tag paper that absorbs water but keeps its structure, and that it dries stiff. It does not repel water.

Which pen should I use on Irotan cards?

Nouto says pencil, an oil-based ballpoint or a pigment gel pen if the cards may get wet. A water-based pen is fine only if they stay dry.

Why are the cards different colors?

Nouto's reasoning is memory: you tie a word to the color of the card you wrote it on, so the color becomes a cue when you recall it. It adds that results vary by person.

Can I take the cards off the ring?

Yes. Nouto suggests loose cards can be stuck on a bathroom wall as a learning toy for children, since they survive getting wet.

Can a school or shop order its own cover?

Nouto offers a custom plastic cover card from 500 sets, for example as a giveaway for a cram school. Ask Nouto for terms.

Sources (2)

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