Pilot Iroshizuku Guide: All 24 Colors, Bottles & Editions

Products compared

1. No. 1Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-peki, 50 ml$$$Read the guide →
2. No. 2Pilot Iroshizuku Take-sumi, 50 ml$$$Read the guide →
3. No. 3Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo, 50 ml$$$Read the guide →
4. No. 4Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-budo, 50 ml$$$Read the guide →
5. No. 5Pilot Namiki ink cartridges, 12 per box$Read the guide →

Product	Brand origin	Made in	Price range
Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-peki, 50 mlPilot	Japan	Japan*	Price range: $$$$20–75 for the cover or binder with its starter insert
Pilot Iroshizuku Take-sumi, 50 mlPilot	Japan	Japan*	Price range: $$$$20–75 for the cover or binder with its starter insert
Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo, 50 mlPilot	Japan	Japan*	Price range: $$$$20–75 for the cover or binder with its starter insert
Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-budo, 50 mlPilot	Japan	Japan*	Price range: $$$$20–75 for the cover or binder with its starter insert
Pilot Namiki ink cartridges, 12 per boxPilot	Japan	Not stated*	Price range: $under $5 for the cover or binder with its starter insert

Notes on these facts

• Pilot Iroshizuku Kon-peki, 50 ml: Made by Pilot Corporation (Japan); sold in the US by Pilot Corporation of America. Made in Japan: Kohezi's listing for the 50 ml Kon-peki gives Made in: Japan and says Pilot has always made its own inks. Pilot's Japanese catalog page for INK-50-KO (read in full on October 20, 2026) doesn't state a country; its JAN, 4902505367281, carries Japan's 49 prefix, which shows where the code was registered, not where the ink was made. Source. Released: Pilot's Japanese site says Iroshizuku went on sale in 2007 with five colors but doesn't name them, so 2007 is the line's launch year; we found no Pilot date for Kon-peki itself.
• Pilot Iroshizuku Take-sumi, 50 ml: Made by Pilot Corporation (Japan); sold in the US by Pilot Corporation of America. Made in Japan: Pilot's Japanese catalog page for INK-50-TAK (read in full on October 21, 2026) doesn't print a country of origin; its JAN, 4902505453601, carries Japan's 49 GS1 prefix, which shows where the code was registered. Retailers describe Pilot as making its Iroshizuku inks in Japan (see our Kon-peki guide). Source.
• Pilot Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo, 50 ml: Made by Pilot Corporation (Japan); sold in the US by Pilot Corporation of America. Made in Japan: Pilot's Japanese catalog lists the bottle with JAN 4902505367298, which carries Japan's 49 GS1 prefix (it shows where the code was registered), and retailers describe Pilot as making its Iroshizuku inks in Japan (see our Kon-peki guide). We didn't find a country of origin stated on a Pilot page. Source.
• Pilot Iroshizuku Yama-budo, 50 ml: Made by Pilot Corporation (Japan); sold in the US by Pilot Corporation of America. Made in Japan: Pilot's Japanese catalog lists the bottle with JAN 4902505380563, which carries Japan's 49 GS1 prefix (it shows where the code was registered), and the Iroshizuku inks are a Pilot Japan product line. We didn't find a country of origin printed on a Pilot page. Source.
• Pilot Namiki ink cartridges, 12 per box: Made by Pilot Corporation (Japan); sold in the US by Pilot Corporation of America. Country of manufacture not stated: Pilot Japan's web catalog lists ink type, box size, JAN and price for the IRF-12S-B but no country of manufacture, and Goulet Pens' listing doesn't give one either. Pilot is a Japanese company; we didn't find a page naming where the US-packaged Namiki box is filled. Source.
• 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 50 ml bottle (INK-50) lists at ¥2,200 (about US$14) with tax, the 15 ml mini (INK-15N) at ¥1,100 (about US$7.00), and a 6-cartridge pack (IRF-6S, 0.9 ml each) at ¥990 (about US$6.30), per Pilot Japan.
• Pilot's September 2, 2024 release added 燈路 To-ro, 春暁 Syun-gyo and 六花 Rikka on October 16, 2024, confirmed 露草, 土筆 and 稲穂 as discontinued, and retired 霧雨, 躑躅 and 秋桜 as stock ran out, leaving 24 colors.
• Pilot's own story page says Iroshizuku launched in 2007 with five colors and names are Japanese words for scenery and seasons rather than plain color names.
• The 15 ml minis launched on November 25, 2014 as 3-color sets at ¥2,100 (about US$13) before tax; cartridges in 12 colors followed on May 16, 2022.
• Pilot's 2018 centenary brought seven Seven Gods of Good Fortune inks, Benzaiten to Jurojin, which The Gentleman Stationer calls special editions; the 2024 iro-utsushi dip pen came in five Iroshizuku-colored bodies at ¥1,100 (about US$7.00) in limited quantity.

What is Pilot Iroshizuku?

Pilot’s premium line of 24 water-based dye inks, launched in 2007 with five colors, each named for a Japanese scene or season and sold in a sculpted 50 ml bottle. Iroshizuku (色彩雫) means “color drop”. Pilot’s story page says the names come from the planners’ own experiences and avoid plain color words, and that the bottle, with a dimple in its base to help a nib reach the last ink, borrows from cosmetics and perfume design. Our single guides cover Kon-peki, Tsuki-yo, Take-sumi and Yama-budo.

Which 24 colors are current?

The 18 colors that survived from the 2014 list, plus three added in 2022 and three in October 2024. Pilot’s September 2024 release puts the line at 24. English meanings are the ones Pilot’s US retailers use.

Ink	日本語	Meaning	Family	Since
Ajisai	紫陽花	Hydrangea	Blue-violet	2007–2014
Ama-iro	天色	Sky blue	Light blue	2007–2014
Asa-gao	朝顔	Morning glory	Blue	2007–2014
Chiku-rin	竹林	Bamboo forest	Yellow-green	2007–2014
Fuyu-gaki	冬柿	Winter persimmon	Orange	2007–2014
Fuyu-syogun	冬将軍	Old man winter	Grey-blue	2007–2014
Ku-jaku	孔雀	Peacock	Teal	2007–2014
Kon-peki	紺碧	Deep azure	Blue	2007
Momiji	紅葉	Autumn leaves	Red	2007–2014
Murasaki-shikibu	紫式部	Japanese beautyberry	Purple	2007–2014
Shin-ryoku	深緑	Forest green	Green	2007–2014
Shin-kai	深海	Deep sea	Blue-black	2007–2014
Syo-ro	松露	Dew on pine tree	Grey-teal	2007–2014
Take-sumi	竹炭	Bamboo charcoal	Black	2007–2014
Tsuki-yo	月夜	Moonlight	Dark blue	2007–2014
Yama-budo	山葡萄	Crimson glory vine	Magenta	2007–2014
Yama-guri	山栗	Wild chestnut	Brown	2007–2014
Yu-yake	夕焼け	Sunset	Burnt orange	2007–2014
Hana-ikada	花筏	Cherry blossom petals	Pink	2022
Hotaru-bi	蛍火	Light of fireflies	Yellow-green	2022
Sui-gyoku	翠玉	Emerald	Green	2022
To-ro	燈路	Warm lantern	Orange	October 16, 2024
Syun-gyo	春暁	Spring dawn	Warm grey	October 16, 2024
Rikka	六花	Snow crystal	Pale grey-blue	October 16, 2024

Pilot’s 2014 mini-bottle release named all 24 colors of the time; it doesn’t say which five started the line in 2007 beyond Kon-peki, which Pilot’s story page implies was among them. Retired: Tsuyu-kusa (露草), Tsukushi (土筆) and Ina-ho (稲穂) in 2022, and Kiri-same (霧雨), Tsutsuji (躑躅) and Kosumosu (秋桜) as stock ran out after October 2024.

What bottles, minis and cartridges are sold?

Three formats: the 50 ml bottle, the 15 ml mini and 0.9 ml cartridges. Prices are Pilot Japan’s with tax.

Format	Item	Contents	Size	¥ / about US$
Bottle	INK-50	50 ml, all 24 colors	82 × 86 × 36 mm, 271 g	2,200 / 14
Mini	INK-15N	15 ml; sold in 3-color sets	67 × 28 × 28 mm, 77 g	1,100 / 7.00 per bottle
Cartridge	IRF-6S	6 × 0.9 ml, 12 colors	Fits Pilot cartridge pens	990 / 6.30

The minis launched on November 25, 2014 as 3-color sets at ¥2,100 (about US$13) before tax; The Journal Shop’s sets pair Tsuki-yo, Take-sumi and Kon-peki, Asa-gao, Shin-kai and Yama-budo, and Ama-iro, Fuyu-gaki and Syo-ro. Cartridges arrived on May 16, 2022 in 12 colors, and fit the same pens as Pilot’s Namiki cartridges. A Pilot CON-40 converter takes 0.4 ml of any bottled color.

Which Iroshizuku inks are special editions?

The 2018 centenary Seven Gods of Good Fortune inks and the 2024 iro-utsushi dip pen; the 24 regular colors are standing. For Pilot’s 100th anniversary, seven inks matched the Seven Gods pens: Benzaiten (pink), Bishamonten (red), Daikokuten (yellow), Ebisu (light blue), Fukurokuju (green), Hoteison (dark green) and Jurojin (purple), reaching the US in March 2019. The Gentleman Stationer calls them special editions and says Pilot never stated how long they would run.

With the 2024 colors Pilot released the iro-utsushi (いろうつし) dip pen at ¥1,100 (about US$7.00), in limited quantity, in bodies colored To-ro, Syun-gyo, Rikka, Yama-budo and Take-sumi.

How does Iroshizuku behave on paper?

Wet, saturated and not water resistant, with sheen on the darker blues. Every color is a water-based dye ink, so a wet page blurs it; Goulet rates Kon-peki, Tsuki-yo and Yama-budo low for water resistance, with dry times of about 15 to 30 seconds. Tsuki-yo and Shin-kai show a red sheen where ink pools. For what those terms mean, see our ink properties explainer; for how Iroshizuku ranks against other makers, our best fountain pen inks roundup.

Frequently asked questions

How many Pilot Iroshizuku colors are there?

24 in the current line, per Pilot's September 2024 release: 18 survivors of the original range plus Hana-ikada, Hotaru-bi and Sui-gyoku from 2022 and To-ro, Syun-gyo and Rikka from October 2024. Six older colors have been retired.

Which Iroshizuku colors were discontinued?

Tsuyu-kusa, Tsukushi and Ina-ho, replaced in 2022, and Kiri-same, Tsutsuji and Kosumosu, which Pilot's 2024 release said would end when stock ran out. Retailers may still list them.

What do the Iroshizuku names mean?

Each is a Japanese word for a scene or season: Kon-peki is deep azure, Tsuki-yo moonlit night, Take-sumi bamboo charcoal, Yama-budo crimson glory vine, Ku-jaku peacock, Momiji autumn leaves, Fuyu-syogun old man winter, To-ro warm lantern, Syun-gyo spring dawn and Rikka snow crystal.

How much does Pilot Iroshizuku ink cost?

¥2,200 (about US$14) for 50 ml and ¥1,100 (about US$7.00) for the 15 ml mini in Japan, with tax; six 0.9 ml cartridges are ¥990 (about US$6.30). US shops sell the 50 ml bottle in our $$$ band ($20–75).

Is Iroshizuku ink waterproof?

No. Pilot lists every color as water-based dye ink, and Goulet rates Kon-peki, Tsuki-yo and Yama-budo low for water resistance. For a Pilot ink that survives water, use a pigment ink such as Platinum Carbon Black instead.

Does Iroshizuku come in cartridges?

Yes, since May 16, 2022: 12 colors in packs of six 0.9 ml cartridges at ¥990 (about US$6.30), fitting Pilot's cartridge pens. The 15 ml mini bottles, sold in 3-color sets since 2014, are the other way to sample the range.

What Iroshizuku bottle sizes are there?

50 ml, in a bottle of 82 × 86 × 36 mm weighing 271 g with a dimple in the base to help a nib reach the last ink, and 15 ml minis in 3-color sets. Pilot's story page says the bottle borrows from cosmetics and perfume design.

Which Iroshizuku inks are limited editions?

Pilot's 2018 centenary Seven Gods of Good Fortune inks, Benzaiten, Bishamonten, Daikokuten, Ebisu, Fukurokuju, Hoteison and Jurojin, which The Gentleman Stationer calls special editions, and the 2024 iro-utsushi dip pen in five Iroshizuku-colored bodies, sold in limited quantity. The 24 regular colors are standing.

Sources (11)

1. 万年筆用インキ『色彩雫（いろしずく）』新色追加 (Pilot Japan press release, September 2, 2024: To-ro, Syun-gyo, Rikka from October 16, 2024; 50 ml ¥2,200, mini ¥1,100; iro-utsushi dip pen ¥1,100; discontinued colors; 24-color line-up)
2. 万年筆用インキ『色彩雫mini』新発売 (Pilot Japan press release, November 20, 2014: 15 ml minis from November 25, 2014, 3-color sets ¥2,100 before tax; names all 24 colors of the time)
3. 万年筆インキ『色彩雫(いろしずく)カートリッジインキ』発売 (Pilot Japan press release, April 22, 2022: 12-color cartridges, 6 × 0.9 ml, from May 16, 2022)
4. 日本の美しい情景と季節の移ろいを映す色。万年筆カラーインキ「色彩雫（いろしずく）」。 (Pilot Japan story: launched 2007 with five colors, 24 colors, naming concept, bottle design)
5. パイロット ウェブカタログ「色彩雫」コンペキ INK-50-KO (¥2,200, water-based dye, 50 ml, 82 × 86 × 36 mm, 271 g)
6. パイロット ウェブカタログ「色彩雫mini」INK-15N-TAK (15 ml, ¥1,100, 67 × 28 × 28 mm, 77 g)
7. パイロット ウェブカタログ「色彩雫カートリッジ」IRF-6S-TAK (6 × 0.9 ml, ¥990)
8. Inkstable: Pilot introduces three new inks (Hana-ikada, Hotaru-bi, Sui-gyoku replacing Ina-ho, Tsuyu-kusa, Tsukushi)
9. The Gentleman Stationer: Pilot Iroshizuku 100th Anniversary inks, Bishamonten Red and Hoteison Dark Green (seven Seven Gods of Good Fortune inks, 2018 anniversary, US arrival March 2019)
10. Pen Chalet: Namiki Iroshizuku fountain pen ink (English names, e.g. Ajisai Hydrangea, Ku-jaku Peacock, To-ro Warm Lantern, Rikka Snow Crystal, Syun-gyo Spring Dawn, Hotaru-bi Light of Fireflies)
11. The Journal Shop: Pilot Iroshizuku Ink Mini Sets (three 15 ml bottles per set; set contents)

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