--- title: "Sakura Koi Pocket Field Sketch Box: 24 Watercolors" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sakura-koi-pocket-field-sketch-box/" description: "Sakura Koi Pocket Field Sketch Box explained: 24 half-pan watercolors, water brush, sponges and palette, set sizes from 12 to 48 colors, and vs Gansai Tambi." category: "Accessories" type: "Watercolor set" published: 2026-10-21 updated: 2026-10-21 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 9 products: - name: "Sakura Koi Water Colors Pocket Field Sketch Box, 24 colors (XNCW-24N)" brand: "Sakura" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Not stated" material: "Half-pan watercolor cakes; plastic case with removable mixing palette; water brush with nylon tip; sponges" price_band: "$$$ ($20–75 per item, typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Sakura Color Products Corporation (Osaka); sold in the US by Sakura of America" model: "XNCW-24N" mpn: "XNCW-24N" gtin: "084511388956" url: "https://www.sakuraofamerica.com/product/koi-water-color-field-sketch-kit/" --- # Sakura Koi Pocket Field Sketch Box: 24 Watercolors > The Sakura Koi Pocket Field Sketch Box is a pocket watercolor kit from Japan's Sakura. The popular 24-color set packs 24 half pans, a 9 ml water brush, two sponges and a removable mixing palette into a white plastic case of about 158 × 116 × 29 mm. Sakura of America calls the paints student-grade. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sakura-koi-pocket-field-sketch-box/ - Category: Accessories - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-21 - Updated: 2026-10-21 ![Sakura Koi Pocket Field Sketch Box 24, closed and open with its palette lid, half pans and water brush](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/sakura-koi-pocket-field-sketch-box-16x9.png) *The Koi 24-color field sketch box, closed and open (1 mm = 1.15 px).* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Sakura Koi Water Colors Pocket Field Sketch Box, 24 colors (XNCW-24N) | Sakura (by Sakura Color Products Corporation (Osaka); sold in the US by Sakura of America) | Japan | Not stated | Half-pan watercolor cakes; plastic case with removable mixing palette; water brush with nylon tip; sponges | – | $$$: $20–75 per item | - Made in (Sakura Koi Water Colors Pocket Field Sketch Box, 24 colors (XNCW-24N)): Not stated. Sakura of America's and Royal Talens' product pages don't name a country of origin, and the Amazon listing has no Country of Origin field. Resale listings disagree (one says China, another Japan), so we don't guess. Sakura is a Japanese company. Source: https://www.sakuraofamerica.com/product/koi-water-color-field-sketch-kit/ ## Key takeaways - The 24-color box holds 24 half pans, a Koi Water Brush, two sponges and a removable mixing palette, per Royal Talens, which sells Sakura in Europe. - Sakura Japan lists the matching 24-color set at 158 × 116 × 29 mm (6.2 × 4.6 × 1.1 in) and 290 g. - Pocket sets come with 12, 24, 30, 36 or 48 colors; Studio sets go to 60, 72 and 96. - Sakura of America describes Koi as student-grade half-pan watercolors formulated to blend easily. - On October 21, 2026, Amazon's Koi 24 listing showed about 4,300 ratings and 300+ bought in the past month. ## What is the Sakura Koi Pocket Field Sketch Box? **It's an all-in-one travel watercolor kit: paints, water brush, sponges and a mixing palette in one small plastic case.** Sakura, the Japanese maker of the Pigma Micron and Gelly Roll, sells it in the US under its Koi Water Colors line. Sakura of America calls the paints high-quality student-grade half-pan watercolors, formulated to blend easily. It says the Koi line was expanded into larger Studio sets because the pocket field sketch kits were so popular. ## What's inside the 24-color box? **Royal Talens, which sells Sakura paints in Europe, lists 24 watercolors in half pans, a removable mixing palette, two sponges and a Koi Water Brush.** Amazon describes the brush as holding 9 ml of water, with a medium tip. In Sakura's photos, the pans sit in four rows of six between the two yellow sponges, and the water brush lies in a slot underneath. The inside of the lid is the mixing area. ## Koi Pocket Field Sketch Box 24 specs | Spec | Koi Pocket Field Sketch Box, 24 colors | |---|---| | US model | XNCW-24N (UPC 084511388956) | | Paints | 24 half-pan watercolors, student grade | | Included | Koi Water Brush (9 ml, medium tip), 2 sponges, removable mixing palette | | Case size | 158 × 116 × 29 mm (6.2 × 4.6 × 1.1 in), per Sakura Japan's matching set | | Weight | 290 g (10.2 oz), per Sakura Japan | | Japan list price | ¥4,510 (about US$29) with tax | | Made in | Not stated | Sakura's Japanese site lists sets with a water brush in the same counts and case sizes under the name Petit Color (プチカラー), model NCW-24H. We use its figures for size and weight, since Sakura of America doesn't publish them; a US retailer gives 6.25 × 4.5 × 1.125 in, which matches. ## Which size should you buy? **The 24-color set is the best seller, and the 12 is the most pocketable.** Sakura Japan's figures for the matching water-brush sets: | Set | Case size | Weight | Japan list price (with tax) | |---|---|---|---| | 12 colors (NCW-12H) | 120 × 90 × 25 mm | 130 g | ¥2,640 (about US$17) | | 24 colors (NCW-24H) | 158 × 116 × 29 mm | 290 g | ¥4,510 (about US$29) | | 30 colors (NCW-30H) | 158 × 116 × 29 mm | 300 g | ¥5,280 (about US$33) | | 48 colors (NCW-48H) | 203 × 141 × 29 mm | 480 g | ¥6,930 (about US$44) | ![Outlines of the closed Koi field sketch cases in 12, 24, 30 and 48 colors, drawn to scale](https://stationerytimes.com/images/sakura-koi-pocket-field-sketch-box-sizes.svg) *The 24 and 30-color sets share one case; the 48 is about the size of a paperback.* In the US, Sakura also sells a 36-color pocket set, Studio sets of 60, 72 and 96 colors, and a 24-color Creative Art Colors set with metallic, fluorescent and pearlescent paints. ## How does Koi compare with other watercolor options? **Koi is the most portable; Gansai Tambi has bigger, richer pans; watercolor brush pens skip the palette entirely.** Sakura's own brush-pen option is the [Koi Coloring Brush Pen](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sakura-koi-coloring-brush-pen/), in 48 blendable colors. | | Koi Pocket Field Sketch 24 | [Kuretake Gansai Tambi](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/kuretake-gansai-tambi/) 24 | [ZIG Clean Color Real Brush](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/kuretake-zig-clean-color-real-brush/) | |---|---|---|---| | Format | Half pans in a pocket case | Large pans in a flat box | Brush pens, dye ink | | Water brush | Included | Not included | Not needed | | Case | 158 × 116 × 29 mm | 220 × 201 × 17 mm | Single pens | | Best for | Travel, urban sketching | Desk painting, opaque color | Lettering, illustration | Pair any of them with a water brush such as the [Pentel Aquash](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/pentel-aquash-water-brush/) and paper made for water, like the [Canson XL Watercolor pad](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/canson-xl-watercolor-pad/). Our [best watercolor sets](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-watercolor-sets/) roundup ranks the Koi box against Cotman, Daniel Smith, Schmincke and Holbein. ## How much does the Koi 24 set cost? **It falls in our $$$ band ($20–75), near the low end.** The 12-color set is usually in the $$ band ($5–20). On October 21, 2026, Amazon's 24-color listing showed 4.7 stars from about 4,300 ratings, 300+ bought in the past month, and a 435th-place rank in Art Paints. ## Where are Koi watercolors made? **Sakura doesn't say on the product pages we read.** Sakura Color Products is an Osaka company, but neither Sakura of America, Royal Talens nor Amazon names a country of origin for the field sketch box, and resale listings disagree, so we list it as not stated. Our [Sakura history](https://stationerytimes.com/stories/sakura-color-products-history/) covers the Osaka company and its Dutch arm, Royal Talens. ## Frequently asked questions ### What comes in the Koi Pocket Field Sketch Box 24? 24 half-pan watercolors, a removable mixing palette, two sponges and a Koi Water Brush that holds water in its barrel. Amazon lists the brush at 9 ml with a medium tip. ### How big is the Koi 24 watercolor set? Sakura Japan lists the matching 24-color set at 158 × 116 × 29 mm (6.2 × 4.6 × 1.1 in) and 290 g. A retailer gives 6.25 × 4.5 × 1.125 in, so it fits in a coat pocket or small bag. ### Are Koi watercolors professional quality? No. Sakura of America calls them high-quality student-grade half-pan watercolors. They suit sketching, journaling and travel more than gallery work. ### How many colors do Koi field sketch sets come in? Pocket Field Sketch boxes come with 12, 24, 30, 36 or 48 colors, and Studio sets with 60, 72 or 96. There's also a 24-color Creative Art Colors set of metallic, fluorescent and pearlescent paints. ### Koi vs Gansai Tambi: which should I buy? Koi is the portable kit, with a water brush and palette in one pocket case. Kuretake Gansai Tambi has larger, more opaque Japanese-style pans in a flat box, better for the desk. ### Can you refill the Koi field sketch box? Sakura doesn't sell refill pans for the box on the pages we read, but Sakura of America sells Koi watercolors in tubes and spare Koi Water Brushes separately. ### Which Koi field sketch set is best for travel? The 12-color set is the most pocketable, at 120 × 90 × 25 mm and 130 g in Sakura Japan's figures. The 24-color set is the best seller and weighs 290 g with its water brush. ## Sources - [Sakura of America: Koi Water Color Field Sketch Kit (student grade half pans, water brushes, sponge, set types)](https://www.sakuraofamerica.com/product/koi-water-color-field-sketch-kit/) - [Royal Talens: Sakura Koi Water Colors Pocket Field Sketch Box, 24 half pans (contents, article XNCW24N, barcode)](https://royaltalens.com/products/sakura-koi-water-colors-pocket-field-sketch-box-24-half-pans) - [プチカラー水筆入り２４色セット (Sakura Color Products Japan, "Petit Color with water brush, 24-color set": NCW-24H, 158 × 116 × 29 mm, 290 g, ¥4,510; read via search result, site under maintenance October 21, 2026)](https://www.craypas.co.jp/products/painting-school/018/0067/217191.html) - [プチカラー水筆入り １２色セット (Sakura Japan, 12 colors: NCW-12H, 120 × 90 × 25 mm, 130 g, ¥2,640)](https://www.craypas.co.jp/products/painting-school/018/0067/217167.html) - [プチカラー水筆入り３０色セット (Sakura Japan, 30 colors: NCW-30H, 158 × 116 × 29 mm, 300 g, ¥5,280)](https://www.craypas.co.jp/products/painting-school/018/0067/217205.html) - [プチカラー水筆入り４８色セット (Sakura Japan, 48 colors: NCW-48H, 203 × 141 × 29 mm, 480 g, ¥6,930)](https://www.craypas.co.jp/products/painting-school/018/0067/215032.html) - [Amazon: Sakura Koi Pocket Field Sketch Kit, 24 Colors with Water Brush (XNCW-24N, 9 mL water brush, ratings and rank, read October 21, 2026)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001OVG40E) - [Amazon: Sakura Koi Pocket Field Sketch Kit, 12 Colors with Water Brush (XNCW-12H)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00122CN64) - [LarryPOST: SAKURA Koi Water Colour Pocket Field Sketch Box, 24 Colours](https://www.larrypost.com.au/sakura-koi-water-colour-pocket-field-sketch-box-kit-24-colours.html)