Compiled from 9 sources; we haven't tested this product ourselves yet. How we research
Quick answer
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.
On this page10 sections
The Koi 24-color field sketch box, closed and open (1 mm = 1.15 px).
Product facts
Product
Sakura Koi Water Colors Pocket Field Sketch Box, 24 colors (XNCW-24N)
Half-pan watercolor cakes; plastic case with removable mixing palette; water brush with nylon tip; sponges
Price range
$$$$20–75 per item
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Notes on these facts
Made by Sakura Color Products Corporation (Osaka); sold in the US by Sakura of America. Country of manufacture 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. Price: example listing.
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 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)
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, in 48 blendable colors.
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 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.
