Compiled from 5 sources; we haven't tested this product ourselves yet. How we research
Quick answer
The Japonica Learning Notebook Sansu 7-square (model JL-1-2) is Showa Note's B5 arithmetic notebook: 252 × 179 mm, 60 thread-sewn pages, 18 mm squares in 12 columns by 7 rows with cross leaders, made in Japan. The maker lists it at ¥230 (about US$1.50) before tax. The cover is a photograph taken for that notebook.
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Notes on these facts
Made by Showa Note Co., Ltd. (Takaoka, Toyama). Made in Japan: Showa Note's product page lists the producing country as Japan. Source. Price: example listing.
Colors: names per Showa Note (maker's product page and photo), checked November 5, 2026. The cover photograph differs by notebook, so the cover color can too; the tint below was sampled from the maker's photo of this model. Tints are representative, not measured. Shops stock different colors.
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
Showa Note lists model JL-1-2 as B5 landscape, 252 × 179 mm, thread-sewn, 30 sheets (60 pages), made in Japan.
The ruling is 18 mm squares, 12 across and 7 down, each with a cross leader; Showa Note sells three other Sansu rulings (6, 14 and 17 squares) at the same price.
Showa Note says the ruling color is based on scientific data on what is easy to write on, and that each cover is a photograph taken for that notebook.
The maker's reference price is ¥230 (about US$1.50) before tax as read on November 5, 2026, in our $ band (under $5); we did not check overseas prices.
Showa Note gives no paper weight, paper brand or notebook weight, and we have not tested the paper.
What is the Japonica Learning Notebook Sansu 7-Square?
It is a Japanese school exercise book for arithmetic, ruled in big squares with a cross in each. Showa Note, a notebook maker in Takaoka, Toyama, launched the Japonica line in 1970. Its own history page says Japonica made the company the pioneer of study notebooks for elementary school pupils, and its president says the line went on sale at the 1970 Osaka Expo for ¥50 (about US$0.30).
“Sansu” is the Japanese school word for arithmetic. We read Showa Note’s Japanese product and company pages on November 5, 2026. Showa Note also makes character stationery; this guide covers only the plain Japonica notebook. For other notebooks from Japan, see our best Japanese notebooks roundup.
What are the size, pages and binding?
B5 landscape at 252 × 179 mm, with 30 sheets (60 pages), thread-sewn. Showa Note’s product page lists the numbers below; the weight and thickness are not given.
Spec
Showa Note’s figure
Model
JL-1-2
Size
B5, 252 mm wide × 179 mm tall
Pages
30 sheets, 60 pages
Ruling
18 mm squares, 12 × 7, cross leaders
Binding
Thread-sewn
Made in
Japan
Weight and paper weight
Not stated
Our notebook sizes chart shows where B5 sits among standard formats; this notebook is turned on its side, so the wide edge is the 252 mm one.
What are the Sansu rulings?
Showa Note sells four main Sansu rulings, each at the same reference price of ¥230 (about US$1.50). They differ in square size and orientation:
7 squares: 18 mm squares, 12 × 7 (JL-1-2, the one in this guide), landscape.
14 squares: 15 mm squares, 10 × 14 (JL-2-1L), portrait, 179 × 252 mm.
17 squares: 12 mm squares, 12 × 17 (JL-2L), portrait, 179 × 252 mm.
The maker also lists a 17-square version with an equals sign (JL-2-2L) and Kokugo (Japanese language) rulings. The drawing below shows the four main rulings to one scale; where the grid sits on each page is drawn by eye.
Showa Note says the ruling color comes from scientific data on what is easy to write on. It does not publish the data, the ruling color or a paper weight, so treat it as a maker claim. We haven’t tested the paper, so we can’t say how it takes pencil or pen.
The cover is a photograph taken for that notebook, per Showa Note, and the back cover carries a learning picture-book about the same subject, with a short reading piece inside. The cover photo in the maker’s picture also carries a line saying a publisher supervised the encyclopedia series and the notebook is a Bellmark product recommended by the Japan PTA National Congress; the product page repeats the recommendation. Showa Note says the name field can be written in pencil.
Who is the Japonica Sansu 7-Square for?
It suits anyone who wants a cheap, thread-sewn B5 exercise book with large squares.
Everyday writing: it is ¥230 (about US$1.50) before tax, in our $ band, with 60 thread-sewn pages of B5 paper.
Skip it if you want a portrait page or a fine grid for adult notes: this one is landscape with 18 mm squares, and the maker gives no paper weight. For a finer 5 mm grid in the same B5 size, see our Showa Note Japonica Section guide.
What does it cost, and where is it made?
It is made in Japan, and Showa Note’s reference price is ¥230 (about US$1.50) before tax, as read on November 5, 2026. That puts it in our $ band, under $5. We did not check overseas shops, so shipping and import costs would come on top for a buyer outside Japan. Showa Note links an online shop from its pages; we did not read its prices.
Where Showa Note comes from: it started in Takaoka in 1947 making envelopes and slips, took the Showa Note name in 1956 when it moved into exercise books, and today lists 170 employees. For a notebook with a flat-opening spine from the same maker, see our Showa Note horizontal-open notebook guide, and for more flat notebooks see best lay-flat notebooks.
Frequently asked questions
How many pages does the Japonica Sansu 7-square notebook have?
Showa Note lists 30 sheets, which it counts as 60 pages, thread-sewn. It gives no page weight.
How big are the squares?
18 mm squares in 12 columns by 7 rows, each with a cross leader, per the maker's page. The 6-square version uses 22 mm squares (10 by 6); the 14- and 17-square versions use 15 mm and 12 mm.
What size is the notebook?
B5, listed as 252 mm wide by 179 mm tall, so it is held in landscape. Showa Note's 14- and 17-square versions are 179 mm wide by 252 mm tall.
Where is it made?
Japan, per the producing-country line on Showa Note's product page. Showa Note's head office and plant are in Takaoka, Toyama, and the maker says its Takaoka factory has held ISO 9001 certification since 2001.
What is on the cover?
Showa Note says the cover is a photograph taken for that notebook, and the back cover carries a learning picture-book about the cover subject. The notebook we describe has a green cover with a flower photo; covers differ between notebooks.
Can I write my name in pencil?
Yes: Showa Note says the name field is made so it can be written in pencil.
How much does it cost?
Showa Note's reference price was ¥230 (about US$1.50) before tax when we read the page on November 5, 2026. We did not check overseas prices, which are higher once shipping is added.
