--- title: "Sun-Star Ninipie: Pen and Highlighter on One Tip" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sun-star-ninipie-pen-and-marker/" description: "Sun-Star Ninipie explained: a 0.5 mm needle pen and a highlighter on one tip, 12 color pairs, 140 mm long, water-based dye ink, Japanese price and first-year sales." category: "Pens" type: "Highlighter" published: 2026-11-01 updated: 2026-11-01 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 2 products: - name: "Sun-Star Ninipie pen and marker" brand: "Sun-Star" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Not stated" material: "Polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC) and acetal (POM); water-based dye ink (Sun-Star)" released: "2020-12" price_band: "$ (under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Sun-Star Stationery Co., Ltd. (Japan)" model: "Ninipie" url: "https://www.sun-star-st.jp/" --- # Sun-Star Ninipie: Pen and Highlighter on One Tip > The Sun-Star Ninipie puts a 0.5 mm needle pen and a highlighter on the same end of one pen; you rotate it in your hand to switch. Sun-Star lists it at 140 mm long and 12 mm across with water-based dye ink, in 12 color pairs, at ¥220 (about US$1.40) in Japan, and says it passed 1 million sold within about nine months. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sun-star-ninipie-pen-and-marker/ - Category: Pens - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-11-01 - Updated: 2026-11-01 ![Three Sun-Star Ninipie pens in pink, yellow and blue pairings, each with a highlighter wedge and a thin needle tip](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/sun-star-ninipie-pen-and-marker-illustration-16x9.png?v=190d4822) *Three Ninipie pairings, drawn in proportion and by eye; the tints are representative.* Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times. 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) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Sun-Star Ninipie pen and marker | Sun-Star (by Sun-Star Stationery Co., Ltd. (Japan)) | Japan | Not stated | Polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC) and acetal (POM); water-based dye ink (Sun-Star) | 2020-12 | $: under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (Sun-Star Ninipie pen and marker): Not stated. Sun-Star's September 29, 2021 press release gives size, materials, ink and prices but no country of manufacture, and Yoseka's page doesn't give one either. Source: https://www.atpress.ne.jp/news/277546 - Good for: Everyday carry. ### Sun-Star Ninipie pen and marker colors - Ink colors (12 standard, 0 special edition): Light Pink and Pink; Light Yellow and Yellow; Light Blue and Blue; Gray and Black; Light Green and Peach Pink; Light Violet and Navy; Red and Dark Red; Light Orange and Orange; Yellow Green and Green; Smoky Blue and Dark Blue; Smoky Pink and Dark Blue; Vivid Pink and Mint Green. - Per Yoseka Stationery (https://yosekastationery.com/products/sun-star-ninipie-pen-and-marker), checked 2026-11-01. Each pen pairs a highlighter color with a liner color, named highlighter first as Yoseka lists them; we have no color chips, so no swatches are shown. Shops stock different colors; check the listing. ## Key takeaways - Sun-Star lists the Ninipie at 12 mm across and 140 mm (5.5 in) long, in polypropylene, polycarbonate and acetal, with water-based dye ink. - One tip has two parts: a 0.5 mm needle pen and a highlighter, switched by rotating the pen in your hand. - Sun-Star says the first batch went on sale at the end of December 2020 and sales passed 1 million by September 28, 2021. - Sun-Star's list price is ¥220 (about US$1.40) with tax; sets of 3 are ¥660 (about US$4.20) and sets of 6 are ¥1,320 (about US$8.40). - Twelve color pairs exist: six from December 2020 and six added in September 2021, each with a liner darker than its highlighter. ## What is the Sun-Star Ninipie? **It is a pen with a highlighter and a 0.5 mm needle pen on one tip, so you write and highlight without swapping pens.** Sun-Star describes it as a new-function pen with a patent-pending tip. Sun-Star says the tip combines a needle pen for small text and a marker for emphasis, and that you switch by turning the pen in your hand. Yoseka calls it a pen and highlighter "on one end" and says the liner is darker than the highlight, so writing over a highlight stays clear. ## Sun-Star Ninipie specs | Spec | Value | |---|---| | Maker | Sun-Star Stationery, Japan | | Tips | 0.5 mm needle pen and a highlighter on one end | | Size | 140 mm (5.5 in) long, 12 mm (0.47 in) across | | Materials | Polypropylene, polycarbonate and acetal | | Ink | Water-based dye | | Colors | 12 pairs (highlighter and liner) | | Japanese list price | ¥220 (about US$1.40) with tax; 3-pack ¥660 (about US$4.20); 6-pack ¥1,320 (about US$8.40) | | Price band | $ (under $5); Yoseka listed it at US$3.50 on November 1, 2026 | Sun-Star gives these prices for its 2021 lineup, so today's Japanese shelf price may differ. ## How do the two tips work together? **You rotate the pen: one side of the tip is a highlighter, the other a 0.5 mm needle pen.** The needle tip is for fine text; the marker side marks what matters. Both live on one end, which Yoseka says is unlike most pen and highlighter combinations. Because the liner is darker than the highlight in each pair, you can write on top of a highlight. Sun-Star recommends color-coding tasks, schedules and priorities this way, and notes that one pen replaces two in a slim pencil case. ![Sun-Star Ninipie tip close-up: a highlighter wedge and a thin 0.5 mm needle tip on the same end, with an arrow to rotate](https://stationerytimes.com/images/sun-star-ninipie-pen-and-marker-two-tips.svg?v=81faf50b) *Our sketch of the Ninipie tip; shapes are by eye, only the 0.5 mm needle size is Sun-Star's. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.* ## What colors does the Ninipie come in? **Twelve pairs: six from the first batch and six added in September 2021.** Sun-Star's first six were light pink and pink, light yellow and yellow, light blue and blue, gray and black, light green and peach pink, and light violet and navy. The six added in 2021 were red and dark red, light orange and orange, yellow green and green, smoky blue and dark blue, smoky pink and dark blue, and vivid pink and mint green. Each is named highlighter first, liner second. ## How popular is it? **Sun-Star says it sold more than 1 million pens in about nine months.** Its September 29, 2021 release counts from the first release at the end of December 2020 to September 28, 2021. It describes the new colors as a response to a survey of 195 high-school girls in late 2020 about the colors they use most. We haven't verified the sales figure beyond Sun-Star's own statement. ## Who is the Ninipie for? **People who carry one pen for planner notes and highlights.** Sun-Star lists 140 mm and 12 mm, small enough for a slim case, and pitches it at color-coding notes and schedules. - **Everyday carry:** 140 mm (5.5 in) long, and one pen instead of a liner plus a highlighter. Skip it if you need a refillable pen: we found no refill listed. ## Where is it made, and what does it cost? **Sun-Star doesn't say.** Its release and Yoseka's page name no country, so we list it as not stated. Sun-Star's list price is ¥220 (about US$1.40) with tax. Yoseka's US listing was US$3.50 per pen on November 1, 2026, in our $ band. For Sun-Star's other pen-case ideas see our [dot e pen](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sun-star-dot-e-pen/) and [LAMECO](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/sun-star-lameco-glitter-marker/) guides. ## Frequently asked questions ### How do you switch between the pen and the highlighter? Sun-Star says to rotate the pen in your hand; both tips sit on the same end, so you don't uncap or flip the pen. ### How many colors does the Ninipie come in? Twelve color pairs, according to Sun-Star's two product lists and Yoseka's page, which also sells sets of 3 and 6. ### Is the Ninipie highlighter see-through? Sun-Star says the liner ink is darker than the highlighter ink, so text written over a highlight stays readable. It doesn't publish a transparency figure. ### Will Ninipie ink bleed through paper? Sun-Star doesn't say. The ink is water-based dye, so test it on your own notebook paper first. ### How long is a Sun-Star Ninipie? Sun-Star lists 140 mm (5.5 in) long and 12 mm across. ### When did the Ninipie come out? Sun-Star's 2021 release says the first batch went on sale at the end of December 2020. ### Is a Ninipie refillable? We found no refill or cartridge on Sun-Star's release or Yoseka's page, so we treat it as non-refillable. ## Sources - [Sun-Star Stationery press release, September 29, 2021 (Ninipie new colors, 1 million sold, needle pen 0.5 mm and marker on one tip, 12 mm by 140 mm, PP, PC, POM, water-based dye ink, ¥220, sets; read November 1, 2026)](https://www.atpress.ne.jp/news/277546) - [Yoseka Stationery: Sun-Star Ninipie Pen and Marker (twelve color pairs with barcodes, rotate to switch, liner darker than highlighter, sets of 3 and 6, listed October 30, 2025; read November 1, 2026)](https://yosekastationery.com/products/sun-star-ninipie-pen-and-marker)