Sun-Star Semi no Nukegara: Cicada-Shell Pen Case
The Sun-Star Semi no Nukegara (セミのぬけがら) is a polyester pen case shaped like the empty shell a cicada leaves on a tree. It stands up and opens with a zip along its back. Sun-Star lists it at 240 × 140 × 150 mm and 148 g, in four colours at ¥2,420 (about US$15). It won a 2026 Bungu-ya-san Taishō award.
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Product facts
- Product
- Sun-Star Semi no Nukegara (cicada shell) pen case, brown
- Brand
- Sun-Star
- Brand origin
- Japan
- Made in
- China*
- Material
- Polyester
- Released
- August 2025*
- Price range
- $$$5–20 per case
- Colors
Brownブラウン
- Rate it
Notes on these facts
- Made by Sun-Star Stationery Co., Ltd. (サンスター文具株式会社). Made in China: Sun-Star's Japanese product page lists 生産国 中国 (country of production: China). Source. Released: Sun-Star's press release of August 7, 2025 says it goes on sale in late August 2025.
- Colors: names per Sun-Star Stationery Japan, checked October 27, 2026. The four colors (全4色) on Sun-Star's Japanese Semi no Nukegara page (Japanese names in each note; English names as used in this guide). Tints were hand-picked from Sun-Star's product photos of each plush case, blending the lit and shaded fur. 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
- Sun-Star launched the Semi no Nukegara pen case in Japan in late August 2025 at ¥2,420 (about US$15) with tax.
- Sun-Star lists it at W240 × H140 × D150 mm (9.4 × 5.5 × 5.9 in) and 148 g, in polyester.
- It comes in 4 colours: a realistic brown, plus pink, violet and mint.
- Japanese shop staff named it the pen-case winner (筆箱賞) of the Bungu-ya-san Taishō 2026.
- Sun-Star's Japanese page gives the country of production as China.
What is the Sun-Star Semi no Nukegara pen case?
It is a pen case made to look like a cicada’s shed shell, the empty nymph skin that clings to tree trunks in Japanese summers. Sun-Star calls the design realistic and humorous, and says the brown version is made to look as real as possible.
It stands up on the desk, and the zip runs along its back, where a real cicada splits its shell to climb out. Sun-Star suggests unzipping it and putting a favourite plush or mascot in the opening, so it looks as if your favourite is emerging from the shell.
Japanese shop staff named it the pen-case winner (筆箱賞) of the Bungu-ya-san Taishō 2026.
Sun-Star Semi no Nukegara pen case specs
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Maker | Sun-Star Stationery Co., Ltd., Tokyo |
| Size | W240 × H140 × D150 mm (9.4 × 5.5 × 5.9 in) |
| Weight | 148 g |
| Material | Polyester |
| Opening | Zip along the back |
| Colours | Brown, pink, violet, mint |
| Packaging | None; a tag and a loop |
| JAN (brown) | 4901770953649 |
| Japanese list price | ¥2,420 (about US$15) |
| On sale | Late August 2025 |
All figures are from Sun-Star’s Japanese product page and launch release.
How big is it?
Big for a pen case: 240 mm long, 140 mm tall and 150 mm deep. Sun-Star’s own copy calls it a case with “plenty of presence”.
Sun-Star doesn’t publish how many pens it holds. A standard pen of about 142 to 150 mm, such as the Pilot Juice+, fits with plenty of length to spare, and the 150 mm depth leaves room for an eraser, tape and a small ruler.
At that size and 148 g empty, it is a desk case rather than one for a pocket or a slim pencil pouch slot.
Is it practical, or just a joke?
Both: under the shell it is a standing pen case with a long zip opening, in tough polyester. Sun-Star says the stand shape keeps it from toppling on the desk and that pens go in and out of the back zip smoothly.
It ships with no box, only a tag and a loop, so it can hang from a bag hook as well. The brown is the one Sun-Star made realistic; it calls the pink, violet and mint versions the playful colours.
How does it compare with other Japanese stand pen cases?
It is the novelty pick: bigger and heavier than the practical stand cases, chosen for its looks.
| Semi no Nukegara | Sun-Star DELDE | KOKUYO Shellbro | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 240 × 140 × 150 mm | 130 × 180 × 58 mm | 200 × 100 × 55 mm |
| Opens | Zip along the back | Top zip; side tabs pull down to stand | Base spreads like a shell |
| Capacity | Not published | Up to about 35 pens | About 35 pens |
| Draw | The shape itself | Turns into a pen stand | Everything visible at once |
The DELDE and Shellbro figures come from their guides.
Where can you buy it?
In Japan, through stationery shops and Sun-Star’s online shops on Amazon Japan, Rakuten and its own store. We found no listing on Amazon.com or JetPens on October 23, 2026, so US buyers need a proxy or forwarding service.
Its Japanese price, ¥2,420 (about US$15), puts it in our $$ band ($5–20) before shipping.
Where is the cicada pen case made?
In China, according to Sun-Star’s Japanese product page. Sun-Star itself is a Tokyo stationery company.
Frequently asked questions
What does semi no nukegara mean?
It is Japanese for a cicada's cast-off shell: the empty skin a cicada nymph leaves clinging to a tree trunk when it becomes an adult, a familiar summer sight in Japan.
How many pens fit in the Semi no Nukegara pen case?
Sun-Star doesn't publish a pen count. The case is 240 mm long and 150 mm deep, so standard 140 to 150 mm pens fit lying inside with room to spare.
What colours does the cicada pen case come in?
Four: brown, which Sun-Star made as realistic as it could, plus pink, violet and mint. The JAN codes run from 4901770953649 (brown) to 4901770953670 (mint).
Can the cicada pen case stand up?
Yes. Sun-Star describes it as a stand type that stays upright on the desk, with the pens going in and out through the zip on its back.
Is the Sun-Star cicada pen case sold in the US?
We found no US listing on Amazon.com or JetPens on October 23, 2026. It sells in Japan through stationery shops and Sun-Star's online shops, so a proxy or forwarding service is the way to get one.
What else is in Sun-Star's quirky pen case range?
Sun-Star also makes a UFO series: its UFO flat pouch won the idea award at the same Bungu-ya-san Taishō 2026, and the UFO bookmark won the Hands store award.
Sources
- Sun-Star Japan: セミのぬけがらペンケース (¥2,420; W240 × H140 × D150 mm, 148 g, polyester, tag and loop, made in China, JAN codes; read October 23, 2026)
- Sun-Star via Digital PR: かわいすぎる抜けがら！『セミのぬけがらペンケース』8月下旬発売 (August 7, 2025; read October 23, 2026)
- Fusosha: 文房具屋さん大賞2026 受賞文房具 (筆箱賞: セミのぬけがら ペンケース; read October 23, 2026)
- Hands via PR TIMES: 「文房具屋さん大賞2026」受賞アイテム (Hands award: Sun-Star UFO bookmark; February 16, 2026)