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Quick answer
The Tombow MONO J is the everyday office and study pencil of Tombow's MONO series, a hexagonal wood pencil sold in 8 grades from 4H to 3B in a box of 12. Tombow says it writes dark, thin lines steadily. It costs 792 yen with tax (about US$5.01) a box in Japan, about 66 yen (about US$0.42) a pencil.
$under $5 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count)
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Notes on these facts
Made by Tombow Pencil Co., Ltd. (Tokyo). Country of manufacture not stated: Tombow's Japanese product page lists grades, the box and the price but no country of manufacture. Check the box. 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
Tombow calls the MONO J the basic office and study model of the MONO pencil series, writing dark, thin lines steadily.
It comes in 8 grades, 4H, 3H, 2H, H, HB, B, 2B and 3B, with model codes MONO-J4H to MONO-J3B.
A box holds 12 hexagonal pencils and costs 792 yen with tax (about US$5.01), about 66 yen (about US$0.42) each.
It is Tombow's lowest-priced MONO pencil in this family: the MONO R costs 924 yen (about US$5.85) and the MONO 1,320 yen (about US$8.35) a box.
Tombow's page gives no pencil length, diameter, eraser or country of manufacture.
What is the Tombow MONO J?
It is the plain, low-cost pencil of the MONO family, for office and study. Tombow calls it the basic model for office and learning in its MONO pencil series, and says it writes dark, thin lines in a stable way. It sits below the MONO R and the drafting-grade MONO. We read Tombow’s Japanese product page on November 3, 2026.
Which grade should you buy?
There are eight, from hard 4H to soft 3B. Most notes and forms are fine with HB or B.
Grade
Model
4H
MONO-J4H
3H
MONO-J3H
2H
MONO-J2H
H
MONO-JH
HB
MONO-JHB
B
MONO-JB
2B
MONO-J2B
3B
MONO-J3B
Each box holds 12 hexagonal pencils of one grade. Tombow’s page does not describe the grades, so use the standard H and B scale: higher H numbers are harder and lighter, higher B numbers softer and darker.
What does it cost compared with its siblings?
The MONO J is the cheapest of the three. Tombow’s list prices with tax for a box of 12 are below.
The MONO J works out to 66 yen (about US$0.42) a pencil, our arithmetic from the 792 yen price.
Where does it sit in the MONO series?
It is one of six MONO pencils on Tombow’s list. Tombow’s page links the MONO J to the MONO, the MONO R, the MONO 100, a mark sheet pencil and a hard-pen writing pencil. Tombow says the first MONO pencil came out in 1963 and the R followed in 1975 to bring the quality to more people. It gives no launch year for the J. All of these share the MONO name, which Tombow ties to the Greek word for unique.
Which MONO pencil should you pick?
Choose by job, then by price.
Notes, forms and school work: the MONO J, at the lowest price of the three.
Everyday writing with a recycled-paper box: the MONO R, which also reaches 6B.
Drafting and drawing with an eraser in the box: the MONO, with 12 grades.
It suits people who want a dependable, inexpensive graded pencil for notes, forms and school work.
Everyday writing: Tombow calls it the basic office and study MONO pencil, at 792 yen for 12, about 66 yen (about US$0.42) each.
Skip it if you want soft shading grades: the MONO J stops at 3B, while the MONO goes to 6B. For other writing pencils see our best wooden pencils for writing.
What should you watch out for?
Use it only for writing. Tombow’s single caution is that the pencil is not for any other use. Tombow’s page lists no eraser, so keep a separate one; see our best Japanese erasers.
Where is it made, and what does it cost?
Tombow’s page doesn’t state a country of manufacture. At 792 yen with tax for 12 (about US$5.01), a pencil is about US$0.42, in our $ band (under $5 a pencil).
Frequently asked questions
What is the MONO J for?
Tombow calls it the standard pencil of the MONO series for office and study, writing dark, thin lines steadily.
What grades are sold?
Eight: 4H, 3H, 2H, H, HB, B, 2B and 3B, coded MONO-J4H, MONO-J3H, MONO-J2H, MONO-JH, MONO-JHB, MONO-JB, MONO-J2B and MONO-J3B.
How many pencils come in a box?
Twelve, with a hexagonal shaft.
How much does it cost?
792 yen with tax (about US$5.01) for 12 in Japan, which is 720 yen before tax and about 66 yen (about US$0.42) a pencil.
Does it have an eraser?
Tombow's page does not mention an eraser, so we treat it as a plain pencil. The MONO box includes one.
How does it differ from the MONO R?
The MONO R costs 924 yen (about US$5.85) a box, comes in a recycled-paper box and has 2H to 6B grades; the MONO J has 4H to 3B and costs less.
How does it differ from the MONO?
The MONO is the professional drafting model with 12 grades and an eraser in the box; the MONO J is the plainer office and study pencil.
