--- title: "Zebra SARASA R: The Darker, Dye-Ink Sarasa Gel Pen" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/zebra-sarasa-r/" description: "Zebra SARASA R explained: a 0.4 and 0.5 mm gel pen with dye ink Zebra says is 27% darker, 14 colors, 141 mm and 10.9 g, JRV refills, and how it differs." category: "Pens" type: "Gel pen" published: 2026-10-29 updated: 2026-10-29 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 4 products: - name: "Zebra SARASA R gel pen, 0.4 mm (JJS29-R1)" brand: "Zebra" brand_origin: "Japan" made_in: "Not stated" released: "2021-03" price_band: "$ (under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Zebra Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)" model: "JJS29-R1" gtin: "4901681485413" url: "https://www.zebra.co.jp/pro/detail/sarasa-r/" --- # Zebra SARASA R: The Darker, Dye-Ink Sarasa Gel Pen > The Zebra SARASA R is a retractable gel pen from Zebra Japan with water-based dye ink that Zebra says writes 27% darker than its earlier black. It launched in March 2021 in 0.4 mm (14 colors) and 0.5 mm, measures 141 mm and 10.9 g like the Sarasa Clip, and takes JRV refills. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/zebra-sarasa-r/ - Category: Pens - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-29 - Updated: 2026-10-29 ![Zebra SARASA R 0.4 mm drawn to scale at 141 mm: white body and large clip with a red knock, with an inset of the 0.4 mm tip](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/zebra-sarasa-r-illustration-16x9.png?v=b9936f99) *The SARASA R at Zebra Japan's 141 mm, drawn at 1 mm = 5 px; the red is a representative tint.* 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) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Zebra SARASA R gel pen, 0.4 mm (JJS29-R1) | Zebra (by Zebra Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)) | Japan | Not stated | – | 2021-03 | $: under $5 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (Zebra SARASA R gel pen, 0.4 mm (JJS29-R1)): Not stated. Zebra Japan's product page, Yoseka's listing and the Kakaku.com Magazine review don't state where the SARASA R is made. ## Key takeaways - Zebra Japan lists the SARASA R at 141.0 mm long, 11.0 mm across and 10.9 g, at ¥132 (about US$0.80) with tax. - Zebra says its black ink is 27% darker than its previous black, from a 2020 colorimeter test. - The ink is water-based dye, while the Sarasa Clip uses pigment, and the refills differ: JRV for the R, JF for the Clip. - Kakaku.com Magazine reported a March 2021 launch, with 14 colors in 0.4 mm and black, red and blue in 0.5 mm. - Zebra's US store doesn't list it; Yoseka sells the 0.4 mm in 14 colors, in our $ band (under $5). ## What is the Zebra SARASA R? **It is a Sarasa gel pen built around darker, more vivid ink: Zebra says its black writes 27% darker than its previous black.** Zebra Japan pitches it at students, for notes that look clean and easy to read, with colors chosen to make key points stand out. The 27% figure comes from Zebra's own 2020 test with a colorimeter, comparing the SARASA R black against the company's earlier black ink. It is a maker claim we haven't checked. ## What are the SARASA R specs? **Zebra Japan publishes the size, weight, ink and refill, and they match the Sarasa Clip's body almost exactly.** | Spec | SARASA R | |---|---| | Tip sizes | 0.4 mm (JJS29-R1), 0.5 mm (JJ29-R1) | | Ink | Water-based dye gel | | Length | 141.0 mm (5.6 in) | | Diameter | 11.0 mm (0.4 in) | | Weight | 10.9 g | | Refill | JRV-0.4, JRV-0.5 | | Japanese list price | ¥132 (about US$0.80) with tax | Kakaku.com Magazine reported a March 2021 launch at ¥110 (about US$0.70), so the price has risen since. ## How is it different from the Sarasa Clip? **The body is the same size, but the ink and refill are not.** Kakaku.com Magazine points out that the Sarasa Clip uses pigment ink, while the SARASA R uses dye, which it credits for the crisper, more vivid color. ![SARASA R, Sarasa Clip and Sarasa Nano drawn to scale: 141, 141 and 143.8 mm long, 10.9, 10.9 and 12.8 g, with JRV or JF refills](https://stationerytimes.com/images/zebra-sarasa-r-lengths.svg?v=94feeadc) *Three Sarasa pens to scale, from Zebra Japan's figures. Original illustration made for this guide. © Stationery Times.* The Clip and the [Sarasa Nano](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/zebra-sarasa-nano/) take JF refills; the R takes JRV. For pigment ink and the widest color range, our [Zebra Sarasa Clip](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/zebra-sarasa-clip/) guide is the place to start. ## What colors does the SARASA R come in? **Fourteen in 0.4 mm: Black, Blue, Red, Green, Pink, Violet, Orange, Sky Blue, Fresh Green, Blue Black, Magenta, Red Black, Green Black and Blue Grey.** That is Yoseka's list, and it matches the 14 Zebra gives. Yoseka sells black in both a black and a white body. Zebra says red, orange and pink vanish under a red sheet, a common study trick in Japan. Each pen's knock is colored to match the ink, so you can pick one from a cup. Kakaku.com Magazine reported the 0.5 mm in black, red and blue only at launch; Zebra's page still shows a 0.5 mm in black. ## How does it write? **Kakaku.com Magazine's reviewer found it wet, smooth and very fast-drying, but bolder than its size.** In their test, rubbing lines within a second of writing, the SARASA R smeared the least of the pens they compared. They also found its 0.4 mm line about as wide as a Sarasa Clip 0.5 mm, because the ink spreads into the paper, and called it a poor choice for tiny planner writing. If drying speed is your main concern, compare our [Sarasa Dry](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/zebra-sarasa-dry/) guide. ## Which tip size should you choose? **For most people, the 0.4 mm, because it is the only size in all 14 colors.** Zebra's page shows the 0.5 mm in black, and Kakaku.com Magazine reported it in just black, red and blue at launch. Because the dye ink spreads, the 0.4 mm already writes about as boldly as many 0.5 mm gel pens, according to that review. If you write small in a planner, a pigment pen such as the Sarasa Nano at 0.3 or 0.38 mm will give a thinner line; the SARASA R suits lecture notes, headings and color-coding. ## Where can you buy it, and where is it made? **In the US, from importers: Zebra's US store doesn't list it.** A search there on October 29, 2026 returned the Sarasa Clip and a Sarasa Recycled pen, which is a different product. That day Yoseka listed the 0.4 mm at US$1.75 in all 14 colors, in our $ band (under $5). None of the pages we read, including Zebra's, states the country of manufacture, so we list it as not stated. ## Frequently asked questions ### What does the R in SARASA R stand for? Kakaku.com Magazine reports that it comes from "Rich", for dark and vivid color. Zebra's own page describes the ink as dark and vivid but doesn't explain the letter. ### Is the SARASA R the same as Sarasa Recycled? No. Zebra's US store sells a Sarasa Recycled gel pen, but a search there on October 29, 2026 found no SARASA R, which is a Japan-market pen with dye ink. ### Can I put a JF refill in a SARASA R? Zebra lists only the JRV-0.4 and JRV-0.5 refills for it. We haven't tested whether JF refills from the Sarasa Clip fit, so buy JRV. ### Does the SARASA R write thicker than its tip size? Kakaku.com Magazine's reviewer found the 0.4 mm line about as wide as a Sarasa Clip 0.5 mm, because the ink soaks into the paper. We haven't measured it ourselves. ### Which SARASA R colors work with a red sheet? Zebra says red, orange and pink disappear under a red sheet, so you can use them for memorization. ### Is the SARASA R waterproof? Zebra lists a water-based dye ink and makes no water-resistance claim. If that matters, the pigment-ink Sarasa Clip is the safer choice, and we haven't tested either yet. ## Sources - [Zebra Japan (Japanese): Gel ballpoint pen SARASA R (27% darker ink from a 2020 Zebra colorimeter test, 14 colors, red-sheet note, 0.4 and 0.5 mm, water-based dye ink, 11.0 × 141.0 mm, 10.9 g, JRV refills, ¥132 with tax; read October 29, 2026)](https://www.zebra.co.jp/pro/detail/sarasa-r/) - [Kakaku.com Magazine (Japanese): 27% darker SARASA R review, May 2021 (March 2021 launch, ¥110 at the time, "Rich", dye vs pigment, 0.4 mm in 14 colors and 0.5 mm in three, drying test)](https://kakakumag.com/houseware/?id=16951) - [Yoseka Stationery: SARASA R 0.4 mm (14 ink colors, black and white bodies for black, US$1.75; read October 29, 2026)](https://yosekastationery.com/products/sarasa-r-0-4mm) - [Zebra Pen (US) store: search for "sarasa r" (Sarasa Clip, Sarasa Recycled, no SARASA R; read October 29, 2026)](https://www.zebrapen.com/search?q=sarasa+r&type=product)