Japanese Calendars

This calendar stopped me dead in my tracks (above). The art is so stunning I had to post every month. Printed with vibrant inks on handmade washi paper. If you look closely you can see a debossed rectangle on each page - meant for cutting out so the image can be used as a postcard for its second life! I love multi-purpose things like this - so clever.

This is similar to the above calendar, but with stylized animals on colorful backgrounds. I like the eel on moss green. The debossed rectangles for use as postcard guides come through more clearly in this series.

This is really fun...this is how the calendar looks closed.

Then, voilà! Individual die-cut panels swing out, all attached by a grommet. Cool retro-style art. I don't know how practical it is but very rewarding to play with. Made from uncoated, heavy cardstock, very yummy and tactile.

Cats are well-loved and seen on every type of product. I saw many cat calendars, this one being my favorite. It features a community of kitties with distinct characters, engaging in activities such as dancing or enjoying fireworks.


This calendar features everyday objects with smiley faces on them. So kawaii.


This is a sweet calendar...charming illustrations of a girl and her dog doing things together. Each page has a door, window or other object die-cut to reveal a surprise underneath. Hard to tell, but this month has the book's page that opens up. Click on image to enlarge.

More cats! This one shows cats for every week. A wide range of whimsical, quirky, painted cats.

This calendar is illustrated with traditional Japanese icons and motifs that match the season. I liked the gold accents and bamboo binding.

Beautiful black and white botanical prints in an oblong format.

I purchased most of these calendars at Tokyu Hands - they made excellent souvenirs.

Check out my Japanese stationery post here.