Japanese stationery giant KOKUYO launched the Systemic series of notebook cover since Nov 2008. I totally missed this new product range but when I was in a trip to Shanghai meeting KOKUYO representatives there, I saw a nice leaflet for Systemic and enquired about it. A few days ago I received samples and found them very pleasant to use.
The Systemic series has 3 sizes (B5, A5 and A6) and two colors to choose from. Although the cover is specifically designed for Campus notebooks in the same sizes, I found that the A5 and A6 versions also work well with Moleskine's large and pocket size notebooks!!!
It is really a simple non-intrusive notebook cover. You can insert any two of the wide variety of Campus notebooks in it. The Campus notebook line also has free or dated diary versions so it can easily be used for business or personal. A nice looking ribbon tied to eyelets makes two bookmarks. An outer pocket on both the front and back cover provides temporary storage and act as a pen holder. A good quality elastic band provides enclosure function.
I think it is a great answer to many people who like to consistently use a refillable notebook but need an outer jacket/cover to hold more items or have a better presentation. To Moleskine fans who are yet to find a nice cover, this might be an answer too.
Think like a man of action, act like a man of thoughts
patrick, i wonder if u know about a certain type of folder produced by kokuyo years ago. it was powdery blue in color, came in various sizes, was expandable and had a zip at the top. i think there were 2 compartments, a larger one as the main compartment, and a smaller one at the back. it was made of soft plastic. i think i got mine in mong kok many years ago, used it for a few years and then the "seam" broke abt two years ago. i was never able to find a similar thing again. i wonder if kokuyo stopped producing them…it's the best folder by far. and it holds lots of paper. :<
Flo, sorry to say that I can't figure out the product from my mind with your description. It will be fun to bring this description to office and puzzle my colleagues
Which I will actually do, coz a public phone book size KOKUYO catalog is always 'fun' to look at. So give me one small advantage, do you still have the product on hand and can you locate the product item number from it?
ooh, just perfect!
Can this be purchased online somewhere? I live in the US.
Licheenut, None I know of at this stage. If you persist enough, check out those sites who help customers to get products from Japan directly like akinaiblog, but I've never used their service so I have no idea if they are good. Also you may want to ask Maido Stationery to see if they carry it, they helped many to get Midori's Traveler's Notebook and well known for great service.
Licheenut,A Moleskinerie reader Lani Teshima wrote a comment below: "By the way for those who have trouble finding a U.S. retailer, may I suggest giving Amazon.co.jp a try. If you have a regular Amazon.com login, the interface is identical so you should be able to log in and navigate around visually (and if you aren't sure about a link, you can hover over it and see where it goes to).In English, type KOKUYO SYSTEMIC and it will bring up results for this product. Just keep a sharp eye for the sizes. In the description field is an indication of whether it is for A6, etc.Price runs from 1,000 to 1,500 yen or so. With shipping and everything you should be able to get one for under $25.You should even be able to log in to associate a 1-click preference.Good luck!"
Patrick, you are awesome!! Thank you Patrick and Lani!
I tried ordering the Kokuyo Systemic notebooks from Amazon.co.jp and it refused, stating that they could not be shipped outside of Japan.
oh too bad…. maybe try Maido Stationery then.