Baikaboku inkstick ( Brownish black, 梅花墨 )-

Baikaboku takes its name from ume, the plum blossom that opens while snow is still on the ground and tells Japan that spring is coming — 梅 (bai, plum) 花 (ka, flower) 墨 (boku, ink).

It is a top-grade rapeseed oil-smoke ink: pressed dark, it turns a shining, pure black; thinned, a warm brownish black.

What sets this stick apart is date: the oldest Baikaboku currently in stock was made in 2020, already several years into its slow maturing. For something older still, a stick from the same highest Shitsuboku grade and the identical raw materials — Shakyouboku., made around 2005 — remains available on request. Two vintages of the same craft, waiting tobe chosen between.