I guess that the nature of their writing system has either driven both their artistic expressiveness and excellence of their writing accessories, or vice versa,

I guess that the nature of their writing system has either driven both their artistic expressiveness and excellence of their writing accessories, or vice versa, but, regardless, their craftsmanship is outstanding and admirable. I, too, was a Uniball micro man until I switched to pencils and have been a Pentel Twist-Erase III man for a long time, indeed, with 2B lead instead of America's #2 standard. So smooth, and such a great eraser! [I also must make my usual recommendation for NHKOnline's videos, where they have many, many shows about traditional Japanese crafts. Our family's favorite is now called "Design Stories", where it used to be "Design Talks Plus". They interview famous Japanese designers of all kinds, including a couple of Manga and many graphic design folks, as well as some stationery shops and Washi paper producers, plus architects and potters. I've only seen a few less than excellent episodes, but they're all good in the least.]