Japanese stationery heavyweight KOKUYO has opened its first retail store in Singapore, tucked into the brand's new experiential hub at 31 & 33 Ann Siang Road. The space doubles as the company's local corporate office and showcases its furniture and workspace design side, with a cafe on site — but the real draw for most visitors will be the shop itself, stocked with everything from $60 pens to notebooks that cost less than a coffee.

KOKUYO is best known for writing tools and paper that punch above their price. In-store, the headline product is the Roller Ball and Finewriter pens, each priced at $60 and sold in black or silver. The Roller Ball glides with barely any pressure thanks to a rotating metal ball, while the Finewriter's firmer felt-like tip gives a more controlled, deliberate line — samples and notepads are out so you can try before committing.

If that's a stretch, there are plenty of wallet-friendly options: the ultra-fine PERPANEP SARASA at $3.50, the PERPANEP Finewriter at $4.50 and the GOODTOOLS Ballpoint Pen at $3.90 in multiple colours.

The shop's most interesting shelf might be the gadgets. The Hakoake 2-Way Scissors ($20.50) switch between cutter and scissors modes with a one-handed squeeze-and-slide — the 3mm blade opens boxes while the main blades stay safely closed, then flips to snip fabric and tags. The GLOO Stick Glue ($4.90) trades the usual round barrel for a square one, so it reaches corners cleanly and doesn't roll off your desk, with an airtight cap to stop it drying out.

For organisation fans, the Pan Case ($21.50) is a notebook-style organiser that unfolds into six pockets holding up to 18 pens, complete with strap and key ring. And then there's the classic: the Campus Notebook ($2.90), with smooth, bleed-resistant paper that handles fountain and gel ink, dotted ruling for tidy notes and binding that lies flat as you write. The YACHO Sketch Book ($4.50) is a slim 0.3mm pocket option originally designed to fit a work uniform chest pocket.

Worth knowing before you go: the store is compact, popular items sell out fast and restocks are irregular (the latest landed in early October 2026), and it only opens on weekdays. Check the KOKUYO Singapore Instagram for restock updates if you're after something specific.

For travellers, this slots neatly into a Chinatown-adjacent day. The store is a four-minute walk from Exit 2 of Maxwell MRT, or about ten minutes on foot from Exit A of Chinatown MRT through the shophouse streets of Ann Siang — an area already packed with indie cafes and boutiques. Whether you're a stationery obsessive or just after a cheap, characterful souvenir, it's an easy, low-cost detour.