Perhaps it’s too late (or too early?) to be thinking about cherry blossoms. But for one Japanese company, it’s been a year and a half journey developing this unique and beautiful cherry blossom pencil. Typically, pencils are hexagon-shaped. But with the help of a decades-old pencil factory in Tokyo, this sakura-shaped pencil has finally blossomed.
The original idea for the sakura pencil came from graphic designer Hiroaki Doi in 2015, who entered a design contest sponsored by stationary company Sun-Star. Doi’s design won. But it was an arduous journey actually bringing the concept to market. Apparently, it’s really hard to make pencils in any other non-conventional shape. But now, the concept has finally blossomed. The sakura pencil will go on sale in mid-October.
At 394 yen (roughly $4) per pencil, it’s definitely not cheap. But they come individually packaged and make beautiful presents, perhaps for those just starting school. One of the best parts is that the pencil shavings have been designed to look like cherry blossom petals.
In fact, Doi’s original concept for the pencil was inspired by its ephemeral nature. In a sense, a pencil whittled down by use is symbolic of a child’s growth. Doi drew on the similarities and connections between pencils and the fleeting cherry blossom to come up with his concept.
