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November 19, 2024 - Posted by Connie to Guides, Paper, Planners, Notebooks

Midori MD Notebooks: A Comprehensive Guide

The Midori MD Notebook is a minimalist notebook packed with high-quality paper. Read on or watch our video to learn more about all the stationery in the Midori MD series.

Midori MD Characteristics
Midori MD Design
Most MD Notebooks come with book jackets made of glassine paper.
Most MD Notebooks come with book jackets made of glassine paper.
Midori designed the MD series to have simple aesthetics, so all of the attention is focused on how well they’re made.

Most MD Notebooks come with book jackets made of glassine paper. Keep them on to protect the covers from dust, and you can enjoy watching the delicate paper burnish and collect creases over time. You can also remove the book jackets to reveal the notebooks’ cream-colored cardstock covers.

A blind-embossed logo on the front cover is the only marking on the outside.
A blind-embossed logo on the front cover is the only marking on the outside.
A blind-embossed logo on the front cover is the only marking on the outside. The covers and flyleaves (the first pages you see when you open the notebooks) are made of thicker versions of MD paper. You can doodle all over the notebooks without your tools behaving differently.
Most of the notebooks are thread bound and have exposed supers.
Most of the notebooks are thread bound and have exposed supers.
Most of the notebooks are thread bound, which allow them to lie completely flat. Each notebook has the super—the cloth-like material that protects the threads—on the outside (the Codex 1 Day 1 Page omits the super). The tactile, mesh-like texture is a pleasant contrast against the smooth cardstock covers.
Many of the notebooks include bookmarks and sticker sheets.
Many of the notebooks include bookmarks and sticker sheets.
Many of the notebooks include bookmarks which come in different colors depending on the sheet style or format inside.

Each notebook includes a sticker sheet made from MD paper (the sticker sheet for the MD Notebook Cotton is made from MD Paper Cotton). The exact stickers vary from notebook to notebook.

Midori MD Paper Types
MD Paper Standard
Standard MD Paper works well with all kinds of writing instruments.
Standard MD Paper works well with all kinds of writing instruments.
Standard MD paper was first developed in the 1960s and has been continually refined ever since. It pairs well with wet, inky writing instruments like fountain pens and rollerball pens. Inks almost never feather or showthrough; that means they rarely soak into the paper and look fuzzy, or seep through the paper and become visible on the back side.

Light watercolor washes also work without the paper pilling (when wet paper is overworked and paper fibers are pulled up, turning into small balls), though the paper will crinkle as it absorbs water.

MD paper has a light amount of texture, so pencils can “grip” the surface well. It doesn’t feel like your pencils are sliding across the paper uncontrollably.

MD Paper Cotton
MD Paper Cotton is thicker than standard MD paper.
MD Paper Cotton is thicker than standard MD paper.
Midori’s luxurious MD Paper Cotton is made from 20% cotton pulp. Compared to standard MD paper, MD Paper Cotton is whiter in color, thicker, and has a more cushioned feel. It’s slightly more textured, so it works especially well with graphite. We also recommend using it for inks and other media.
MD Paper Thick
MD Paper Thick is heavier than standard MD paper.
MD Paper Thick is heavier than standard MD paper.
MD Paper Thick is heavier than standard MD paper. It’s actually the same paper that’s used for the standard MD Notebook’s flyleaf. It’s especially good for artists because it resists bleedthrough even from heavy applications of watercolor or ink.
Midori MD Standard Lineup
The Midori MD Notebook comes in a variety of sizes.
The Midori MD Notebook comes in a variety of sizes.
The Midori MD Notebook is what started it all. This version comes in a variety of sizes, from compact A7 to spacious A4. It’s available in three sheet styles: blank, graph, and lined. The lines are printed in subtle hues (gray for ruled and light blue for grid) that won’t distract you when writing.

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Midori MD Notebook Journals come in special sheet styles.
Midori MD Notebook Journals come in special sheet styles.
Midori MD Notebook Journals come in special sheet styles. Originally released to celebrate the MD Notebook’s 10th anniversary, they were so popular that they were added to the permanent lineup.

The Frame Journal has three boxes at the top that can be used for headers and dates. One large box takes up the rest of the blank page. The Dot Grid Journal brings this popular ruling style to Midori MD Notebooks. Finally, the Grid Block Journal has pages divided into quadrants so you can easily create graphs or organize your notes.

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If the typical MD Notebook doesn’t have enough space for your notes and memories, the Midori MD Codex 1 Day 1 Page Notebook Journal includes 368 pages—enough to use one page a day for a full year!

Unlike other MD Notebooks, it doesn’t include a bookmark ribbon. Instead, the bottom corners of the covers and pages are perforated so that they can be torn off as the notebook is filled up. This makes it easy to flip to the next blank page! It comes in blank and dot grid versions.

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The Midori MD Notebook Light is lightweight and has fewer pages and uses staple bindings.
The Midori MD Notebook Light is lightweight and uses staple bindings.
The Midori MD Notebook Light is a lightweight version of the standard MD Notebook. It has fewer pages and uses staple bindings. It comes in sets of three booklets in your choice of blank, graph, or lined paper. It’s an excellent option if you prefer a separate notebook for each project, or just want a lighter backpack while commuting.

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The Midori MD Block Memo Pad includes a whopping five hundred sheets of MD paper.
The Midori MD Block Memo Pad includes a whopping five hundred sheets of MD paper.
The Midori MD Block Memo Pad includes a whopping five hundred sheets of MD paper. It’s a great desktop addition for writers who want plenty of high-quality paper for quick notes. You can also use them to cover up mistakes in your MD Notebook by sticking them down with glue or glue tape.

Choose from blank, grid, and lined sheet styles.

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For an elegant letter with vintage flair, use the Midori MD Letter Pad and MD Envelopes.
For an elegant letter with vintage flair, use the Midori MD Letter Pad and MD Envelopes.
For an elegant letter with vintage flair, use the Midori MD Letter Pad. It includes fifty sheets of cream-colored paper printed with unobtrusive lines. Spaced 9.5 mm apart, they allow sentences to breathe without looking cramped.

When it’s time to mail your letter, fold the sheets in half and put them in an MD Envelope. It’s perfectly sized for the letter pad and is also made of MD paper. While this means the envelopes are fountain pen friendly, be sure to write addresses with waterproof ink so they’re still readable if it rains.

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The simple Midori MD Paper Pad can be used for memos, sketches, and more.
The simple Midori MD Paper Pad can be used for memos, sketches, and more.
The simple Midori MD Paper Pad can be used for memos, sketches, and more. The pads are glued on the top and right sides, so the pages stay in place whether you use the paper vertically or horizontally.

A small notch cut into the corner makes it easier to tell which side is unglued. The paper pads come in your choice of blank or grid paper.

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Midori MD paper is also used in other products. We’ve assembled a list in the table below.

Product Sheet Style Sizes Shop Now
Midori +Stand Notebook - A5 - Cross Grid Midori +Stand Notebooks Blank, Cross Grid A5, A6 Shop Now
Midori 1 Day 1 Page Diary - Star Midori 1 Day 1 Page Diaries Lined 7.3” x 4.5” Shop Now
Midori 1 Year Diary - 1 Day 1 Page - Undated Midori 1 Year 1 Day 1 Page Diary Lined 7.1” x 5.1” Shop Now
Midori 3 Minute Diary - Yellow Midori 3 Minute Diaries Lined 6.1” x 4.2” Shop Now
Midori 12 Month Diary - Gate - Pink Midori 12 Month Diaries Lined 7.3” x 4.3” Shop Now
Midori 5 Year Diary - Embroidered - Beige Midori Multi Year Diaries Lined 7.3” x 5.0”, 7.3” x 4.5” Shop Now
Midori Commonplace Book - A6 - Gray Midori Commonplace Books Grid A6 Shop Now
Midori Yuru Log Notebook - B6 - MD Cream - 5 mm Dotted - Cats Midori MD Cream Yuru Log Notebooks Dot Grid B6 Shop Now
TRAVELER'S COMPANY TRAVELER'S notebook Refill 026 - Regular Size - Dot Grid TRAVELER'S COMPANY TRAVELER'S notebook Refills Blank, Dot Grid, Graph, Lined Regular (8.3” x 4.3”), Passport (4.9” x 3.5”) Shop Now
Midori MD Cotton Lineup
The Midori MD Notebook Cotton is filled with luxurious paper for drawing and journal entries.
The Midori MD Notebook Cotton is filled with luxurious paper for drawing and journal entries.
The Midori MD Notebook Cotton is filled with luxurious paper for drawing and journal entries. The paper is thick and durable because it’s made with cotton pulp, and it can handle watercolor washes and heavy applications of ink with ease.

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The Midori MD Paper Pad Cotton is glued on two sides so it can be used vertically or horizontally.
The Midori MD Paper Pad Cotton is glued on two sides so it can be used vertically or horizontally.
The Midori MD Paper Pad Cotton is glued on two sides so it can be used vertically or horizontally without the pages flapping around. The corner on the unglued side is cut out, so it’s easy to tell which side to pull from when it is time to remove a sheet.

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Use Midori MD Letter Pad Cotton with matching envelopes for snail mail that’s sure to impress your pen pal.
Use Midori MD Letter Pad Cotton with matching envelopes for snail mail that’s sure to impress your pen pal.
Use Midori MD Letter Pad Cotton for snail mail that’s sure to impress your pen pal. You can pair the sheets with matching MD Envelopes Cotton.

If you plan to send your letter through the postal service, use a waterproof writing instrument to write the address so it doesn’t disappear in the rain.

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Midori MD Thick Lineup
The Midori MD Notebook Thick is a great option for artists looking for a minimalist sketchbook.
The Midori MD Notebook Thick is a great option for artists looking for a minimalist sketchbook.
The Midori MD Notebook Thick is a great option for artists looking for a minimalist sketchbook. The heavyweight paper has the same lightly textured surface as standard MD paper, so it works well with brush pens, colored pencils, and more.

The MD Notebook Thick is only available with blank paper; try printing out one of our guide sheets if you need lines to write straight. It has the same thread binding as the Codex 1 Day 1 Page Notebook Journal so it lies completely flat.

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Midori MD Thick paper is also used in other Midori products; see the table below for more details.

Product Sheet Style Sizes Shop Now
Midori Yuru Log Notebook - B6 - MD Thick - Free Monthly Diary Midori MD Thick Yuru Log Notebooks Calendar, Graph B6 Shop Now
2025 Midori MD Diaries & Calendars

Midori also makes planners and calendars that match the notebooks’ aesthetics. Each MD Diary has dated monthly calendars for scheduling events, and undated pages for everyday planning and note-taking.

The Midori MD Diary includes monthly calendars and plenty of pages for notes.
The Midori MD Diary includes monthly calendars and plenty of pages for notes.
The Midori MD Diary is very similar in appearance to the standard MD Notebook. It includes 176 lined pages as well as 32 blank pages for sketches. The lined pages are divided into four horizontal sections for a total of eight boxes on each spread.

Midori MD Diaries for 2025 have sold out.

The Midori MD Thin Diary is a good option for those who don’t require as much room for notes.
The Midori MD Thin Diary is a good option for those who don’t require as much room for notes.
The Midori MD Thin Diary is a good option for those who need space to schedule events but don’t require as much room for notes. It has 112 gridded pages, plus one blank page.

Midori MD Thin Diaries for 2025 have sold out.

The softcover Midori MD 1 Day 1 Page Diary has dated monthly calendars and undated daily pages.
The softcover Midori MD 1 Day 1 Page Diary has dated monthly calendars and undated daily pages.
The beautiful Midori MD 1 Day 1 Page Diary is bound like a softcover book with a flexible PVC cover. The daily pages are undated so you can skip days or dedicate multiple pages to an event-packed day. The minimalist hourly tracker can be used to schedule events. You can also ignore the tracker and write on the lined sections as if it’s a freeform diary.

Midori MD 1 Day 1 Page Diaries for 2025 have sold out.

Midori MD Desk Calendars stand up on your desk thanks to their cardstock covers.
Midori MD Desk Calendars stand up on your desk thanks to their cardstock covers.
Midori MD Desk Calendars stand up on your desk thanks to their cardstock covers. The standard version has space on the right side for extra notes. The Twin has two calendars, displaying odd-numbered months on the left and even-numbered months on the right.

Finally, the Weekly Calendar provides space for your plans and additional tasks every week.

Midori MD Desk Calendars for 2025 have sold out.

Use Midori MD Diary Stickers to quickly and easily add calendars to notebooks and other surfaces.
Use Midori MD Diary Stickers to quickly and easily add calendars to notebooks and other surfaces.
Use Midori MD Diary Stickers to quickly and easily add calendars to notebooks and other surfaces. The stickers are similar to the labels included with Midori MD Notebooks and Diaries. Undated versions are available.

Midori MD Diary Stickers for 2025 have sold out.

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Midori MD paper can also be found in other dated Midori Diaries that don’t have “MD” in the name. We’ve assembled a list in the table below.

Product Sheet Style Sizes Shop Now
Midori +Stand Diary 2025 - B6 Modified - Beige Midori +Stand Diaries Monthly Medium Sold Out for 2025
Midori Diary Book 2025 - B6 - Cat Beige Midori Diary Books Weekly Horizontal B6 Sold Out for 2025
Midori Flat Diary 2025 Refill - A5 Midori Flat Diary Monthly A5 Sold Out for 2025
Midori Gradation Diary 2025 - B6 - Navy Blue Midori Gradation Diaries Weekly Vertical B6 Sold Out for 2025
Midori Pocket Diary 2025 - B6 - Bird Midori Pocket Diaries Weekly Horizontal with Memo B6 Sold Out for 2025
Midori Pocket Diary 2025 - Slim - Bird Midori Slim Pocket Diaries Monthly 6.9” x 3.7” Sold Out for 2025
Midori MD Notebook Covers & Bags
The Midori MD Clear Notebook Cover keep your notebook’s cover visible.
The Midori MD Clear Notebook Cover keep your notebook’s cover visible.
If you enjoy decorating the MD Notebook’s blank exterior, you’ll appreciate the Clear Notebook Cover. It keeps the notebook’s cover visible so you can show off any stickers, washi tapes, or doodles.

Be sure to pick up the right clear cover for your notebook. Check the size carefully; an A6 notebook needs an A6 cover. Please note that the standard clear covers will not fit the Codex 1 Day 1 Page Notebook Journal. Midori makes a cover sized specifically for this notebook.

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Made of tear-resistant material, the Midori MD Paper Notebook Cover has a pleasant, textured feel in the hand.
Made of tear-resistant material, the Midori MD Paper Notebook Cover has a pleasant, textured feel in the hand.
Made of tear-resistant material, the Paper Notebook Cover has a pleasant, textured feel in the hand. The cover will collect creases as it’s used.

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The Midori MD Notebook Hardcover is made of a thick, sturdy paper that supports the notebook.
The Midori MD Notebook Hardcover is made of a thick, sturdy paper.
Midori created the Notebook Hardcover for customers who want to sketch outside with their MD Notebooks. It’s made of the same tear-resistant material as the Paper Notebook Cover, but it has thick, sturdy sheets on the inside that support the notebook. You can use it even while standing up!

These covers are only available in A5 and A5 Square sizes.

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The luxurious Midori MD Leather Cover starts off a pale pink color (right) and slowly darkens over time (left).
The luxurious Midori MD Leather Cover starts off a pale pink color (right) and slowly darkens over time (left).
The luxurious Midori MD Leather Cover starts off a pale pink color and slowly darkens over time, eventually becoming a caramel brown color. Exposing it to sunlight will speed up the process. The leather absorbs your hand oils and picks up scuff marks and scratches, becoming uniquely yours.

Please note that because leather is a natural material, the cover may come with scars, wrinkles, and other imperfections. Learn how to take care of your leather cover in our guide.

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Midori MD Notebook Bags are made from plastic or goat leather. The horizontal bag fits an A4 notebook.
Midori MD Notebook Bags are made from plastic or goat leather. The horizontal bag fits an A4 notebook.
Midori MD Notebook Bags are made from plastic or goat leather. The horizontal bag fits an A4 notebook and has a notch cut in the front flap so a pen or pencil can be attached by its clip.

The vertical bag fits most A5 notebooks and has two front pockets for pens and other accessories.

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Other Midori MD Products
The Midori MD Fountain Pen has a cream-colored barrel that matches MD Notebooks. Fill it with cartridges or converters.
The Midori MD Fountain Pen has a cream-colored barrel that matches MD Notebooks.
The Midori MD Fountain Pen has a simple appearance and cream barrel that matches the color of standard MD paper. Its medium nib is smooth and consistent for everyday writing and drawing. It’s compatible with international standard short cartridges and converters, including those from Midori.

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The Midori MD Dip Pen is inked by dipping the nib into a bottle of ink.
The Midori MD Dip Pen is inked by dipping the nib into a bottle of ink.
Writers who want to swap between different inks quickly will appreciate the Midori MD Dip Pen. Rather than using cartridges or converters, the pen is inked by dipping the nib into a bottle of ink. The pen’s barrel is made of MAPKA, a resin composed of 51% paper.

If you want to keep the pen like new, be careful when dipping the pen in ink; the barrel stains easily. The nib is the same as the one on the MD Fountain Pen, and we found that it has a more tactile sensation on the paper than other nibs of the same tip size.

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The Midori MD Correction Tape perfectly matches the ivory tone of MD paper.
The Midori MD Correction Tape perfectly matches the ivory tone of MD paper.
You don’t have to be stressed by mistakes in your journal anymore: Midori MD Correction Tape perfectly matches the ivory tone of standard MD paper. In our tests, we found that it's also a good match for the cream-colored paper in Hobonichi Techo Weeks Planners and Leuchtturm1917 Notebooks.

The tape is 6 mm wide, so it fits nicely between the 7 mm rule used in most lined MD products. The tape holder is made from MAPKA and it has a pleasant texture in the hand. MD Correction Tape is not completely opaque, so you will still see a light shadow of writing beneath the applied tape.

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The Midori MD Kurashiki Canvas Pen Case pairs well with MD Notebooks.
The Midori MD Kurashiki Canvas Pen Case pairs well with MD Notebooks.
The Midori MD Pen Case is made from Kurashiki canvas, a durable material typically used for boat sails and truck tarps. It has a water-repellent wax coating that makes the canvas stiff at first. As you use it, the canvas will soften until it feels like it was made just for you. The zipper pull tab is made from cow leather.

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Conclusion

The Midori MD series is carefully designed with high-quality materials. They work well with all kinds of media, from graphite pencils to fountain pens to watercolors. It’s no wonder that artists and writers rely on these minimalist notebooks to help them express their creativity.

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Midori MD Standard Lineup
Product Sheet Styles Sizes Shop Now
Midori MD Block Memo Pad - Grid Midori MD Block Memo Pads Blank, Graph, Lined 3.9” x 3.9” Shop Now
Midori MD Notebook Journal - A5 - Codex 1 Day 1 Page - Dot Grid Midori MD Codex 1 Day 1 Page Notebook Journals Blank, Dot Grid A5 Shop Now
Midori MD Envelopes - Pack of 8 Midori MD Envelopes Blank 7.1” x 4.5” Shop Now
Midori MD Letter Pad - 50 Sheets Midori MD Letter Pad Lined 8.3” x 6.6” Shop Now
Midori MD Notebook Journal - A5 - Dot Grid Midori MD Notebook Journals Frame, Dot Grid, Grid Block A5 Shop Now
Midori MD Notebook Light - A5 - Lined - Pack of 3 Midori MD Notebooks Light Blank, Graph, Lined A5, B6 Slim, A6, A7 Shop Now
Midori MD Paper Pad - A5 - Grid Midori MD Paper Pads Blank, Graph A4, A5 Shop Now
Midori MD Notebook - A5 - Lined Midori MD Standard Notebooks Blank, Graph, Lined A4, A5, B6 Slim, A6, A7 Shop Now
Midori MD Cotton Lineup
Product Sheet Styles Sizes Shop Now
Midori MD Envelopes - Cotton - Pack of 8 Midori MD Envelopes Blank 7.1” x 4.5” Shop Now
Midori MD Letter Pad - Cotton - 50 Sheets Midori MD Letter Pad Lined 8.3” x 6.6” Shop Now
Midori MD Notebook Cotton - A5 - Blank Midori MD Notebooks Cotton Blank A5, A5 Square Shop Now
Midori MD Paper Pad Cotton - A5 - Blank Midori MD Paper Pads Cotton Blank A4, A5 Shop Now
Midori MD Thick Lineup
Product Sheet Styles Sizes Shop Now
Midori MD Notebook Thick - A5 Square - Blank Midori MD Notebooks Thick Blank A5, A5 Square Shop Now
Midori MD Diaries & Calendars
Product Format Sizes Shop Now
Midori MD Diary 2025 - A5 - 1 Day 1 Page Midori MD 1 Day 1 Page Diaries Daily A5, A6 Sold Out for 2025
Midori MD Desk Calendar 2025 Midori MD Desk Calendars Monthly, Weekly Horizontal 6.7” x 8.7” Sold Out for 2025
Midori MD Diary 2025 - A5 Midori MD Diaries Monthly A5, B6 Slim, A6 Sold Out for 2025
Midori MD Diary Stickers - Undated Monthly - Small - 16 Sheets Midori MD Diary Stickers Monthly 5.5” x 3.7” Shop Now
Midori MD Diary 2025 - A4 - Thin Midori MD Thin Diaries Monthly A4, A5 Sold Out for 2025
Midori MD Notebook Covers & Bags
Product Materials Sizes Shop Now
Midori MD Notebook Cover - Clear - A5 Midori MD Clear Notebook Covers Vinyl A4, A5 (Codex 1 Day 1 Page Journal, Standard), A5 Square, B6 Slim, A6, A7 Shop Now
Midori MD Notebook Cover - Goat Leather - A5 Midori MD Leather Notebook Covers Goat Leather A4, A5, A5 Square, B6 Slim, A6, A7 Shop Now
Midori MD Notebook Bag - Goat Leather - A5 - Vertical Midori MD Notebook Bags Goat Leather, Vinyl A4, A5 Shop Now
Midori MD Notebook Hardcover - Paper - A5 Midori MD Notebook Hardcovers Chipboard A5, A5 Square Shop Now
Midori MD Notebook Cover - Paper - A5 Midori MD Paper Notebook Covers Cardstock A4, A5, B6 Slim, A6 Shop Now
Other Midori MD Products
Product Colors Sizes Shop Now
Midori MD Correction Tape Midori MD Correction Tape N/A 6 mm Shop Now
Midori MD Dip Pen Midori MD Dip Pen N/A Medium Shop Now
Midori MD Fountain Pen - Medium Midori MD Fountain Pen N/A Medium Shop Now
Midori MD Fountain Pen Converter Midori MD Fountain Pen Converter N/A N/A Shop Now
Midori MD Black Ink - 6 Cartridges Midori MD Ink Cartridges Black, Blue N/A Shop Now
Midori MD Kurashiki Canvas Pen Case Midori MD Kurashiki Canvas Pen Case N/A 2.1” x 8.3” x 3.0” Shop Now


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