Amazing scenes emerge as you use this notepad

The Japanese design firm Triad just released one of the most Japanese products ever: the Hogwarts Castle notepad.

Notepad from Omoshiroi online store that reveals Hogwarts castle as it's used

Wait, that’s not Japanese!

But…it is.

Partly used notepad from Omoshiroi online store that reveals Hogwarts castle as it's used — The latest design in a series of notepads that reveal 3-D scenes as each piece of paper is peeled away happens to be Hogwarts Castle, but the idea of creating three dimensional models from sheets of paper, the meticulous and precise craftsmanship needed to pull it off, and the firm belief that people will pay $180 USD for a notepad is about as Japanese as you can get.

Obviously, people who just need to jot down their grocery lists aren’t going to shell out nearly two hundred bucks. This is about buying an experience, paying for the delight of revealing the hidden scene.

The fact that it can only be experienced once perfectly captures the Japanese aesthetic that also explains why cherry blossoms are so beloved: they’re spectacular for a few days, then they’re gone. You have to appreciate them 100% in the moment, because you can’t do it again for another year. The fact that the experience is rare and fleeting adds to the enjoyment.

Notepad from Omoshiroi online store that reveals Hogwarts castle as it's used in clear case — It comes with a clear protective case to preserve it once you’ve revealed the castle, but—like cherry blossom photos—it’s merely a reminder of a sublime experience, not the experience itself.

And if you’re not a huge Harry Potter fan, you’ll be happy to know that Triad’s Omoshiroi online store also carries more traditional Japanese versions of this same idea:

Notepad from Omoshiroi online store that reveals Kiyomizudera temple as it's used — Like this block of colored paper that transforms into…

Notepad from Omoshiroi online store that reveals Arashiyama bamboo grove as it's used — There’s one that reveals the Arashiyama bamboo grove

Notepad from Omoshiroi online store that reveals Kyoto autumn street as it's used — And a couple that turn into quintessentially traditional street scenes…

Notepad from Omoshiroi online store that reveals Kyoto cherry blossom spring street as it's used — …set in all the best seasons

The 150-sheet Hogwarts Castle design is the newest and most expensive, but their other 150-sheet design (Kiyomizudera) can be had in three different colors for $90 USD, the 40-sheet bamboo grove and street scenes come in at a comparatively reasonable $53 USD…