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.

Wait, that’s not Japanese!
But…it is.

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.

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:





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…



Thanks to Japan Today for the Hogwarts Castle notepad photos and for putting this on my radar
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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly newsletter Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had
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Jonelle Patrick View All
Writing mystery books set in Tokyo is mostly what I do, but I also blog about the odd stuff I see every day in Japan. I'm a graduate of Stanford University and the Sendagaya Japanese Institute in Tokyo, and a member of the International Thriller Writers, the Mystery Writers of America, and Sisters In Crime. When I'm not in Tokyo, I live in San Francisco. I also host a travel site called The Tokyo Guide I Wish I'd Had, so if you're headed to Japan and want to check out the places I take my friends when they're in town, take a look!