Kotori - Retro matchbox mini memo pad kissaten

A matchbox-style mini memo pad featuring a florist bird

On this box from the matchbox-style mini memo series, a bird runs a shop: フラワーショップコトリ堂 (Kotori-do Flower Shop), an old-fashioned florist with a sign reading “Since 1888.” The phrase パタパタお届け, literally “delivered by fluttering wings,” plays on the image of a messenger bird bringing flowers and notes to those waiting for them.

The illustration draws on the visual style of vintage Japanese shopfronts, popularized by kissaten, those old-school cafés with nostalgic decor.

Tucked into a pencil case, bag, or desk drawer, this mini box is perfect for jotting down a grocery list, slipping a note into a bouquet or parcel, or keeping an idea handy without having to take out an entire notebook.

A compact format in Mino washi paper, made in Japan

Each box contains 35 sheets measuring 45 x 63 mm, made of Mino washi paper—a traditional Japanese paper renowned for its soft texture and durability. Each sheet visually mimics a matchstick with a sea-green tip aligned with the writing lines, featuring a small bird holding a flower illustrated in one corner.

Once the sheets are used, the box can be kept as a small storage container for paperclips, buttons, or small pieces of jewelry instead of being thrown away.

This series won 2nd prize in the Memo Award at the 2021 Stationery Store Awards, a Japanese prize dedicated to the most creative stationery items. Made in Japan.

Specifications

• 35 memo sheets in 45 x 63 mm format
• Mino washi paper, traditional Japanese paper
• Illustrated matchstick design with sea-green tips, small bird holding a flower in one corner of each sheet
• Illustration of a bird in a kissaten-style storefront, fictional florist sign reading “Since 1888”
• Box is reusable as small storage once the sheets are gone
  
• Made in Japan