Midori 10-Year Calendar Gate Red

The Midori 10-Year Calendar Gate in Red is a thread-bound hardcover diary for an entire decade – 732 pages of MD paper in a cream-coloured, slightly textured weave of light and ink. Each page is dedicated to a calendar day and divided into ten equal sections: one section per year, stacked vertically, so today's entry sits directly alongside the same day from the previous year. The dark red linen cover with gold foil embossing and matching cardboard slipcase give the book the character of an object worth keeping.

Features

• MD paper, fountain pen-friendly: The cream-white, slightly matte paper takes ink precisely without feathering or bleeding. The smooth, silky-firm surface allows fountain pens, fineliners and pencils to glide evenly – even with wet-writing nibs, the script remains clear and free from smudging.
• 10-year division per page: Each calendar day occupies a double spread, divided into ten 6 mm ruled sections – one per year. Once the first year is full, you write in the second year directly beside your own entry from the previous year: past and present at a glance.
• Monthly Gate illustrations: Each month begins with its own gate drawing – a changing motif that makes the rhythm of the year visible and eases navigation through the book.
• Thread binding: The sections are sewn with thread, not glued. The book lies flat on the table without the spine springing or pages warping – essential for an object opened daily over ten years.
• Linen cover with gold foil embossing: The hardcover is wrapped in red-dyed linen fabric, with gold embossing on cover and spine. Together with the sturdy cardboard slipcase, this protects the pages even with daily use over years.
• Two ribbons: One marks the current day, the second can be used for the same date's entry from the previous year – allowing you to live the book's concept in everyday use.
• 3-page appendix: Foreword and afterword pages at year's beginning and end provide space for reflection and resolutions.

Use & Tips

• Fountain pens and ink: MD paper handles inks with longer drying times well, as long as the book isn't closed immediately. With water-based inks, brief drying before closing is recommended – especially with more absorbent inks with high pigment content. Quick-drying inks and iron gall inks work without issue.
• Brief notes rather than diary entries: The section per day is deliberately small – one to three sentences, a keyword, a date. The format encourages compression and makes it easier to stay consistent daily.
• Sketches and small drawings: The smooth MD paper surface is also suitable for fine pencil drawings or fineliner sketches in small format – a quick weather sketch, a floor plan, a face.
• Make use of the year start: The front appendix pages work well as a personal timeline: which years the book covers, where you lived, what was defining in each year – as orientation for future readers of the same book.
• Slipcase for storage: The cardboard slipcase protects the book on the shelf and during travel. If you carry the diary daily, you can leave the slipcase at home and take just the book – the thread binding and linen cover are designed for everyday use.

For Paper Enthusiasts

MD paper is a Japanese paper specially developed for writing comfort, continuously refined over decades. The cream-white tone isn't created by bleaching, but is inherent to the paper itself – ensuring that even light or desaturated ink colours appear with visible contrast without distorting the character of the colour. The surface is slightly textured whilst firm enough that fine nibs (EF, F) make clean contact without scratching or catching. The paper is not archival – those wishing to protect entries long-term against fading should use pigment-based inks. The thread binding follows the classical Japanese bookbinding principle: sheet sections are sewn individually and then connected to one another, allowing the book to retain its structure even after hundreds of openings.

Technical Specifications