Taccia Ukiyo-e Fountain Pen Ink Ainezu - Mouse Blue

Ainezu – in Japanese, a slate blue-grey with the depth of wet slate, named after the traditional Edo colour in use since the 17th century. The Taccia Ukiyo-e ink carries this hue as a water-based fountain pen ink in a 40 ml wide-mouth glass bottle: muted, cool, with a subtle blue cast that shifts between grey and dark blue depending on the paper. The packaging features an illustrated motif from the work of Utagawa Hiroshige – the artist whose atmospheric landscape prints defined this colour.

Features

• Ainezu colour (mouse blue/slate grey): A muted, cool slate grey from the Hiroshige collection – neither pure grey nor classical blue, but a shifting hue that works particularly distinctly in shading on smooth, calendered paper.
• Water-based formula, dye-based: The ink flows smoothly through all standard fountain pen filling systems and rinses out without residue. Not archival and not waterproof – if you need those qualities, bear this in mind when selecting.
• Neutral pH balance: The formula is calibrated to protect fountain pen materials such as resin or cellulose – even with prolonged exposure to the pen.
• Colour consultation by specialist: All colours in the Ukiyo-e series were supervised by a Japanese colour consultant (Hanae Matsumoto) and curated by stationery sommelier Hiroshi Ishizu – not an arbitrary shade, but a defined recreation of historical ukiyo-e pigments.
• Illustrated packaging: The bottle comes in a box with a Hiroshige motif – designed as a standalone collectible.
• Wide-mouth glass: The broad glass format allows direct immersion of the converter or piston filler, even at low fill levels – no tilting required.

Use & Tips

• Nibs: Ainezu shows its shading most distinctly with a medium or broad nib – fine nibs write the colour somewhat uniformly dark. With a broad nib, the transitions between light and dark within a single stroke become visible.
• Paper: On smooth, ink-fast paper (e.g. Tomoe River), Ainezu displays its full shading depth and doesn't feather. On more absorbent paper, the ink dries faster and appears more uniform, with less shading.
• Calligraphy and lettering: The slate grey hue suits decorative lettering, where classical black feels too harsh – quieter, yet with presence.
• Illustration: Suitable as a sketching ink for watercolour or ink layouts, as the dye-based ink is compatible with wet techniques – the lines feather slightly when reworked with water, which can be used as a design element.
• Drying time: Dye-based inks of this type dry somewhat more slowly on smooth paper – with broad nibs and dense writing, allow approximately 30–60 seconds.

For Calligraphy & Ink Enthusiasts

Hiroshige's characteristic technique was the so-called bokashi – a colour gradation method in woodblock printing, where a colour transitions from saturated to light within a single print run. Ainezu as ink carries this spirit forward: the slate grey is not a uniform tone, but behaves differently on paper depending on nib, flow rate and absorbency – darker edges at the beginning and end of letterforms, lighter centres with broad nibs. The ink is dye-based, which means: full colour vibrancy, good flow properties, easy cleaning – but no light-fastness and no water resistance. Those needing archival-quality results should choose pigment-based inks. For lively, expressive writing and drawing work that doesn't need to last, Ainezu is a cohesive, characterful shade.

Technical Specifications