Sailor Shikiori Souten 20 ml Fountain Pen Ink
The Sailor Shikiori Souten 20 ml Fountain Pen Ink belongs to Sailor's Shikiori collection, a series inspired by the landscapes and emotions associated with the changing seasons of Japan. Souten (蒼天) is one of the summer-inspired colours and features a brilliant sky-blue tone reminiscent of a vast cloudless sky on a bright summer day.
The Shikiori Collection
The changing seasons have inspired Japanese poetry, painting, and literature for centuries. Through the Shikiori collection, Sailor transforms these seasonal scenes into colours designed to enrich everyday writing.
Each ink captures a specific moment in nature, allowing the writing experience to evoke landscapes, memories, and emotions associated with a particular season.
Souten and the Clear Blue Summer Sky
The name Souten (蒼天) can be translated as “deep blue sky” or “clear sky.” In Japanese, the expression is used to describe a bright, expansive sky completely free of clouds and illuminated by the strong light of summer.
Sailor's official inspiration for this colour is:
A piercingly blue sky with not a cloud in sight.
The scene conveys a sense of openness, clarity, and vitality. Sailor interprets this image through a vivid and luminous blue that recalls the most brilliant summer skies. Its bright tone brings freshness to the page and stands out beautifully on high-quality white paper.
Souten belongs to the summer-inspired colours within the Shikiori collection and is one of the most recognisable blue inks in the series thanks to its vibrant character and excellent readability.
A Vibrant Blue for Everyday Writing
Sailor's formulation provides smooth flow and reliable performance, allowing the full brilliance of the colour to be appreciated. Its strong contrast makes it ideal for journals, correspondence, study notes, professional writing, and any situation where a bright and expressive blue is desired.
The compact 20 ml bottle also makes it easy to explore the wider Shikiori collection and discover other colours inspired by the seasons of Japan.
Souten is also available as Sailor Shikiori ink cartridges, which can be found in our Sailor Shikiori cartridge collection.
Matching colours are also available in Sailor's Shikiori marker range, which you can explore in our Sailor Shikiori marker collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Souten mean?
It is a Japanese expression describing a perfectly clear sky with an intense blue colour.
What colour is this ink?
It features a bright sky-blue tone inspired by the clear summer skies of Japan.
Is it suitable for fountain pens?
Yes. It is formulated specifically for fountain pens and can also be used with dip pens.
Is it available in cartridges?
Yes. Sailor offers this colour in both bottled ink and cartridge formats.
Package Contents
20 ml Sailor Shikiori glass ink bottle with official Sailor packaging. (Product photographs are for illustrative purposes only and slight variations may exist between the images and the actual product.)
Technical Specifications
• Volume: 20 ml
• Ink type: water-based fountain pen ink
• Collection: Sailor Shikiori
• Colour: bright sky blue inspired by clear summer skies
• Compatible with fountain pens and dip pens
• Glass bottle
• Made in Japan
History and Philosophy of Sailor
Founded in Hiroshima in 1911, Sailor has developed some of the world's most respected Japanese fountain pen inks. The Shikiori collection reflects the close relationship between nature, seasonality, and writing that characterises Japanese aesthetics, transforming everyday scenes into colours capable of conveying emotion on paper.
"Some summer skies are so intensely blue that they seem to extend endlessly beyond the horizon."
