Teranishi FUJIYAMA IRODORI Zen Black 12 ml Fountain Pen Ink
Teranishi FUJIYAMA IRODORI Zen Black 12 ml Fountain Pen Ink interprets the quiet space between light and shadow on Mount Fuji. Made in Japan and supplied in a compact glass bottle, it offers a restrained black for daily writing, journals, calligraphy and line drawing.
Between light and shadow on Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji was inscribed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage property in 2013 for its importance as an object of worship and a source of artistic inspiration. Season, weather and time of day continually alter its appearance, producing landscapes that have shaped Japanese art and visual culture for centuries.
FUJIYAMA IRODORI translates those changes into six inks linked to individual views of the mountain and to Japan’s sensitivity to subtle colour. Zen Black draws on the space between light and shadow and the introspective state reached when the mind becomes quiet. Teranishi connects this black with measured breathing and the calm act of facing Mount Fuji. It is the most restrained colour in the series, bringing that concept into an ink intended for clear, deliberate writing.
Designed for pens, journals and creative work
This water-based ink is formulated for fountain pens that accept bottled ink. Its black character is suited to notes, journals, correspondence, calligraphy and line drawing. It is ideal for anyone who needs a restrained colour for regular writing but appreciates a Japanese story and presentation beyond those of a conventional black ink.
Its appearance may shift with paper, nib width, ink flow and surrounding light. These variables allow the same bottle to produce different nuances across individual pen-and-paper combinations. Before changing colours, rinse the fountain pen’s nib section with clean water until it runs clear.
Secure the cap after every use to limit evaporation. Store the bottle away from high temperatures, excessive humidity and direct sunlight, and keep it out of the reach of small children.
Contents and presentation
The package contains one glass bottle filled with 12 ml of Zen Black ink, finished with an aluminium cap and supplied in a paper outer box illustrated with Mount Fuji. The compact format is easy to store, encourages colour rotation and works well as a small gift for a fountain pen user. The original packaged product is supplied by Inktraveler. (Photographs are illustrative; the displayed shade may differ from the original product depending on the screen, paper and writing conditions).
Technical specifications
Brand and manufacturer: Teranishi Chemical Co. Ltd.
Product type: water-based fountain pen ink.
Colour: Zen Black.
Ink capacity: 12 ml.
Bottle: glass.
Cap: aluminium.
Outer box: paper.
Pack size: one.
Country of origin: Japan.
Bottle dimensions: 26 × 56 × 26 mm.
Bottle weight: 38 g.
Package dimensions: 58.5 × 63 × 30 mm.
Package weight: 55 g.
Manufacturer reference: FUJ-12ML-T28.
GTIN EAN-13: 4902071200449.
The six FUJIYAMA IRODORI colours
The series comprises San, Sakura, Rin, Akane, Zen and Sai. Together they move from blue Fuji in sunlight to cherry-blossom pink, twilight purple, Red Fuji vermilion, contemplative black and a gold-inspired yellow. Zen Black gives this sequence its own distinct interpretation of the mountain.
Frequently asked questions
Will it work in every fountain pen? It is intended for pens that draw bottled ink through a converter, piston or another compatible filling system. A cartridge-only pen will need the correct converter before it can fill from the bottle.
Is this ink permanent or waterproof? Teranishi identifies it as water based and does not market it as permanent or waterproof. Writing that must withstand moisture should be produced with an ink specifically formulated and tested for that requirement.
What inspired Zen Black? Teranishi links Zen with quiet introspection in the space between light and shadow. The black shade represents measured breathing and the attentive act of facing Mount Fuji.
Why use a 12 ml bottle? The smaller volume makes it easier to explore a special colour, rotate several inks and finish a bottle. It also requires little storage space, which is useful for writers who keep multiple pens inked in different shades.
How should a pen be cleaned before changing colours? Empty the previous ink and rinse the nib section with clean water until it runs clear. Allow it to drain before filling again so residue from another colour or formulation does not alter the new ink.
The history and philosophy behind Teranishi
Teranishi is the surname of the company’s founder, Choichi Teranishi. After three years learning how to manufacture ink, he established the Osaka workshop that became Teranishi Chemical Industry in April 1916, when he was only 18. Its earliest output included writing ink and coloured pencils made in Japan.
The business emerged when imported products still influenced much of Japan’s writing and art-material market. Teranishi set out to produce domestic inks and drawing supplies capable of competing through quality. Colour, useful writing tools and personal expression have therefore been connected throughout the company’s history.
Guitar is not a separate company; it is Teranishi Chemical’s historic commercial mark. The manufacturer states that its precise origin has not been documented and preserves two possible explanations: the popularity of guitars in the Philippines, an important export destination at the time, and the association between the rich colours of art and musical notes.
The earliest Guitar emblem showed Benzaiten holding a traditional Japanese biwa. It later changed to a queen with a guitar before developing into the current symbol, which combines a crown, a musical note and the six letters of GUITAR. The identity connects Teranishi’s work with inks and art materials to the worlds of music and colour.
Teranishi’s technical development reached an important milestone in 1953 with Magic Ink, recognised by the company as Japan’s first domestically produced oil-based marking pen. Decades later, its return to fountain pen inks revived the starting point of the business. Zen Black connects those two periods through a black ink devoted once again to the essential act of writing.
FUJIYAMA IRODORI carries that experience into contemporary fountain pen use by transforming Japanese landscapes and colours into tools for writing, drawing and communication. Zen Black gives the philosophy of the series a specific view of Mount Fuji while remaining practical for modern creative work.
“Between light and shadow, every line finds room to breathe.”
