Kuretake
From Nara's sumi tradition to the world — Japanese calligraphy tools and art supplies since 1902.
Kuretake Co., Ltd. was founded in 1902 in Nara Prefecture — a city that produces over 90% of Japan's sumi (ink sticks) and is the historical center of Japanese calligraphy supply. From this tradition, Kuretake has developed into a global art supply brand, exporting its ZIG line of brush pens, watercolor sets and markers to more than 60 countries. The brand's products bridge Japanese calligraphy technique and contemporary illustration: the hair brush pen technology (soft, flexible tips made from hair-like fibers) brings the brush responsiveness of traditional calligraphy to portable pen form. Kuretake products are used by calligraphers, illustrators, manga artists, bullet journalers and watercolorists worldwide.
PROFILE Company & Brand Story
Kuretake was founded in 1902 in Nara, the historical capital of Japan's sumi (ink stick) industry. Nara produces over 90% of Japan's sumi — a production tradition going back more than a thousand years to when the city was Japan's first permanent capital and Buddhist scripture copying required vast quantities of quality ink. Kuretake's origins in this tradition gave it access to ink chemistry and formulation knowledge that defines its products today.
The company expanded from traditional calligraphy supplies into modern art tools, developing the ZIG brand for international markets. ZIG products are now sold in more than 60 countries: brush pens, art markers, watercolor sets, and calligraphy tools used by artists from professional illustrators to hobbyist journalers. The international art supply market has adopted Kuretake's tools as standards in several categories.
Kuretake's core technical innovation is the hair brush pen: a pen tip made from hair-like synthetic fibers that reproduces the pressure-responsiveness of a traditional brush. Apply light pressure, get a thin line; press harder, get a wide stroke. This is the logic of calligraphy — where line variation communicates meaning and expressive intent — translated into a portable, waterproof pen.
The Gansai Tambi solid watercolor set was developed as a premium alternative to student-grade watercolors. The pigments are based on Kuretake's ink chemistry background, producing rich, saturated colors with good lightfastness. The pans are designed for easy activation with a wet brush. The set has become a standard recommendation among watercolor illustrators and brush lettering artists internationally.
In addition to its art supply lines, Kuretake produces traditional sumi-e supplies: ink sticks, inkstones, calligraphy brushes and traditional black and colored inks. The brand operates in both markets simultaneously — traditional Japanese arts and international contemporary art supplies — with each informing the other's development.
Nara sumi tradition — 90%+ of Japan's ink sticks made here
Kuretake is based in Nara, which produces over 90% of Japan's sumi (ink sticks). This city's thousand-year ink production history gives Kuretake access to ink chemistry expertise that informs every product in its line — from traditional calligraphy inks to modern watercolors and brush pens.
ZIG brand — 60+ country export, art supply standard
Kuretake's ZIG brand is sold in over 60 countries and has become a reference standard in brush pens, art markers and calligraphy tools for international artists. The ZIG Clean Color Real Brush is one of the most recommended brush pens in the bullet journaling and lettering communities worldwide.
Hair brush pen technology — calligraphy pressure-response in pen form
Kuretake's hair brush pen tips are made from hair-like synthetic fibers that respond to pressure like a traditional brush: light pressure produces a fine line, firm pressure produces a wide stroke. This brings the expressive line variation of Japanese calligraphy to a portable, easy-to-use pen format.
PRODUCTS Featured Products & Services
Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor Set — Made in Japan
Premium solid watercolor pans based on Kuretake's ink chemistry. Rich, saturated pigments with good lightfastness. Available in 12, 24, 36 and 48 colors. A standard recommendation for watercolor illustrators worldwide.
View DetailsKuretake Mannen Mouhitsu Yume Ginga — Fountain Hair Brush Pen
A fountain pen with a hair brush tip: ink flows from a refillable reservoir through flexible brush fibers. Pressure-sensitive line variation. Suitable for calligraphy, illustration and expressive lettering.
View DetailsZIG Clean Color Real Brush — Dual-tip Brush Pen Set
The most internationally recognized ZIG product: a water-based dual-tip brush pen with a flexible brush tip and a fine tip. 90 colors available. Watercolor blendable on paper. The standard recommendation in the lettering and journaling community.
View DetailsKuretake Bimoji Cambiyo — Calligraphy Brush Pen
A calligraphy brush pen with a long, flexible tip designed for wide stroke variation. Based on traditional Japanese brush calligraphy technique. Popular for brush lettering, kanji practice and expressive illustration.
View DetailsKuretake Meiji no Iro — Fountain Pen Ink Set (Japanese Colors)
A fountain pen ink collection named after traditional Japanese color names from the Meiji era. Subtle, literary hues rooted in Japan's classical color vocabulary. For fountain pen enthusiasts interested in Japanese aesthetic.
View DetailsMEDIA Media, Awards & Initiatives
- Kuretake's ZIG Clean Color Real Brush pen is one of the most frequently recommended tools in the international brush lettering, bullet journaling and watercolor communities — consistently rated alongside Western brush pen brands despite being a Japanese product sold globally.
- The Gansai Tambi watercolor set has attracted international attention as a high-value alternative to European solid watercolors, regularly reviewed by watercolor artists and YouTubers in the US and Europe.