Bungu Joshi Award Winners 2025 Updated | Japanese Stationery Awards
Japanese stationery is known worldwide for its attention to detail, playful creativity, and user-first design. Among the many Japanese stationery awards, the Bungu Joshi Award (文具女子アワード) stands out as one of the most community-driven and trend-reflective honors in the stationery world.
Organized in conjunction with Bungu Joshi Haku (文具女子博), one of Japan’s largest stationery events, this award is voted on directly by visitors. That means the winners are not chosen by a closed panel, but by real stationery fans who actively use, collect, and love these products.
In this article, we provide a complete and detailed list of all Bungu Joshi Award winners from 2020 to 2025, along with context on why these items stood out. If you are for stationery awards winner items, this guide is designed to be a long-term reference.
What Is the Bungu Joshi Award?
The Bungu Joshi Award is an annual stationery award presented during Bungu Joshi Haku since 2017, a large-scale exhibition that attracts tens of thousands of stationery lovers each year. Exhibiting brands showcase new releases and signature items, and visitors vote for the products that impressed them most.
Because the award is audience-voted, it reflects:
- Real usability rather than theoretical design
- Emotional appeal and joy in everyday stationery
- Trends in journaling, crafting, and desk organization
- What stationery fans actually want to buy and use
Award categories typically include:
- Grand Prize (大賞) x 1 – the most popular product of the year
- Excellence Award (優秀賞) x 2– highly rated and widely loved items
- Design Award (ときめきデザイン賞) x 1 – visually striking or concept-driven products
- Convenience Award (胸キュン便利賞) x 1– tools that solve small but meaningful problems
Bungu Joshi Award Winners by Year
2025 Bungu Joshi Award Winners
The 2025 winners were announced on December 21, following voting at Bungu Joshi Haku 2025.
Grand Prize - Hancoco Slide (KUTSUWA)
source: KUTSUWA
Hancoco Slide is a cleverly designed stamping tool that allows two different stamps, housed within a single dedicated case, to slide and align perfectly in the same position for layered stamping.
Sized to fit neatly into monthly planners, it makes decorating schedules and layouts both easy and enjoyable. The smooth sliding mechanism ensures accurate placement, even for repeated use.
source: KUTSUWA
Limited-edition versions offer interchangeable stamp components, allowing users to rearrange and create their own unique combinations. This modular design adds an extra layer of creativity, turning everyday planner decoration into a more personal and playful experience.
Excellence Awards
source: MARUMAN
Kurutto Ring is a compact loose-leaf mini binder designed for flexibility and everyday portability. Featuring interchangeable covers and ring components, it allows users to customize both function and appearance to suit their style.
The binder folds a full 360 degrees, making it comfortable to use even in limited spaces such as on the go or in small work areas. The rings open and close smoothly, striking a balance between ease of use and secure holding—pages stay firmly in place without coming loose inside a bag.
source: MARUMAN
Made from durable, impact-resistant polycarbonate, Kurutto Ring is built to withstand daily use while remaining lightweight and easy to carry, making it a practical companion for planners, notes, and collections. Recommend to pair it with the Maruman Loose Leaf MINI.
Pazulette (Puzzle Letter) (archshop)
source: archshop
Pazulette is a thoughtfully designed letter set created in collaboration with students from Professor Chieko Takahashi’s seminar at the Faculty of Business Administration, Mukogawa Women’s University.
source: archshop
Designed as an antidote to purely digital communication, Pazulette embraces the tactile joy that only paper can offer. By weaving playful puzzle elements into the act of letter writing, the product transforms heartfelt messages into an interactive experience—making both sending and receiving a letter genuinely enjoyable.
The result is stationery that goes beyond words alone, inviting curiosity, care, and a small moment of surprise as the message is revealed.
Design Award
Bird’s Nest Clip Holder (bitte)
source: bitte
The Bird Nest Clip Holder is designed to attach securely to steel surfaces such as desks, refrigerators, or magnetic boards. It comes with a set of gold clips and features a magnet hidden inside the base. When placed on a metal surface, the holder transforms into a small “bird’s nest.”
As clips are added, it appears as if the bird is carefully building its nest, turning everyday storage into a small visual story. Beyond its playful design, the holder offers a practical way to keep paper clips neatly organized—cute, easy to understand at a glance, and always within reach.
Convenience Award
PATAP Silicone Bookmark (Nakabayashi)
source: Nakabayashi
PATAP is a smart bookmark that moves along with your pages as you flip through them. To use it, the clip section is attached to the back cover, while the bookmark tab rests on the open page.
source: Nakabayashi
Made from soft silicone, the bookmark portion automatically shifts to the next page when you turn it—eliminating the need to reposition the marker each time. The clear body ensures that text remains fully visible, allowing for uninterrupted reading or writing.
source: Nakabayashi
Its clip-style design keeps the bookmark securely attached to the cover, reducing the risk of losing it. As an added bonus, the clip can also be used as a pen holder, making PATAP a compact and versatile reading companion.
2024 Bungu Joshi Award Winners
Grand Prize
kiritoRING Masking Tape Cutter (Sunstar Stationery)
source: SUN STAR
kiritoRING is a finger-worn masking tape cutter designed to make crafting smoother and more intuitive. By wearing it on your thumb, you can switch between rolls of masking tape effortlessly without constantly reaching for scissors or a separate cutter.
It is precisely sized to fit 15mm paper masking tape, offering a clean, satisfying cut every time. For those who love decorating planners, journals, or handmade cards, kirito RING becomes a reliable companion—especially for anyone who finds themselves deep in the world of washi tape.
This item is also included in our ZenPop Spookii Stationery Box, where it appears alongside other thoughtfully selected tools that balance playful design with everyday usability.
Excellence Awards
Pochitto Pick! Series (Kodomo no Kao)
source: KODOMO NO KAO
Pochitto Pick is a compact stamp set made up of six small, button-style stamps that can be pressed easily with your fingers. The stamps can be used while still connected in their frame, or detached and used individually, depending on your needs.
source: KODOMO NO KAO
Each set comes with a dedicated case for easy storage and portability. Developed as an evolution of the earlier “Pochitto 6,” this version responds directly to user feedback—keeping the beloved functionality while adding the flexibility to swap, remove, and rearrange stamps freely.
At the ZenPop Stationery Store, we carry the standard Pochitto version, making it easy to explore the same tactile stamping experience beyond this award-winning edition.
source: SHACHIHATA
Jikakeru is a clever base pen designed specifically for use on masking tape. When applied to the surface and allowed to dry, it creates a writable layer that repels water-based ink just enough to allow smooth writing.
The ink itself is colorless and transparent, so it does not interfere with the original design of your masking tape. Once prepared, you can write or draw freely using fountain pens, water-based pens, or even glass pens—opening up new creative possibilities for journaling and labeling.
Design Awards
Foil-Stamped Flake Stickers – Kissa À La Mode (BGM)
source: BGM
Convenience Awards
Standing Sticky Notes (UN TROIS CINQ)
source: UN TROIS CINQ
These winners reflect the continued popularity of compact tools and decorative accessories that elevate daily stationery use.
2023 Bungu Joshi Award Winners
Grand Prize
The Masking Tape Template Plate allows you to cut masking tape into cute, consistent shapes while also serving as a drawing guide for illustrations. With four different themes included, it makes it easy to add playful visual elements to journals and planners.
This item is also featured in our ZenPop Mangaka Stationery Box, where it’s used as a creative tool for decorating pages and journal content. If you’re curious to try it yourself, it’s available to explore through the ZenPop Stationery Store.
Excellence Awards
Japonica Notebook Stamp Set (Showa Note)
source: Showa Note
Originally launched in 1970, the Japonica Study Notebook is a staple of Japanese school life. This stamp set reimagines the iconic notebook through three charming themes: Flowers, Sweets, and Retro Stationery.
The result is a nostalgic yet playful collection that brings a familiar piece of Japanese stationery history into a new, decorative format—perfect for journaling, planners, and handmade notes.
Cocofusen Mini Clips (Kanmido)
source: Kanmido
Cocofusen Mini Clips combine a paper clip and sticky notes into a single, thoughtfully designed tool. While functioning as a clip in everyday use, it also keeps sticky notes instantly accessible whenever you need them.
In addition to the mini size featured here, we also carry the regular-sized Cocofusen from Kanmido, offering more space for notes while keeping the same clever two-in-one design. Both sizes are available through the ZenPop Stationery Store.
Design Award
Travel Café Series (Art Print Japan)
source: Bungu Joshi
Convenience Award
source: MAX
The 2023 lineup leaned heavily toward stationery that supports journaling, note-taking, and creative customization.
Trends Seen Across Bungu Joshi Award Winners
Looking at the winners from 2020 to 2025, several consistent themes emerge:
- Stationery that combines function and delight
- Compact tools designed for small desks and planners
- Products that encourage journaling, crafting, and personalization
- Strong emphasis on user experience, not just appearance
The Bungu Joshi Award captures how Japanese stationery evolves alongside lifestyle trends, especially among creative users.
How This Award Compares to Other Japanese Stationery Awards
The Bungu Joshi Award represents the voice of stationery fans, but it is only one part of Japan’s broader stationery award landscape.
For readers interested in a wider perspective, it is helpful to compare it with other major awards:
- The KOKUYO Design Award 2025, which focuses on conceptual design and future-oriented ideas from professional designers.
- The Japanese Stationery Award 2025, which evaluates products across usability, innovation, and market impact.
- The Good Design Award 2025, a cross-industry design award where stationery competes alongside architecture, furniture, and technology.
Reading these awards together offers a deeper understanding of how Japanese stationery balances everyday usability, commercial success, and design philosophy.
Why the Bungu Joshi Award Matters for Japanese Stationery Fans
The Bungu Joshi Award is more than a popularity contest. It is a yearly snapshot of what stationery lovers truly value, from clever tape cutters to beautifully designed desk accessories. For anyone exploring the world of Japanese stationery awards, these winners offer reliable insight into products that resonate deeply with real users.
Whether you are building a stationery collection, researching trends, or simply curious about award-winning Japanese stationery, this complete 2020–2025 list serves as a practical and inspiring reference.
Many of the products recognized by the Bungu Joshi Award over the years are items we genuinely admire for their usability, design, and quiet creativity. At the ZenPop Stationery Store, we’ve curated a small selection of award-winning and award-recognized Japanese stationery that reflects the spirit of these honors.
If you’re curious to experience what makes these products stand out beyond the awards themselves, you’re welcome to explore our Stationery Award collection and discover pieces that have resonated with stationery fans in Japan.
