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Pay attention to the complexity of paper: Ito-Ya, a legendary Japanese stationery mecca with 111 years of history, will make your dream come true.

On the fourth floor of the refurbished 12-story mall in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district, a counter called “Note Couture” is dedicated to making perfect writing boards on site.

Each 60-page notebook sells for about $9. You can mix and match horizontal lines, horizontal lines, and blank pages in various tones; debate the range of notebook cover choices; and indulge in the correct spiral binding colors.

In Ito-Ya's hundreds of exquisite notebook selections, seeing locals queuing to buy customized books illustrates the uniqueness and interest of Japanese buyers in writing products.

The Note Couture counter is part of the paper shrine on the seventh floor of the mall. There are thousands of neatly arranged papers, envelopes and cards waiting for designers and paper lovers to arrive. The selection of stationery is very rich, and the designated paper concierge will provide customers with suggestions at any time to help customers choose the right weight, texture, tone, gloss and thickness.

There are many good stationery stores in Tokyo, and Itoya is not the only one that provides customized notebook services. In the Asakusa district of Tokyo, Kakimori offers more finishing options, including various sealing and binding options, which can be ready in 10 minutes.

What drives Tokyo's outdated passion for pen and paper? Kakimori put forward this reflection on their website: "In modern times, technology is rapidly replacing the old way of doing things... However, we firmly believe that writing is still important for thinking, creating ideas, and communicating with others."

For their part, a 2014 Princeton University study showed that taking notes by hand rather than on a computer can improve the way students process information and encourage them to think more deeply.

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