Maruzen Gotouchi Morioka Ishiwarizakura - 4ml Fountain Pen Ink Sample

Hue: A dusty rose pink with a soft mauve-brown undertone. Maruzen describes it as a rich pink; in my swatches it reads noticeably more muted and antique than that, closer to old rose than a true pink.

Shading: Yes – good light-to-dark shading in both the swab bar and handwriting. Heavy pools show darker burgundy-brown edges.

Sheen: None.

Shimmer: None.

Flow: Medium

The interesting bit: Part of Maruzen’s own regional ink range, made by Sailor, with each colour inspired by a Japanese place and a postage-stamp label, like a letter from that place. This one is named after Ishiwarizakura, the “rock-splitting cherry” in Morioka. It’s an Edo-higan cherry about 400 years old, growing out of a crack in a huge granite boulder in the grounds of Morioka District Court. It has been a Japanese Natural Monument since 1923, and in 1932 it survived a fire at the courthouse. Maruzen chose the pink to reflect cherry blossom’s flower meaning, “peace of mind”.

This is a hand-decanted 4ml sample vial from my own bottle.
Photos are my own swatches on Tomoe River Paper.
I’m a collector and I’m always happy to talk ink, so please message me if you have any questions.