Tsubame Note has been making some of Japan's most loved writing paper since Watanabe Hatsusaburo launched the notebook in Tokyo in 1947, its cover named for the swallow (tsubame) that returns each spring. The brand's smooth, fountain-pen-friendly Foolscap paper — made only in spring and autumn, when the water is right for it — earned Tsubame Note the Good Design Long Life Design Award in 2012.

This block memo brings that paper down to a compact 85 x 85mm square. We love the format: 400 sheets pressed into one block, with a thick divider marking the halfway point so it splits clean into two 200-sheet pads. Tear off a page for a grocery list, a phone number, or a passing thought — no notebook required. Made in Japan.

Please note that the memo block is not a sticky notepad and does not have any adhesive on the back side.