Passing on traditions and preserving culture are two aspects for which the Japanese are very well known and, I would say, appreciated globally, in addition to their technological advancement, which is by no means neglected. But what I appreciate most is that they also keep these cultural events alive whenever they get the chance by celebrating them in the most unique ways, as you will see below. Today’s article is about a very special collection celebrating five Japanese seasonal festivals. Let’s explore it!
Entitled ‘Go-Sekku’, the collection comprises five editions in beautiful pastel shades. I’m pretty sure only Japanese will understand what Sekku means, so I’ll explain it briefly to save you from doing research. Well it is said that when Japanese used the lunar calendar, there were five Special days in the year called Sekku (meaning Seasonal Festivals). Each day was given a unique name and celebrated on a specific date: Jinjitsu – a wish for good health on 7th January, Joshi – a celebration of the growth and health of girls on 3rd March, Tango – a celebration of the growth and health of boys on 5th May, Tanabata – a wish for dreams to come true on 7th July and Choyo – a celebration of long life on 9th September.
Now, what is very interesting and worth mentioning is that Sailor not only chose a representative shade for each edition, but also gave it a distinctive name thus creating a connection. The first Jinjitsu-inspired edition is called Seri, which is one of the seven lucky herbs that people would eat on this occasion most often in a rice porridge, pretty cool isn’t it? Even the colour of the pen is inspired by the shade of this herb, which, by the way, is a kind of Japanese parsley.
If the recently released Cocktail Series was a burst of vibrant colours, this edition’s shades seem slightly muted, but who doesn’t love pastels? Fans of the ProGear Slim will enjoy this collection even more as it is only offered in this version. As usual, each pen features a 14k gold nib and is available in F, M-F and M. The trim is also gilded to match the overall look.
You can purchase the pens either in a set with matching ink or on its own. However, be aware that the quantity of each set is limited and you better contact Sailor or any authorised retailer for further information as well as for prices.
image source: web