Asa-Gao
The name Iroshizuku is a combination of the Japanese words Iro (Coloring), expressing high standards and variation of colors, and Shizuku (Droplet), that embodies the very image of dripping water. Each ink name derives from the expressions of beautiful Japanese natural landscapes and plants, all of which contribute to the depth of each individual hue.
asa-gao Morning Glory (Vivid Purplish Blue)
The iconic summer morning glory has long been a familiar favorite of the Japanese. This shade of blue conjures up the refreshing color of a newly blooming morning glory.
joshjohayes (verified owner) –
I love this ink. It doesn’t bleed too much on regular printer paper so it can be used for fine writing as well as day-to-day notes and scribbles.
stephen.seeney (verified owner) –
My favourite ink, after using a sample, I HAD to get a bottle. Not least to mention that the bottle and packing is stunning as well.
On the right paper, e.g. Endless Tomoe River Notebooks, there is a faint satisfying reddish colour sheen that comes through.
The ink is also well behaved on various other paper, and the darker blue inspires a freshness of feeling which gives weight to the “Morning Glory Flower” after which the ink is named.
sandy.mcguffog (verified owner) –
This is easily the best blue ink I’ve used – I get really great variations in color using a medium nib. Be aware, I find it to be quite a wet ink, so it’s probably won’t be a good fit to a very wet nib.
Matthys Le Roux (verified owner) –
My subjective view is that this ink falls into the “royal blue” range of colours. It performs well on premium papers, but I have found that it feathers a tad on standard paper. For this reason I have found another ink in this hue as a standard writing ink.
Werner Ungerer (verified owner) –
To throw in an esoteric two cents to the reviews for this ink – this blue has a vibration. Sometimes ink is just ink. A colour is blue or red or purple, primary and solid and without any intrigue or complexity beyond that. And that can be good thing. Asa Gao is in a different class. It’s the colour of a deep breath of clean, fresh air. Calm, hopeful and full of impact.