What is Muji?

MUJI was founded in Japan in 1980 as an antithesis to the habits of consumer society at that time. On one hand, foreign-made luxury brands were gaining popularity within an economic environment of ever-rising prosperity. On the other, poor-quality, low-priced goods were appearing on the market and had a polarizing effect on consumption patterns.

MUJI was conceived as a critique of this prevailing condition, with the purpose of restoring a vision of products that are actually useful for the customer and maintain an ideal of the proper balance between living and the objects that make it possible. The concept was born of the intersection of two distinct stances: no brand (Mujirushi) and the value of good items (ryohin).

MUJI began with three steps: selecting materials, scrutinizing processes, and simplifying packaging. MUJI’s concept of emphasizing the intrinsic appeal of an object through rationalization and meticulous elimination of excess is closely connected to the traditionally Japanese aesthetic of “su” –– meaning plain or unadorned –– the idea that simplicity is not merely modest or frugal, but could possibly be more appealing than luxury.

Muji has an amazing range of simple stationery products from notebooks and diaries (in a wide range of sizes) to pens and pencils to office accessories and storage solutions – making them so much more than a simple lifestyle brand  – they are most likely to have the solution!

Where can I find it? You can find them online and in a variety of locations in the UK (and Worldwide).

My Recent Haul

On my latest trip to Muji at Yas Mall in Abu Dhabi. I bought a selection of stationery which included:

• Semi-Bleached Paper Notebook
• Gel Ink Ballpoint Pens (set of 6)
• Recycled Paper Notebook /Weekly Notebook
• Smooth Gel Ink Ballpoint Pen in Purple
• Masking Tape
• Pocket Notebook
• Sticky Note Checklist

Semi-Bleached Paper Notebook (a5)

The semi bleached paper notebook is a simple lined notebook made up of 64 pages and is a5 in size. It is just made of paper so there is no proper cover and therefore it is flexible but is it perfect as a monthly notebook or messy notebook as it is so simple.

Muji | £0.75

Gel Ink Ball Point Pens

I love Japanese pens. So buying a set of 0.5mm gel ink ballpoint pens was an obvious choice. The pens come in a wide range of colours. I bought a six-pack of classic colours including black, green, blue, red and orange. I also grabbed a stand-along purple pen as well to add a bit of variety into my pen collection.

Muji | £8.95

Weekly Notebook

Next up is a simple A5 notebook with an undated weekly layout so that it can be used to plan out the week. As it is very minimalistic you have the freedom to do what you want with it.

Masking Tape

You can never have too much Washi Tape. These navy-patterned washi tapes are great for wrapping or decorating.

Muji | £3.95

Passport Memo Notebook

A small recycled paper passport notebook with squared paper (125 x 88 x 24 mm) with a 5mm grid.

Muji | £1.50

Sticky Note Checklist

The final item is these cute stick note checklists. The pack contains three sets in three colours and each has 10 checklist sheets.

Enjoy shopping at Muji!