Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on October 2009

Courtesy of D-Bros

Writing about stationery is normally about as interesting as singing about tax returns, but Tokyo design firm D-Bros pretty much does the job for us. Would it be an overstatement to describe this as the coolest notepad ever? The Kudamemo is a cut 150-page pad that, yes, bears more than a passing resemblance to a piece of fruit. Such is the attention to detail that they even come with the protective mesh wrapping used for real fruit—and, if you buy a job-load, an authentically styled cardboard box. Available in pear and apple versions, each of which even has a strategically placed pip on each sheet of paper.

D-Bros Kudamemo, ¥1,890 each, ¥11,340 for box of six. Available from Spiral Store (http://store.spiral.co.jp/) and Kok Design (www.kok-design.jp).