Teranishi Fujiyama Irodori - Akane Red

Teranishi Fujiyama Irodori Akane Red - Ink drop

Many of my readers know the Japanese brand, Teranishi (or Teranishi Guitar) for the Taisho-Roman Haikara series. In 2023, they released a more affordable, six-ink series called the Fujiyama Irodori series. The six inks are based on the seasonal colors of Mt. Fuji. The ink box packaging features beautiful images of Mt. Fuji that show the inspiration for each color. I chose Akane Red, and it does not disappoint!

Ink Swatches on Cosmo Air Light and Tomoe River

Akane Red is an aggressive and fiery combination of color, sheening, and shading. Like flickering flames, this red reaches from the page and dances in the light. It is brighter and more energetic than Teranishi’s beautiful Modern Red from the Taisho-Roman Haikara series. Although Akane Red is a very rich, bold red, there is some tonal variation in shading. While most reds lean either more pinkish or more orangish in undertone, Akane Red is unusual in that it leans both pinkish and orangish red at the same time! The brassy green-gold sheening is abundant. On many papers, it is visible in stroke edges when using medium or larger nibs. Visually, this is a gorgeous ink.

Ink Swatches on Iroful and Takasago Bank papers

In terms of writing experience and performance, my results were mixed. This is a very pleasurable writing ink. The consistency and flow make this ink very comfortable on the page. Like many sheening inks, Akane Red has significance in feel and isn’t watery at all. It flows beautifully with each stroke. That richness led to small eruptions of feathering as the ink spread between the fibres of some papers. On others, it remained clear and clean. It think pairing the ink with perfect feed and nib combination might eliminate this problem. If nothing else, stick to Tomoe River, Takasago Bank, or Rhodia and your results will be feather-free! This ink is worth the effort!

Writing sample on Cosmo Air Snow paper

At a mere 12 ml, I wish the bottles were bigger. While prices for inks in this series in Japan were extremely low, they seem to vary considerably outside the country. A quick google shows they are widely available, however. Regardless, I think this ink is just too gorgeous and enjoyable to avoid based on price. If you like powerful reds, I definitely recommend this one!

Teranishi Fujiyama Irodori Akane Red - Swatch Card

Teranishi Fujiyama Irodori Akane Red - Comparisons

Teranishi Fujiyama Irodori Akane Red - 12 ml bottle