Ask anyone who has spent real time with graphite which pencils feel best under the hand and the answer almost always drifts east. Japan's two giants — Mitsubishi (the uni brand) and Tombow — make some of the most consistently refined wood-cased pencils on earth, and they do it across more brands and price points than people realise. The problem in Britain has never been quality; it's been getting hold of them. Japanese pencils rarely reach the high street, and when they do it's a single grade of one line at a markup. This guide is the version we wish existed when we started consolidating these ranges: what each line is genuinely good at, how they differ, and which one is right for writing, for drawing, or for a child just learning to hold a pencil.
The short version. For the smoothest, darkest drawing, Mitsubishi Hi-uni is the benchmark, with Tombow Mono 100 its near-equal rival — cleaner and firmer if you prize a crisp line.
For the same Japanese feel at a sensible price, Tombow Mono J and the Kitaboshi 9900 are the value picks.
For writing and everyday use, the classic Mitsubishi 9800 is the workhorse; for children learning to write, the soft, grippy uni Palette.
Why are Japanese pencils so smooth?
There is no single trick, and anyone telling you there is one secret ingredient is guessing. What you can say with confidence is that the smoothness people describe as "creamy" comes from three things the best Japanese makers do very well at once.
The first is the consistency of the graphite-and-clay core. A pencil lead is graphite powder, clay and a binder, fired and then impregnated with wax or oil; the finer and more evenly the graphite particles are dispersed, the less grit you feel and the more even the tone laid down. Mitsubishi and Tombow have a long-earned reputation for tightly controlled particle size and very even cores, which is why the step between adjacent grades feels gradual rather than jumpy. The second is the casing. Premium lines use straight-grained, slow-grown cedar that sharpens cleanly without the core shattering, and the lead is centred well, so it doesn't sharpen off to one side. The third is simply finishing and quality control — the lacquer, the centred core, the way the pencil resists breaking — all of which make the writing experience feel deliberate.
Two honest caveats. "Smooth" is partly subjective and depends heavily on your paper; a Hi-uni on cheap copier paper will feel less impressive than a budget pencil on good drawing stock. And the exact milling and impregnation processes are proprietary — we describe what's observable and widely documented, not factory secrets we can't verify.
The best Japanese pencils, by what they're actually good for
Every line below is genuinely good — there are no duds here. The differences are darkness, point retention, price, and whether the job is drawing, writing or teaching a six-year-old. We've grouped the picks by that, not by a single ranking that pretends one pencil wins for everyone.
Mitsubishi Hi-uni
Japan · Mitsubishi Pencil Co. · 22 grades, 10H–10B (we hold the full range) · premium price
If there is a "best Japanese pencil" in the absolute sense, most people mean the Hi-uni. It is the smoothest, most evenly graded line we stock: the lay-down is low-grit and almost frictionless, the blacks are deep without being greasy, and the tonal step between grades is gentler than any European line. At 22 grades it also has the widest usable ladder we carry — a Hi-uni-only kit takes you from a whisper-light 6H to a near-black 10B without ever changing brand or feel, which is why it's the default choice for serious tonal drawing, portraiture and anything with large areas of continuous shadow.
The catch is price and supply. It's the most expensive line here and the hardest to find on UK shelves, which is exactly the gap we exist to fill. If you mostly draw lines or write, you're paying for refinement you won't fully use — buy down the list.
Check the Hi-uni HB price on Amazon ›Tombow Mono 100
Japan · Tombow · 17 grades, 9H–6B (we hold the full range) · premium price
The Mono 100 is Hi-uni's great rival and the better pick if you value precision over outright softness. It's every bit as smooth but lays down a fraction cleaner and firmer — it holds a point longer and smudges noticeably less, which matters for hatching, fine detail and anyone working across a drawing with the side of their hand. Its range stops at 6B rather than 10B, so it's marginally less suited to the very darkest tonal work, but for line-led drawing it's arguably the most satisfying pencil in this whole guide. Build quality, from the centred core to the black-and-gold lacquer, is impeccable.
Hi-uni or Mono 100 is the classic debate, and we stock both in full; there's a section weighing them up directly further down this page if you're choosing between just these two.
Check the Mono 100 HB price on Amazon ›Tombow Mono J
Japan · Tombow · grades 4H–3B (we hold the range) · budget–mid price
The Mono J is Tombow's quietly brilliant value pencil — the same family heritage as the Mono 100, pitched at students and everyday drawing rather than the flagship tier. It's a touch firmer and a shade less buttery than its premium sibling, but it carries far more of that Japanese smoothness than its price suggests, and the core is reliably centred and clean to sharpen. If you want to find out what the fuss is about without committing to a Hi-uni, or you simply burn through pencils and don't want to baby an expensive one, this is where to start. Its narrower 4H–3B span is no real limit for sketching and study work.
Check the Mono J HB price on Amazon ›Kitaboshi 9900 Drawing Pencil
Japan · Kita-Boshi Pencil Co. · 12 grades, 4H–6B (we hold the range) · budget price
Kitaboshi is the connoisseur's value pick — a smaller, older Japanese maker known for honest, no-frills pencils, and the 9900 is its classic drawing line. Many grades wear a natural, lightly finished cedar barrel rather than heavy lacquer, which makes the wood smell and the workmanship part of the pleasure. The graphite is smoother and darker than the price has any right to be, and the 4H–6B span covers proper drawing comfortably. It won't quite match a Hi-uni for the very deepest, most velvet darks, but as the cheapest way into genuinely good Japanese graphite for drawing, nothing here beats it.
Check the Kitaboshi 9900 HB price on Amazon ›Mitsubishi 9800
Japan · Mitsubishi Pencil Co. · general-writing range incl. 2H–2B (we hold the range) · budget price
Long before the Hi-uni existed, the 9800 was Mitsubishi's everyday pencil, and it's still in production for good reason. This is the writer's Japanese pencil: a clean, consistent HB that puts down a crisp, legible line, sharpens to a fine point and holds it, and costs a fraction of the premium lines. It's the pencil to buy by the dozen for note-taking, exams, crosswords, marking up drafts — anywhere you want reliable Japanese quality control without paying for a smoothness you'd only appreciate while shading. For pure handwriting, an HB or B 9800 is all most people will ever need.
Check the Mitsubishi 9800 HB price on Amazon ›Mitsubishi uni Palette
Japan · Mitsubishi Pencil Co. · soft learning grades (B, 2B, 4B, 6B) · budget price
The uni Palette is Japan's answer to the first proper pencil. It's built for small hands learning to form letters: soft, dark grades (the range runs B to 6B, with 2B the usual starting point) so a child gets a clear mark without pressing hard, and friendly pastel barrels in a long list of colours. The graphite carries the usual Mitsubishi consistency, so it writes smoothly and doesn't crumble under a heavy little hand, and several of the learning sets come in a triangular barrel that encourages a correct tripod grip. For UK parents it's a far nicer object than the usual school-issue pencil, and the soft grades suit early handwriting practice better than a standard HB.
Check the uni Palette 2B price on Amazon ›The picks side by side
| Line | Maker | Grades we hold | Feel | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hi-uni | Mitsubishi | 10H–10B (22) | Smoothest, creamy, deep darks | Tonal drawing, full-range kit | £££ |
| Mono 100 | Tombow | 9H–6B (17) | Smooth but clean, holds a point | Controlled, detailed drawing | £££ |
| Mono J | Tombow | 4H–3B | Smooth, slightly firmer | Best-value everyday drawing | £–££ |
| Kitaboshi 9900 | Kita-Boshi | 4H–6B (12) | Smooth, natural cedar | Budget drawing, the wood lovers' pick | £ |
| 9800 | Mitsubishi | 2H–2B | Clean, crisp, consistent | Writing & everyday use | £ |
| uni Palette | Mitsubishi | B–6B (soft) | Soft, dark, grippy | Kids learning to write | £ |
Grade counts are the degrees we stock and have used. Some lines run wider in Japan than we list; where we couldn't independently confirm a grade is sold and available in the UK, we've left it out rather than pad the figure. The uni Palette is sold in several barrel styles and grade mixes — check the product page for current options.
Hi-uni vs Mono 100 — which is better?
This is the question we get asked most, and the honest answer is that neither is "better" — they're tuned differently. The Hi-uni is the softer, smoother, more indulgent pencil: it lays down darker with less pressure, its range runs further into the blacks (to 10B), and for big tonal passages and portrait work it's the more luxurious tool. The Mono 100 is cleaner and firmer: it holds a sharper point, smudges less, and feels more precise for line work, hatching and tight detail, at the cost of stopping at 6B.
If you shade large areas and chase deep, even darks, lean Hi-uni — and if it's the very blackest grades you're after, see our guide to the darkest pencils you can actually buy. If you draw with line and value crispness and control, lean Mono 100. Most artists who can run to it eventually own both.
Best Japanese pencil for writing vs drawing
The two jobs want different things, and buying the wrong tool is the commonest mistake we see.
For writing you want a clean, firm grade that holds a point and doesn't smear across the page or your hand — so a harder line in HB or B. The Mitsubishi 9800 in HB is the value answer and genuinely all most writers need; if you want to write on the premium tier, a Mono 100 or Hi-uni in HB or F is a quiet pleasure but overkill for a shopping list.
For drawing you want darkness and a smooth gradient, so you live on the soft side — 2B and below. Here the premium lines earn their keep: a Hi-uni for the deepest tonal work, a Mono 100 for controlled detail, or the Mono J and Kitaboshi 9900 for the same character at a friendlier price. For a child learning to write, ignore both extremes and reach for the soft, grippy uni Palette.
Where can I buy Japanese pencils in the UK?
This is the real frustration, and it's why the page you're reading exists. Japanese pencils are scarce on the British high street — the odd single grade turns up in art shops, but the full grade ladders, the value lines like the Mono J and Kitaboshi, and the children's pencils are almost impossible to find in one place. Most people end up paying import prices through scattered overseas sellers.
House of Graphite is the consolidated UK source for these ranges. We catalogue every grade of the lines above so you can see the whole ladder, pick the exact degree you want, and buy it on Amazon UK at the live price — no minimum order, no import faff. Each pencil's product page carries the current price and availability and the full set of grades; use the "check price on Amazon" links above to jump straight to the one you want.
FAQ
- What are the best Japanese pencils?
- The Mitsubishi Hi-uni is the benchmark — the smoothest, darkest and most widely graded line, ideal for tonal drawing. The Tombow Mono 100 is its near-equal, cleaner and firmer for line work. For value, the Tombow Mono J and Kitaboshi 9900 give much of the same Japanese feel for less. The Mitsubishi 9800 is the everyday writing pencil, and the uni Palette is the best choice for children learning to write.
- Why are Japanese pencils so smooth?
- Chiefly because the best Japanese makers, Mitsubishi and Tombow, mill very fine, evenly dispersed graphite cores and pair them with straight-grained, well-centred cedar casings, backed by tight quality control. The result is a low-grit lay-down and gentle steps between grades. Note that "smooth" is partly subjective and depends a lot on your paper, and the exact core recipes are proprietary.
- Hi-uni vs Mono 100 — which is better?
- Neither is simply better; they're tuned differently. The Hi-uni is softer and smoother, lays down darker with less pressure and runs to 10B, making it the choice for tonal and portrait work. The Mono 100 is cleaner and firmer, holds a sharper point and smudges less, making it better for line work and detail, though it stops at 6B.
- What's the best Japanese pencil for writing versus drawing?
- For writing, choose a firm grade that holds a point — the Mitsubishi 9800 in HB is the value pick, or a Mono 100 / Hi-uni in HB or F for a premium feel. For drawing, work on the soft side (2B and below): Hi-uni for the deepest tone, Mono 100 for controlled detail, or the Mono J and Kitaboshi 9900 for value. For children learning to write, the soft, grippy uni Palette is best.
- Where can I buy Japanese pencils in the UK?
- They're hard to find on the high street, where you'll usually get only a single grade of one line. House of Graphite catalogues the full grade ranges of Hi-uni, Mono 100, Mono J, the 9800, the Kitaboshi 9900 and the uni Palette, with live prices on Amazon UK — so you can buy the exact degree you want without import hassle.
Sources and verification: line specifications and grade ranges are taken from the products we stock and from the makers' own ranges (Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Tombow, Kita-Boshi Pencil Co.), cross-checked against retailer listings such as JetPens and long-running enthusiast reviews (e.g. Pencil Talk). Where launch dates or factory processes are commonly cited but we could not independently confirm them, we've described what's observable rather than stating them as fact.
House of Graphite catalogues wood-cased graphite pencils and links to Amazon, where as an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Prices and availability are shown on each product page. We hold and use the grades discussed above; where we couldn't verify a manufacturing detail we've described what's observable rather than asserting it.