The Art of Writing: Sayuri Namiki on Pelikan’s Legacy of Craftsmanship
When Sayuri Namiki assumed the role of managing director at Pelikan Japan, she found herself at the perfect intersection of her passion for design and her extensive career in luxury products. For nearly two centuries, Pelikan has been synonymous with craftsmanship, heritage and the art of fine writing, and now with Sayuri acting as managing director of Pelikan Japan, the brand is poised to honor its storied past while exploring new opportunities to inspire creativity and preserve the timeless tradition of handwriting. “Writing is a very human, passionate desire,” she says, “and that desire never goes away.”
Sayuri’s appointment at Pelikan marks a seemingly natural outcome to her lifelong appreciation for design. As a university student, she studied interior design in California before moving to New York to work in sales at Herman Miller. After returning to Japan, she worked at the Financial Times, later rejoining Herman Miller. Her career has consistently balanced her interest in design with her work in the luxury sector, but it wasn’t until she joined Pelikan that her professional experience and personal passion truly came together.
Two Centuries of Craftsmanship
Pelikan was founded in Germany—originally an ink manufacturer—and will celebrate its 186th anniversary this year. The brand sells fountain pens, ballpoint pens and short pens, and each one is thoughtfully designed. The pens’ internal mechanisms have remained unchanged throughout the company’s nearly 200-year long history, standing as a testament to Pelikan’s rich heritage and astonishing craftsmanship.
“Pelikan’s pens invite you to appreciate the artistry in your own handwriting,” says Sayuri. While competitors capitalize on their pens being status symbols, Sayuri says that Pelikan places equal emphasis on their products being tools designed for everyday use. Their fountain pens continue to thrive, making up 70% of the company’s sales. The pens don’t use ink cartridges, meaning that you must soak the ink manually when you need to refill your pen, a process that may seem laborious but is emblematic of Pelikan’s brand and global appeal. The ritual of replacing the ink in your Pelikan pen invites you to slow down and be present in the process of creating, and the pens—pieces of art in their own right—become vessels with which to recognize your own artistry. “My handwriting has improved since using Pelikan pens,” says Sayuri. “When you have a good pen that makes your writing look beautiful, you naturally find excuses to write by hand more. It becomes a joyful process.”
Even as the world becomes more digital by the day, Pelikan pens continue to cement their places in the hands of C-suite executives, artists and collectors worldwide. Pelikan’s limited-edition pens, particularly their exquisite maki-e models, are particularly popular and regularly sell out quickly.
Maki-e, a traditional Japanese lacquerware technique, involves painting intricate motifs with lacquer and dusting them with gold powder. Pelikan Japan releases special edition maki-e pens only twice a year. Each maki-e pen takes more than a month to create, with artisans dedicating hours to perfect every detail. The upcoming maki-e release, limited to just 123 pens, is already generating excitement among global collectors. “I want to buy one of our maki-e pens for myself,” Sayuri admits with a laugh, “but they sell out so quickly.” The new limited edition maki-e pen will be released this summer.
Each limited edition maki-e fountain pen takes more than a month to make
Looking to the Future
While honoring Pelikan’s history, Sayuri is also focused on its future in Japan. She envisions introducing Pelikan’s school products to inspire children—from those just beginning to show interest in writing and drawing—to take pride in handwriting and embrace the traditions of penmanship and creativity. “In Europe, fountain pens are commonly used in schools. I want to bring that same appreciation for writing by hand to Japanese students,” she says.
Sayuri’s vision extends beyond education, emphasizing Pelikan’s core values of art, beauty, craftsmanship and heritage. Whether through limited-edition pens or everyday tools, Pelikan continues to inspire users to see writing as an act of creativity and connection.
For Sayuri, this mission is deeply personal. “Education never stops, no matter what age you are,” she says. “At Pelikan, we want to support learning by hand—not just as a skill, but as an enduring art.”
Learn more about Pelikan Pens and their collections here.
