UPDATE: Please visit our Instagram, YouTube, private Facebook Group or public Facebook Page to see results.
Transparency, Trust, and Testing
We want to share an important update about the paper we are using in our 2026 Wonderland 222 planners and notebooks by answering some frequently asked questions.
After months of research, testing, and reflection, we’ve made the decision not to use Sanzen Tomoe River paper for our 2026 lineup. Although Sanzen served us beautifully in the past (2024 books – all formats, and 2025 A5 Undated books), wide spread concerns raised across the stationery community regarding recent quality issues other brands experienced with this paper had us nervous for the same fate in 2026.
With our customers’ high standards, and our own, this was not a decision made lightly as we have been very happy with Sanzen Tomoe River paper in the past.
Many of you rely on your planners and notebooks not just for organization, but for the joy of writing: the perfect pen, the shimmer of an ink, the feel of paper that elevates the experience, or simply, for the love of Tomoe River paper. We understand this deeply because we feel the same way.
Rather than wait and hope the quality issues with Tomoe River paper by Sanzen were resolved, we took a proactive step. While we believe at this time, there is still no true replacement for the original legacy 52gsm Tomoe River paper by Tomoegawa (we are hoping Sanzen can perfect their process to get closer in the future), but there are alternatives that perform very well.
We sourced and tested papers from around the world, and one showed very promising results with most fountain pen inks, gel pens, and even watercolor. It maintains the lightweight feel and delicate texture you’ve come to expect from papers like 52gsm Tomoe River. But with that being said, no paper is perfect and with a change this significant, there’s always some risk.
We’ve gone back and forth with this question. As a small business, we’ve worked hard to create something unique, and part of that means protecting the details that set our brand apart.
In the end, we made the decision not to disclose the source at this time. Our priority has been to find a reliable, high-quality alternative to Sanzen Tomoe River paper. We searched for a new paper that feels right in your hands and holds up to the tools you love using.
While the sourcing will remain confidential, we are committed to being open about how the paper performs.
Although we recently shared a small round of pen and ink tests, we are gathering suggestions directly from you and actively purchasing the inks and pens we don’t already have in the studio (This is the fun part for me as I can't wait to try many of your suggestions!).
Our goal is to create a more personalized, real-world overview of how our 2026 paper performs with the tools you actually use and love. While we may not be able to test every combination, we will do our best to cover as many as possible. Once we receive additional paper samples, we will share more detailed results to give you more clarity and information about specific pen and ink performance.
If your favorite pen or ink doesn’t love the new paper, we understand how disappointing that might feel. Our hope is that with the extensive pen and ink tests we share, and from the long list that work beautifully—you might discover a new pairing that still feels just as magical and keeps you excited to use your Wonderland 222 planners and notebooks.
Thank you for believing in us, for supporting small makers, and for allowing us to grow with care. This journey only works because of your feedback and your trust.
**Feel free to share your favorite inks and/or pens in the comments below and we will try to make sure we test them.
With gratitude,
Team Wonderland 222
41 comments
I have been hunting the internet for an undated Tomoe River Paper planner. I have finally found your company, and after buying I read this blog post. The only reason I was buying from you is for the this specific paper….. You should rally not advertise Tomoe paper and then sell something else. I Left Hobonichi because of their new paper. Hoping this new paper is as strong and smooth and wonderful as real Tomoe.
As long as the new paper is fountain pen friendly, I will be happy. Thinner paper like the Tomoe River paper is preferred, but fountain pen friendly paper is one of my most important criteria for choosing a planner – and why I have selected Wonderland222 instead of Hobonichi. The 2025 A5 Wonderland222 (stacked weekend) planner I ordered after the Hobonichi Cousin’s paper disappointed me has been working beautifully with my fountain pens. Thank you for the opportunity to share my views.
As long as the new paper is fountain pen friendly, I will be happy. Thinner paper like the Tomoe River paper is preferred, but fountain pen friendly is the most important factor for me in a planner.
I have already preordered my 2026 to try it out. I love my 25 so much I had to try the 26! However I’d like to see the combination of Diamine Salamander ink and any pen really, this ink bled through all the Sanzen paper I tried in 25. I’d be curious how the new one holds up. Thank you for all the pen tests I’ve seen on FB, lots of time and effort for our happiness. Good luck with your 26 run! I’m very sad the Tomogowa tomoe river is gone forever ( except in my own stash I bought last year lol) I hope this replacement gives us all the same feels. 🙏
Maria, if you are concerned about your paper in your undated, please email us at support. We advertise Tomoe River paper both by Tomoegawa and by Sanzen because we sell both. We are not advertising (and have not) that we use Tomoe River paper for our 2026 books, we are actually stating the exact opposite. Our 2026 books, which we did not make an Undated for 2026, are NOT using Tomoe River paper. I hope this provides some clarification. Thank you!
Please visit us on Instagram, YouTube, private Facebook group or public Facebook page to see videos of our ‘extensive’ pen and ink tests.