Pilot Namiki Yukari Fountain Pen – Seven Gods Hotei-son (100th Anniversary Limited Edition)
The Pilot Namiki Yukari Seven Gods Hotei-son is a deeply meaningful first for me: my first maki-e fountain pen. Its joyful figure of Hotei-son, rendered across deep black lacquer with glowing gold detail, transforms the pen into a personal reminder of patience, generosity and good fortune.
ABOUT THE PEN:
Created for Pilot’s 100th anniversary, this Namiki Yukari belongs to a remarkable series devoted to the Seven Gods of Good Fortune. This edition portrays Hotei-son, the smiling monk associated with good fortune, prosperity and matrimonial happiness. He appears among the Chinese mountains with his generous expression and the large patience bag carried over his shoulder—a bag said to hold the treasures and blessings he shares with others.
The scene was created by maki-e artisan Misa Seki using the demanding togidashi taka-maki-e technique. Raised lacquer decoration, metal powders and inlaid gold dust give the image depth that changes with the light, while the black lacquered body becomes the quiet background for Hotei-son’s warm presence. Only 150 pens of each design in the Seven Gods series were produced worldwide.
This is my first maki-e fountain pen, and I wanted that first piece to carry more than decorative beauty. Hotei-son’s smile and patience bag give the artwork a meaning I can return to: patience, generosity and the idea that real abundance is something to be shared. The image is magnificent, but it is the story behind it that makes the pen truly personal to me.
Beneath the artwork is a refined Yukari writing instrument with a lacquered brass body, gold trim and an 18-karat No. 10 gold nib in M. The medium nib gives this work of art a practical life on the page—I want it to be written with, not simply displayed.
PEN DETAILS:
Pilot Namiki Yukari Fountain Pen – Seven Gods Hotei-son (100th Anniversary Limited Edition)
type: Fountain pen
nib: 18k gold No. 10 (M)
technique: Togidashi taka-maki-e with inlaid gold dust
maki-e artist: Misa Seki
edition: 150 pieces worldwide
Date of acquisition: 30.8.2026