Designed by Nakaya master pen designer Shinichi Yoshida in collaboration with John Mottishaw, the Naka-ai, with its peaked ends and tapered body, combines many of Nakayas most distinctive design features as well as the classic deep blue (kikyo) color in a single model. “”Naka-ai”” has the meaning of middle or in-between, and brings to mind the Middle Way of Buddhist practice with its emphasis on balance, integrity, and centeredness. Appropriately enough, the Naka-ai occupies a midway position between Nakaya’s smaller Piccolo series pens and the longer Deskpen.

Dark blue Kikyo is one of the most popular solid color finishes for Nakaya Urushi pens. The tapered lines of the Naka-ai Writer provide a superb “”canvas”” for this rich hue.

As Urushi is a natural substance, variations in hue are to be expected from batch to batch – no two pens will ever be exactly alike. The pen imaged here is on the darker side of the spectrum for a Kikyo, but will lighten in time as the Urushi lacquer matures.

The Naka-ai can be filled with bottled ink using the provided converter. Nakaya pens can also use Platinum brand high quality ink cartridges. Hand-painted Maki-e converters are also available.

The Nakaya Naka-ai Writer in Kikyo is provided with your choice of solid gold 14k single-tone nib in Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, or Extra Broad, with Fine Soft, Medium Soft, and Super Extra Fine nibs also available.
The double slit Music nib is available at an added premium, as are plated nibs in Pink Gold, Rhodium, Ruthenium, or Two-Tone – consult our Nakaya Nibs page for details.
14k nibs are well-suited to customizations including Stub, Cursive Italic, and Left Oblique, as well as the modification for added flex.
Nakaya pens ship in a solid softwood shipping box decorated with Japanese Kanji script and lined with decorative rice paper. A fabric pen “”kimono”” and starter box of Platinum brand cartridges are also included, making this pen a lovely presentation item. Sensible and elegant packaging has long been a hallmark of the Nakaya brand.
Nakaya pens are individually handcrafted in a process that requires a minimum of three to six months and often much longer.
Unless requested otherwise, each pen or nib you purchase from us will be carefully examined, tested, and optimized for your personal writing characteristics before it ships. See our nib set-up and optimization page for more details.