A letter set is one of the few things that improves simply by being nice to look at, since the person opening it sees it too. The paper has a pink border scattered with small flowers, a fruit tree printed at the top, and a little parade of animal characters along the bottom, the sort of illustration that makes a letter feel like it arrived from somewhere worth writing back from. This one is by the Japanese illustrator Aiko Fukawa, whose work has a soft, warm, slightly wistful quality that suits a letter rather well. It is printed on Mino washi, a paper made in Gifu for over a thousand years and still a pleasure to write on. Twelve sheets and four envelopes, which is enough for a few short letters or one very long one.

• 12 sheets and 4 envelopes
• Mino washi paper
• 7.12" x 5.7"
• Made in Japan