Japan has had a long-lasting affinity with stationary, which results in simple yet fascinating products like this Journey Pencil. Designed by Masahiro Hirata, the pencil is printed with the names and flags of different countries. The journey begins in Japan and, as the length of the pencil gets shorter, the tip indicates how far you’ve drawn. Go through an entire pencil and you’ve drawn half way around the world – about 25,000 km.
Hirata’s design was awarded honorable mention last year in the Kokuyo Design Awards.