Midori MD Paper Pad: Cream MD Paper, Sizes & Cotton

Drawing of the Midori MD Paper Pad A5, 148 × 210 × 10 mm, in cream MD Paper on a thick backing board, closed and from above with a sheet torn off; glued on two edges with a 45° cut corner, shown in the inset — The A5 pad: 90 cream sheets glued on two edges, drawn to scale.

Product facts

Product: Midori MD Paper Pad A5, Blank, 90 sheets (15235006)
Brand: Midori
Brand origin: Japan
Made in: Japan^*
Material: Cream MD Paper, 80 g/m²
Price range: $$$5–20 per ream or pad

Notes on these facts

Made by Designphil Inc. (Tokyo); the MD line is now sold as MD PRODUCT. Made in Japan: Midori's Japanese MD PRODUCT store gives 原産国 (country of origin) Made in Japan for the A5, A4, A4 Square and Cotton pads. Retailers agree: Galen Leather lists origin Japan, and Hunter Paper Co., Jenni Bick and Totem Shop say made in Japan. Source. Price: example listing.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).

Key takeaways

Midori's Japanese MD PRODUCT store lists the A5 pad at 210 × 148 × 10 mm (8.3 × 5.8 × 0.4 in), 90 sheets and about 255 g.
The A4 pad also has 90 sheets, measures 297 × 210 × 10 mm and weighs about 500 g; a 210 × 210 mm A4 Square pad joined the Japanese range in October 2026.
Midori gives standard MD Paper as 80 g/m² and MD Paper Cotton, with 20% cotton pulp, as 75 g/m².
Japanese list prices run from ¥770 (about US$4.90) for the A5 pad to ¥1,210 (about US$7.70) for the A4 Cotton pad, with tax.
Designphil says Midori has developed MD Paper in-house since the 1960s; Pen Addict found more ghosting on MD Cotton than on standard MD Paper.

What is the Midori MD Paper Pad?

The Midori MD Paper Pad is a plain pad of loose, tear-off sheets made from Midori’s own MD Paper, the same cream paper used in the Midori MD Notebook A5. It has no cover; Midori says a thick backing board and two glued edges keep it steady enough to write on while standing with the pad in one hand.

Midori is a brand of Designphil Inc. in Tokyo. The MD line is now sold as MD PRODUCT through its own Japanese online store, and Paperwhisper says the paper, construction, size and design are unchanged from the Midori-branded pads.

What is MD Paper, and when did it start?

MD Paper is a writing paper that Midori has developed in-house since the 1960s, according to a 2018 Designphil press release. Midori’s official history says the company was founded in 1950 and that its first product was letter paper, but it doesn’t give a year for MD Paper itself.

Some retailers expand “MD” as Midori Diary. Midori’s own pages don’t spell the name out, so treat that as an unofficial reading.

MD Paper Pad specs

Spec	A5 pad	A4 pad
Item number	15235006 (blank), 91803385 (grid)	15236006 (blank), 91803386 (grid), 91804330 (storyboard)
Size	210 × 148 × 10 mm (8.3 × 5.8 × 0.4 in)	297 × 210 × 10 mm (11.7 × 8.3 × 0.4 in)
Sheets	90	90
Weight	About 255 g (9.0 oz)	About 500 g (17.6 oz)
Rulings	Blank, 5 mm grid	Blank, 5 mm grid, storyboard (4 × 2 frames)
Paper	MD Paper, cream, 80 g/m²	Same
Binding	Glued on two edges, thick backing board, one corner cut	Same
List price (Japan)	¥770 (about US$4.90) with tax	¥1,100 (about US$7.00) with tax
Made in	Japan	Japan

Every figure comes from Midori’s Japanese MD PRODUCT online store. Totem Shop’s listing gives the same 255 g and 500 g weights.

To-scale drawing: A4 MD Paper Pad 210 × 297 mm and A5 pad 148 × 210 mm, each 90 sheets glued on two edges, beside the 168 × 210 mm MD Letter Pad with 50 sheets ruled at 9.5 mm — The A5 pad has half the sheet area of the A4 pad; the letter pad is 20 mm wider than A5.

Which sizes and versions are there?

Midori’s Japanese store sells the MD Paper Pad in A5, A4 and A4 Square, plus Cotton pads in A5 and A4 and a separate 50-sheet MD Letter Pad. There is no A6, A7 or B5 MD Paper Pad; those sizes appear as MD Notebooks instead.

Version	Size	Sheets	Ruling	List price (Japan)
MD Paper Pad A5	148 × 210 mm (5.8 × 8.3 in)	90	Blank or 5 mm grid	¥770 (about US$4.90)
MD Paper Pad A4	210 × 297 mm (8.3 × 11.7 in)	90	Blank, 5 mm grid or storyboard	¥1,100 (about US$7.00)
MD Paper Pad A4 Square	210 × 210 mm (8.3 × 8.3 in)	90	Blank or 5 mm grid	¥990 (about US$6.30)
MD Paper Pad Cotton A5 / A4	As A5 / A4	90	Blank	¥880 (about US$5.60) / ¥1,210 (about US$7.70)
MD Letter Pad (standard or cotton)	168 × 210 mm (6.6 × 8.3 in)	50	15 lines at 9.5 mm, or 11 vertical lines at 10 mm	¥550 (about US$3.50) / ¥660 (about US$4.20)

Prices include Japanese tax. The A4 Square pad, about 344 g, appeared on Midori’s Japanese store in October 2026; we don’t know when it will reach US shops.

Blick calls the letter pad A5, and Pulp Addiction says its width is a letter-writing size rather than B5. The vertical-ruled letter pad is a Japanese-style format.

How is the pad bound?

The sheets are glued along two edges, not just the top, so you can write in portrait or landscape. Midori describes the two-edge gluing and a cut corner that makes pages easier to turn; Galen Leather says the lower left corner is cut at 45° so pages tear off without dog-ears.

That means a torn sheet has two slightly rough glued edges and no perforation. If you want a clean perforated top, a stapled pad like Rhodia’s is the alternative.

Is MD Paper good for fountain pens?

Midori says so, and reviewers mostly agree, with ghosting as the main caveat. Midori’s store says MD Paper resists bleeding and bleed-through, and retailers market it as fountain-pen friendly.

In its MD Cotton review, Pen Addict found almost no feathering or bleeding on either MD paper, and more ghosting on Cotton.

We found no measured dry time. One Fountain Pen Network member says dry times on MD Paper are long, which is an anecdote, not a test. A fine-nibbed pen such as the LAMY safari with a well-behaved ink is a safer start.

For a much lighter fountain pen sheet, Tomoe River paper is 52 gsm, though writing shows through more.

What is the difference between MD Paper and MD Cotton?

MD Paper Cotton blends 20% cotton pulp into MD Paper and is slightly lighter, at 75 g/m² against 80 g/m², per Midori. Midori calls it smooth and gentle to the touch. Pen Addict found it whiter, with wider fountain pen lines and heavier ghosting, and recommends standard MD Paper for writing on both sides; it found Cotton better for pencil.

The A5 Cotton pad weighs about 249 g, per Midori, a little less than the 255 g standard pad.

How does it compare to the Rhodia No. 16?

Both are A5 tear-off pads, but the MD pad has 10 more sheets of cream paper glued on two edges, while the Rhodia has white, perforated, top-stapled sheets.

	MD Paper Pad A5	Rhodia No. 16 DotPad
Size	148 × 210 mm	148 × 210 mm
Sheets	90	80, micro-perforated
Paper	MD Paper, cream, 80 g/m²	80 g/m² Clairefontaine, white
Rulings	Blank, 5 mm grid	5 mm dots, also lined, graph, blank
Binding	Glued on two edges	Stapled at the top
Made in	Japan	France
Price band	$$	$$

Rhodia figures come from our Rhodia guide and its sources. For heavier Clairefontaine paper in a bound book, the Clairefontaine 1951 staplebound A5 has 96 pages of 90 g/m². For mixed media and paint rather than ink, look at the heavier Canson XL Mix Media Pad.

How much does it cost?

The standard A5 MD Paper Pad sits in our $$ band ($5–20 per pad) at the US shops we checked in October 2026. In Japan, Midori lists it at ¥770 (about US$4.90) with tax, so US prices include import costs. Cotton pads cost a little more.

Where is the MD Paper Pad made?

Midori’s Japanese MD PRODUCT store lists every MD Paper Pad as Made in Japan. Retailers agree: Galen Leather gives the origin as Japan, and Hunter Paper Co., Jenni Bick and Totem Shop say “Made in Japan”. We didn’t find a Midori page that names the mill or factory.

Frequently asked questions

How many sheets are in a Midori MD Paper Pad?

The A5, A4 and A4 Square MD Paper Pads each hold 90 sheets, per Midori, in blank, grid and cotton versions. The separate MD Letter Pad holds 50 ruled sheets.

What size is the MD Paper Pad A5?

Midori lists it at 210 × 148 × 10 mm, which is standard A5, or about 8.3 × 5.8 in. The A4 pad is 297 × 210 mm and the A4 Square pad 210 × 210 mm.

What paper weight is Midori MD Paper?

Midori's Japanese store gives standard MD Paper as 80 g/m² and MD Paper Cotton as 75 g/m². Some retailers list other figures, but the maker's numbers settle it.

Is MD Paper cream or white?

Standard MD Paper is cream; Midori's store files it as MD Paper (cream), and Hunter Paper Co. calls it cream. Pen Addict and Blick describe MD Cotton as whiter.

Is the MD Paper Pad good for fountain pens?

Midori says MD Paper resists feathering and bleed-through, and markets it to fountain pen users. Pen Addict found almost no feathering or bleeding on MD papers, with more ghosting on Cotton; we haven't tested it ourselves.

What is the difference between MD Paper and MD Cotton?

MD Paper Cotton adds 20% cotton pulp and is 75 g/m² rather than 80, per Midori. Pen Addict found it whiter and softer, with wider fountain pen lines and more ghosting than standard MD Paper.

Where is the Midori MD Paper Pad made?

In Japan. Midori's Japanese MD PRODUCT store lists every MD Paper Pad as Made in Japan, and retailers such as Galen Leather and Hunter Paper Co. agree. Midori is a brand of Tokyo-based Designphil.

What does MD stand for?

Some retailers, such as Hunter Paper Co., write it as Midori Diary. Midori's own product pages don't spell the name out, so treat that as an unofficial reading.

Sources (23)

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