Tsubame Fools Notebook A5: Paper, Ruling & Sheet Counts

Drawing of the Tsubame Fools University Notebook A5 to scale: a grey card cover 210 mm tall and 148 mm wide with a printed border, a white label frame and a black cloth spine, and the notebook open flat on white pages ruled at 7 mm with thread stitches in the fold — The A5 Tsubame notebook closed and open, with the sewn fold magnified (1 mm = 1 px).

Product facts

Product: Tsubame Fools University Notebook A5, 7 mm ruled, 30 sheets (H30S)
Brand: Tsubame
Brand origin: Japan
Made in: Japan^*
Material: Card cover with cloth spine tape; thread-bound Fools paper (about 81.4 gsm)
Price range: $under $5 per notebook

Notes on these facts

Made by Tsubame Note Co., Ltd. (Tokyo). Made in Japan: per Pulp Addiction's listing for the 30-sheet A5 ruled notebook (Made in Japan) and Hunter Paper Co.'s listing for the 40-sheet A5 (Made in Japan). Tsubame Note is based in Asakusabashi, Tokyo. 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

Tsubame lists the A5 H30S at 148 × 210 mm (5.8 × 8.3 in) with 30 sheets, 7 mm A ruling and 24 lines a page.
JetPens lists the Fools paper at 81.4 gsm and calls it acid-free and fountain-pen friendly.
The same A5 notebook comes in 30, 40, 50, 60, 80 and 100 sheets; Tsubame lists the 30-sheet book at ¥230 (about US$1.50) before tax.
Tsubame says the cover design has not changed since 1947, and that its Fools paper carries a watermark and no fluorescent dyes.
Pulp Addiction and Hunter Paper Co. list it as made in Japan; JetPens sells it for under $5, our $ band.

What is the Tsubame Fools Notebook?

It’s the classic notebook from Tsubame Note, a Tokyo maker, built around its own acid-free Fools paper. The A5 University Notebook H30S is the slim 30-sheet version, ruled at 7 mm.

The grey card cover has a printed border, a label frame and a black cloth spine. Tsubame says the cover design has stayed the same since 1947 (Showa 22). The H in H30S comes from the founder’s given name, Hatsusaburo, and the number is the sheet count.

Tsubame Fools Notebook A5 specs

Spec	A5 University Notebook H30S
Maker	Tsubame Note Co., Ltd., Asakusabashi, Tokyo
Size	A5: 148 × 210 mm (5.8 × 8.3 in)
Sheets	30 (60 pages)
Ruling	A ruling, 7 mm, 24 lines
Paper	Tsubame acid-free Fools paper, 81.4 gsm (JetPens)
Binding	Thread-bound, cloth spine tape
Cover	Grey card with printed border
Codes	H30S, product number H2001; JAN 4968796112115
List price	¥230 (about US$1.50) before tax
Made in	Japan

Size, ruling, sheets, price and JAN are from Tsubame’s Japanese product pages. Paper weight and cover colour are from JetPens; one JetPens listing gives the spacing as 7.5 mm.

How many sheets and sizes are there?

The A5 University Notebook comes in six thicknesses: 30, 40, 50, 60, 80 and 100 sheets, all with the same 7 mm A ruling. Before tax, Tsubame lists them from ¥230 (about US$1.50) for the H30S up to ¥790 (about US$5) for the 100-sheet H100S; the table in the figure gives each price.

The maker notes the H100S is about 5 mm shorter, 148 × 205 mm, and that only the 50- to 100-sheet books have a printed spine label. US shops mostly stock the 30-sheet A5; JetPens also sells a B5.

To-scale drawing of a 148 mm wide A5 Tsubame page with 24 lines at 7 mm, beside bars for the six A5 University Notebook sheet counts, H30S to H100S, with their codes and list prices — The 7 mm, 24-line page, and the six A5 sheet counts Tsubame makes.

Is the Tsubame notebook good for fountain pens?

It has a long reputation as a fountain-pen paper, and JetPens sells it as fountain-pen friendly. Tsubame says the paper resists feathering, uses no fluorescent dyes and carries a Fools watermark you can see against the light. At 81.4 gsm it’s a little lighter than the LIFE Noble Note’s 85 g/m².

We haven’t tested it ourselves, so treat show-through and dry time as open questions until we do. For a wider choice, see our best notebooks for fountain pens.

How does it compare to other Japanese A5 notebooks?

It’s the thinnest and cheapest of these A5 books, and the only one with a cloth spine.

	Tsubame H30S	LIFE Noble Note A5	Midori MD Notebook A5
Size	148 × 210 mm	148 × 210 mm	148 × 210 mm
Pages	60	200	176
Paper	81.4 gsm, white	About 85 g/m², cream	80–90 g/m² (retailers), cream
Ruling	7 mm	Plain, 8 mm, 5 mm grid	Plain, 7 mm, 5 mm grid
Binding	Thread, cloth spine	Thread, cloth spine	Sewn, exposed spine
Price band	$	$$	$$

For a French staple-bound alternative at a similar thickness, see the Clairefontaine 1951 notebook.

Which Tsubame notebook should you choose?

Pick the 30-sheet H30S to try the paper cheaply, or a thicker book for a long project. The sheet count is the only difference within the A5 University line.

If you prefer warm-toned paper, JetPens sells a separate Fools Cream line, such as the A5 C2015 with 32 sheets ruled at 7 mm.

Where is the Tsubame notebook made?

Retailers list it as made in Japan. Pulp Addiction says so for the 30-sheet A5 and Hunter Paper Co. for the 40-sheet A5; Tsubame Note is based in Asakusabashi, Tokyo.

Frequently asked questions

What is Fools paper in a Tsubame notebook?

It's Tsubame's own acid-free writing paper, which the maker calls Tsubame neutral Fools paper. JetPens lists it at 81.4 gsm and describes it as fountain-pen friendly.

How many pages are in a Tsubame A5 notebook?

The A5 H30S has 30 sheets, or 60 pages. Tsubame also makes the same A5 notebook in 40, 50, 60, 80 and 100 sheets.

What is the line spacing in a Tsubame notebook?

Tsubame lists the A5 University Notebook with A ruling at 7 mm and 24 lines a page. One JetPens listing gives 7.5 mm; we use the maker's figure.

Is the Tsubame notebook good for fountain pens?

It's widely sold as fountain-pen friendly, and JetPens describes the paper that way. We haven't tested it ourselves yet.

How much does a Tsubame A5 notebook cost?

Tsubame lists the 30-sheet H30S at ¥230 (about US$1.50) before tax. JetPens sells it for under $5, which is our $ band.

What is the difference between the Tsubame University Notebook and the Fools Cream Notebook?

The University Notebook has white Fools paper under a grey card cover; JetPens sells a separate Fools Cream line, such as the A5 C2015 with 32 sheets at 7 mm, with cream paper.

Does the Tsubame notebook lie flat?

It is thread-bound through the fold, which lets it open wide. We haven't measured how flat it lies.

Where are Tsubame notebooks made?

In Japan, per Pulp Addiction and Hunter Paper Co. Tsubame Note is a Tokyo company based in Asakusabashi.

Sources (11)

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