Threads and Ink: Kyoko's Handmade Japanese Notebooks

Kyoko Kimura Morgan’s work with Japanese bookbinding and sumi-e ink painting brings together craft, tradition, and expressive beauty.

By combining the structural elegance of yotsume toji (四つ目綴じ) binding with the fluid brushwork of sumi-e (墨絵), she creates handmade notebooks and journals that are both functional and artistic.

What is Japanese Bookbinding?

Japanese bookbinding is a centuries-old method that differs from Western techniques. Instead of glue or heavy stitching, holes are punched through the cover and pages, which are then sewn together with thread in elegant patterns. Yotsume toji (四つ目綴じ), or “four-hole binding,” is one of the most recognized styles, balancing aesthetics, strength, and flexibility.

This method dates back to the 8th century when Buddhist monks used it to preserve sacred texts. By the Edo period (江戸時代, 1603–1868), it had become common for poetry, illustrated novels, and scholarly works—prized for its durability and the way books could open flat for reading and study.

Kyoko was introduced to Japanese bookbinding through her father, who bound his own memoirs by hand. His example inspired her use of the form in her community-based art practice.

The Role of Sumi-e

To decorate the covers of her bound books, Kyoko turns to sumi-e (墨絵), the Japanese art of ink wash painting. Using black ink and the expressive play of white space, sumi-e captures simplicity, balance, and the spirit of nature. 

In Kyoko’s hands, bookbinding and sumi-e are more than craft—they are practices of mindfulness and cultural continuity. Each handmade notebook becomes a bridge between utility and art, history and modern creativity. Her work invites us to slow down, to value the handmade, and to see beauty in both structure and brushstroke.