Shodo Doodles is a premier digital studio and authorized US retailer for Kobaien products, with permission to sell Kobaien products from Ichi, Inc., Japan, the official international distributor of Kobaien products authorized by Kobaien headquarters in Japan. For over 400 years, the artisans of Kobaien in Nara have dedicated themselves to the art of crafting sumi ink by hand. Founded in 1577 by Matsui Dochin, Kobaien has passed down this time-honored tradition through generations of skilled artisans, each driven by a deep love and passion for sumi ink. At Kobaien, the air itself is steeped in history. As one poem describes it: 'I can smell the ink sticks. The ancient capital of Nara at the Kobaien garden there.' This sensory experience speaks to the centuries-old tradition of ink making that continues to thrive in this unique place. Please click here to read an article by Mario Forsos. About Kobaien history of ink making.