Japan's stationery sector rocked by pencil supply crisis

[yuiyoshida]

TOKYO —

Japan’s usually sedate stationery sector has been rocked by a pencil supply crisis that is drawing a backlash—and panic buying—among architects and animators.

The drama erupted in response to a plan by Mitsubishi Pencil—one of the nation’s oldest stationery makers—to stop producing a line of a dozen colored pencils, sparing only the red version from the chopping block.

The company, which traces its roots back to the 19th century, earlier said the move was in response to weak demand.

But that failed to satisfy pencil-loving architects and the animators behind Japan’s well-known manga cartoons.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/business/view/japans-stationery-sector-rocked-by-pencil-supply-crisis

[Art_from_Ark]

1. So it's not really a *pencil* crisis

It's a *colored pencil* crisis.
I've got a bunch of sets of colored pencils lying around, if anyone wants them.