This place is next to the matcha store. I could spend hours here! Their shelves are stocked with stationary from local small businesses like @palett.es , atelier by Jo, @faithcaoculator. I don't have to wait for SJ made to come around any more! I picked up some cute cards, stickers, and the viral build a room using stickers sticker sheet. I barely made it past the cards and stickers after 30 minutes. The items are a bit pricy but that's the general trend of stickers and cards from smaller creators. I'll check out the other half of the store next time. read more

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love me a good stationery store that doesn't charge an arm and leg like moleskine does. psa! there's a maido downstairs that sells *some* stationery but mostly cutesy kitsch. the one with all the stationery is on the 2nd floor. i wouldn't have known this had i not heard someone serendipitously walk by telling someone else about how there was more stationery in the shop upstairs just as i was beginning to wonder where all the good goods were. read more

*Upper Level Shop Review* The tiniest stationery shop I've probably been to, but also has a lot of stuff from pens, markers, notepads, art supplies, souvenirs, you name it. This shop has a lot of shoppers who come in, so be prepared to be a temporary sardine in a can. But, their stuff is cute. Also fun to just walk around and see what's there. I was mesmerized by their SF themed magnets at my recent visit. They actually had a nice small selection, that's not the touristy kind your find over by the wharf. Fun place to visit or if you need to update your stationery. read more

Mai Do - San Francisco - Cute SF theme magnets - Cards & Stationery Near Me - San Francisco, California

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It was a lot. I wasn't able to say anything bad about the service it was busy. The selection is a lot to choose from. The value is normal SF prices ( highly not recommended) unless you you something specific. read more

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Everytime I visit SF I make it a point to stop here and checkout the new pens and stationary. The store is quite small and always crowded but but don't let the stop you from finding great things. Surely you can shop these pens online but there's something about being able to select and try them out before purchasing that has me back every time. I also noticed the prices are reasonable and not marked up higher just because it is in a tourist spot! read more

I've been coming here for years to get refills for pens, stickers, and stationary. There's always something cute to be had. They usually have the newest item I'm looking for. Always a stop if ever in the area. Basic for art supplies. Prices are the same or more here than online. Throughout the years staff have had consistently dry personalities, but transactions are quick. read more

My family and I are slightly obsessed with Japanese stationery, and few places top Maido in Japantown. We once spent a long afternoon in Ginza Itoya--the eight floor modern, immaculate stationary superstore in Tokyo with rows of perfectly designed pens, playful stamps, gorgeous hand printed stickers and ephemera we didn't know we needed. Maido is much smaller, a little cluttered, but brings some of that experience with its rows of geometric folders and gorgeous mechanical pencils. I've never met a gel pen or cat stamp here I didn't love. I also like to shop both Maido locations: upstairs they have small cubby packed full with stationary and office supplies, and downstairs, a small shop with gifts and cards. If you fill a basket here with over $40 in items, which is easy to do as its pricey, they offer a parking subsidy --a thoughtful touch that hardly any other Japantown shops offer anymore, which can make a visit slightly easier to justify. read more

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Great selection of stationery goods, especially Japanese pens, pencils, and notebooks, fun novelty items. Every end of year and new year, one can buy the new year journal for planning and organization. a bit on the expensive side for the notebooks and pens, inks. Lots of varieties. The only down side is it is hit or miss with the staff, sometimes a nice knowledge lady answers all your questions and sometimes you run into that guy who barely wants to acknowledge your presence. So minus one star for the price and the service. I love the Maido San Jose Santana row service but this SF location has more selections. read more

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Manger with Bunk ahh green hair was rude asf when i asked her a simple questionI asked her simply if they carried cardstock and she responded with a really nasty attitude read more

We enjoyed this shop so much that we went back again two days in a row! I got two stickers for my water bottle. My partner enjoyed looking at the pens. We also got a card for our hosts here in SF and I got an adorable set of tiny cards with a cat on them. Service was kind and prompt, store was well organized. Thank you! read more

Mai Do - San Francisco - Such a cute little shop in the mall - Cards & Stationery Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Mai Do is a great stationary and fine gifts store located on the 2nd floor of Kinokuniya Mall in Japantown. Driving up from San Jose with friends, whenever we visited JTown, I always stopped into this store. Fine pens & markers, origami, fine stationary, cute stuffed animals, etc. read more

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This is a stationary and gift store inside Japan town . Downstairs is the gift shop and upstairs is the pens and stationery shop . I am writing about the downstairs. It is packed with cute things . Key chains , rocks , toys , characters, arts and crafts in all kinds of materials, animals and figures . It is pricey. Simple acrylic key chain is $15 or more . They are all SO CUTE! I got tow miffy pins , a ceramic coaster with San Francisco theme , a lip gloss that smell like strawberry and in a strawberry case . Some marbles with see through graphic and has that magical look ! I love so many things inside . Would come back whenever I can ! read more

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Don't buy cards from here. Got One Piece loose boosters and they were definitely sorted out. Don't know if the store does it or they source poorly. read more

So much cool stuff! What's more awesome is the staff members are consistently helpful and friendly. Kids love stopping by to look around and buy cute cool things. The quality of their goods justifies the price. read more

Mai Do - San Francisco - Cards & Stationery Near Me - San Francisco, California

i bought FIVE smiskis and so did my friend. we both got the exact same ones five times in a row. they don't let you choose the smiskis, so it's really weird that this happened considering how low those odds are. it's disappointing because we both spent around a hundred dollars just to get the exact same ones and some of which we already had. they have something weird going on and i'm extremely upset. read more

Mai Do - San Francisco - all of them are exactly the same. one in 7 thousand odds - Cards & Stationery Near Me - San Francisco, California

This place is stationary heaven for me. It's also packed with everything I'm into which is journaling, drawing, and calligraphy. The selection of various Japanese pens, mechanical pencils, brush pens, and notebooks is incredible. I also appreciate I can pretty much try out most of them to make sure I like it. I'm most pleased about their selection of fountain pens and inks. So amazing to be able to see them in person. Prices are either about the same or higher than what you'll find online, but it's well worth it to be able to be in the physical presence of all these tools and get lost in the creative possibilities while browsing through the aisles. The staff here are super friendly and helpful as well. I just wish there were more of them. This place can get crazy busy. read more

Jam packed with quality stationary, pens, pencils (upstairs) and kitschy gifts (downstairs). Got a teeny 1" terrarium kit that my daughter absolutely adores. Lots of unique read more

When we were growing up, we thought there were only ballpoint pens. Later we learned about roller ball pens and gel ink. At this store, they have sections for each. It appears that Japan makes many types of pens. So to save oneself a trip to Japan (which is fun also), visit Mai Do. The prices are reasonable, too. Highlighters are another genre, plus school and art supplies. Their fountain pens are beautiful. This is my go-to store for my annual planner. They sell out quickly, so call ahead in November. Hello Kitty items and beautiful cards are present. It would take much time to list all the fantastic merchandise, so just visit. I would like to mention the exceedingly helpful salespeople. While in the midst of stocking varied items in a small space and dealing with harried Christmas shoppers, they stopped what they were doing and helped me. They go beyond their job, and will advise shoppers where to find something if they don't have it. However, they sell most everything related to stationery. Enjoy your visit! read more

I have been going here to get my pens for over 10 years, and they were great. I had a great experience. Not until Sunday was I overcharged. I didn't go back to the store. I live like 1hr away The last time I bought a pen was last October. The price was $3.95 each, and yesterday, I was charged $9.15. Is there a tariff on pens? Below is the pic of same pen I bought 4 months ago so I took a pic , vs the pen I bought yesterday there was no price they just added the price in the cash register So now I have to be careful next time I visit this store read more

Mai Do - San Francisco - I was overcharged $9.15 each for four pends I bought yesterday. Compare to 4 months ago I bought $3.95 - Cards & Stationery Near Me - San Francisco, California

This store is what retail used to be. I've never been much of a pen guy, I have typed everything since college. But over the last six months, I've started writing in a journal. It's a sensual experience-the paper journal and the pen itself are a big part of it. I started with a disposable fountain pen from Zebra, and it was actually pretty good. But I wanted a treat. I went yesterday and one of their staff walked me through fountain pen basics. They showed me different nibs, and different weights. He carefully avoided upselling me, though I was entirely open to it. He connected me with a Kaweko extra fine nib. When I got home, I realized that the pen was difficult to write more than a page with. I went back today, and another staff person went through the whole thing with me. He exchanged the pen I bought yesterday for a pen with a slightly larger nib and with "wetter" ink. Amazing. I've just written a few pages, and it's perfect. More than the quality of the stuff, I want to emphasize the quality of the service. Before everything was sold online, retail was often a pleasurable experience. Salespeople often were deep nerds in the thing they were selling. I trusted them because they really enjoyed the thing: outdoor gear, audio equipment, music, specialty foods. There are still a few places like this (hardware stores, I'm lookin at you). Mai Do is absolutely in this category. I'll be back, and I intend to bring out-of-town friends. read more

Mai Do - San Francisco - pen & ink with journal - Cards & Stationery Near Me - San Francisco, California

I want to leave a great 5 star review simply on the fact that Mai Do is like the holy land for stationery. And it does not disappoint! I was like a kid in a candy shop here. All the other positive reviews will highlight that really well and I agree! On the other hand, I want to leave a 1 star review for the terrible customer service. I was actually near tears after I left because of how poorly I was treated. Two different staff members (so it wasn't just one guy having a bad day), were rude, short and dismissive to my questions. I was SO excited to finally look at Traveler's Notebooks in person and ask a few questions (they are kept behind counter) and it was like I was bothering them. I was really shocked at how impatient they were acting. This is on top of a few other interactions while I was browsing the store/needed help with other items. It was a really sad experience and I left so dejected. The store is absolute heaven but the customer service was awful, it really soured my experience - I don't live nearby (about 8 hours away) so going there was something huge for me. It was a bummer and I left without purchasing some bucket list items I had wanted because of it all. :( read more

Wow! This tiny store packs in a LOT of goodies from Asia. My favourite section though must be the PENS. They have the latest and biggest selection of pens from Japan. My favourite ones by Zebra -- the Blen pen -- comes in all sizes and colours here! Never seen some of the styles before! Most other places only carry the black and white bodies in 0.7 size. But here they have a lot of 0.5 in various colours! Prices are for most products are average and competitive to other shops. This is a great place to find gifts for stationery lovers! read more

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They have a really good selection of pens pencils and markers. The journal collection is decent as well. They also carry interesting portable scissors and highlighters. Not much else to say about them. They've been around for a long time and service is good. read more

this place is like victim of consumerism final boss. there's a lot of random cute stuff in here, probs a lot of stuff you will never need but i like it. just be careful when you walk in bc you can buy one thing and leave 50 dollars poorer. they have calico critters and booknooks and cards and envelopes and stationary etc. in my opinion some of the items can be overpriced, do your research unless you don't care about overspending. the worker at the front is nice. the paper bags are 10 cents. honestly the stuff in here is cute and i always walk in even just to window shop whenever im in japantown. the only thing is it can start to get super busy and crowded to the point where people are just bumping into you/blocking everything. therefore i would suggest coming earlier in the day. read more

Mai Do - San Francisco - book nooks for sale - Cards & Stationery Near Me - San Francisco, California

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If you're a fan of stationery and pens, this is the store for you. There are two storefronts in Japantown. You want the one on the second floor. They have plenty of stock and the price is average. read more

Lovely stationary store with just about anything you could want. I stopped in to purchase a gift for a friend and couldn't have been happier. The selection of notebooks and pens is fantastic and the staff was super helpful when it came to selecting the right fountain pen. Prices are reasonable. The store can get a bit crowded so be prepared for a bit of a longer visit just to get around the store itself and to speak with the busy team. Highly recommend visiting for your stationary needs! read more

Staff really are the main fault of this place just as other reviews mention. Not only are they unhelpful, they lack customer service skills and plain common sense. Came here looking for a planner and none fit the bill, spent a good 10 minutes looking over all options. Asked the staff for one similar to the display but smaller and they said yes, just take a look. Pretend to look again and ask again. "Oh, we didn't have that size." they say without ever leaving the counter. Didn't even leave the counter to take a closer look or check stock. They apparently had better things to do chit chatting behind the counter busying themselves with side work than actually being useful to customers. I suggest just buying things online and coming here to gauge what you like or not as their prices are all quite a bit higher anyway. The store is also really cramped and hella warm with way too many people milling about, it's a pretty terrible shipping experience overall. read more

Oooo this place was dangerous for me. They had so many cute little trinkets that would make me empty my wallet instantaneously. My friend got me my very first Miffy here! She is cute and will be planning on getting her more clothes (another expense under my belt). Definitely coming back here to treat myself when I'm in SF! read more

Mai Do - San Francisco - Cards & Stationery Near Me - San Francisco, California

This store is a must visit for stationery lovers! The store isn't large but it is jam packed with a lot of high quality stationery (including fountain pens and fountain pen inks). When the store is crowded, the narrow aisles can make it hard to browse and the check out line can get long. But people were polite and patient when I was there so the shopping experience was pleasant. read more

Cute shop! Bought Minecraft things for my kids. Nice selection of goods. Will bring friends when next in town. read more

Mai Do - San Francisco - Storefront of Mai Do (upstairs) - Cards & Stationery Near Me - San Francisco, California

This place is fantastic for all of your stationary needs! From washi tape to customisable pens, they have it all. The employees are very helpful and ready to support you in finding exactly what you're looking for! The line moves very quickly, despite there usually being a long one (especially on weekends). I was able to snag two customisable pens, along with three pencils and two pencil cases. Everything is, of course, adorable. They also have keychains, water colour pens and accessories, and notebooks. Things might seem a little pricey but it's definitely worth it! Tip: if you go during a hot day, I don't think they have AC, so that might impact the time you spend shopping! read more

Mai Do - San Francisco - Cards & Stationery Near Me - San Francisco, California

Products available here I can find Nowhere else! Great selection of pens, pencils, paper journals, and many other fun items. Staff is ready to help. The items I have purchased are always of the highest quality! read more

Eye popping adventure at Mai Do bc there are so many little trinkets to look at. I went to their lower level location which is next to Cafe Maiko & as tempting as it was to bring in a Matcha treat, Mai Do kindly asks that you leave your sweets outside or devour it before enter. For the pure enjoyment of looking, Mai Do has $20 goody bag that is worth $100, so that's a fun to get if you like surprises. I really found the wooden puzzle houses or gazebo's to be very intriguing and so intricate that one day it would be fun to assemble. Prices start from $50 on up to $100 (gramophone-mini record player). I ended up buying a Pop-Up Graduation Card for $8, & wanted a Small compact hole puncher from Upstairs Mai Do, but they didn't carry it. When in J-Town I always stop by Mai Do to see what interesting items they have. read more

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I went to maido and bought stamps, stickers and inkpads. However when I went home and unwrapped the sealed inkpad, it was was super dry and had no ink. I asked if I could at least exchange it and they were so rude. They said they don't do exchanges or refunds if I don't have a receipt and opened packages. There was no way for me to not open a sealed inkpad, hower... I mentioned I could bring all the items I bought, including the packaging of the sealed inkpad and my credit card statement which I still had after opening the inkpad. They said, raising their voice, "It's your fault for not getting a receipt. I don't know why in the world you wouldn't ask for a receipt." I asked for a manager, and conveniently they said they're out at the moment and even if they were here, they would say the exact same thing. Sometimes, you don't want a receipt, because you want to save the environment since receipts are neither compostable or recyclable at all. I believe they slammed the phone on me as well. So much for being polite. This place is super rude, mean and don't care about customers at all. The staff here is deplorable. read more

Mai Do - San Francisco - Dry defective inkpad - Cards & Stationery Near Me - San Francisco, California

Workers were very nice and helpful. There were so many cute things to see and it was so hard to choose. Prices were reasonable.

There's two Mai Do in Japantown--one downstairs and one upstairs. Besides everything being SO overpriced, there's always something cute to buy in there. You have a variety of options--gifts, stationary, plushies, and others! I've always bought my Sonny Angels at the one downstairs (big Sonny Angel enthusiast here). I came by today and couldn't find them at their usual location. I looked around the corner and they were labeled among the lines of "EMPTY BOX PLEASE ASK AT THE COUNTER". When I got to the counter, I asked what I wanted and the cashier gave me a paper kraft bag full of unopened wrapped Sonny Angels, WITHOUT their boxes. You were given the choice to choose whichever ones you wanted. Because I wanted to buy this as a gift, I asked for the original box (obviously). Cashier also seemed to have an attitude. I'm not sure why they started implementing this rule (maybe because they've dealt with many theft and people opening up their packaging). But the sole purpose and experience to opening Sonny Angels is to initially OPEN the box and OPEN the second wrapped packaging. I've checked the other Maido upstairs and they seemed to be doing fine with their other mystery boxes--in tact and in initial packaging. Along with THAT specific Maido downstairs they have their other mystery boxes--in tact and in initial packaging. Why just WHY. read more

Mai Do - San Francisco - Sonny Angels (photo captured during Holidays) - Cards & Stationery Near Me - San Francisco, California

Does this place need another 5 star review? Probably not, but this is more of an ode to the awesomeness of this store. I walk in just to peruse the sticker and pen aisles. But pretty much every time I visit, I come out with something. Two weekends ago, it was pens. A few months ago, it was stickers. It's hard to walk away without getting something. And it doesn't help that everything is so cute. The pens are neatly organized. I love how there are sample pens to try out how they feel. And there is just so much variety of pens and stationery. I will def be back because it's one of my favorite places in Japantown. [review20] read more

Adorable place. Lots of pens and stationary supplies. I got a felting kit. The kit comes with the wool. The tools are separate. Total was around $30. I talked to a gal and she said it's fun and easy. Let's see how it goes. Lots of nice greeting cards too. Something practical for everyone. read more

Mai Do - San Francisco - $15.55 for the kit. $15 for supplies. Needle, pad ect. - Cards & Stationery Near Me - San Francisco, California

Such a cute store that you can spend hours looking at the shelves. I will admit that the prices for items are higher compared to the Mai Do in SJ, but I suppose that is SF for you. Service is standard and nothing in particular stood out to me. The main appeal is the cute variety of items. read more

Love this place. They have plenty very unique items for the serious pen aficionados to the casual hobbyist. Wish there were more places in SF to get good pens and inks. Best time to go is during the week when it's not as crowded. During the weekends, the store is packed.. read more