Choosing well · EDITORIAL GUIDE
Jetstream 20th Anniversary Limited Colors: Mitsubishi Pencil Releases Four New Barrel Colors for the Standard and 3-Color Pens in Japan on October 27, 2026
Mitsubishi Pencil will release limited-edition barrel colors for two Jetstream ballpoint pens in Japan on Tuesday, October 27, 2026, marking 20 years since the line launched in its home market. The single-color Jetstream Standard and the Jetstream New 3-Color pen each come in Khaki Brown, Beige Brown, Sheer White and Two-Tone Pink, all with 0.5mm tips and in limited quantities. If you write almost only in black, the Standard at ¥165 (about $1.04) is the low-risk pick; if you also use red and blue, the 3-Color at ¥550 (about $3.48) is the more useful pen. An 8-pen set costs exactly the same as buying all eight separately. Prices are the manufacturer's reference retail prices including Japan's 10% consumption tax, as checked on 2026-10-22, with dollar estimates at ¥158/$ (ECB rate as of 2026-10-21).
What is being released and when
The October 14, 2026 announcement covers eight items, two models in four colors each, plus a set called the Jetstream 20th Limited 8P Assort that bundles all eight. The release date is October 27, but in Japan the day a product reaches the shelf varies by store. The release is labeled limited quantity, so do not count on restocks. Jetstream began in 2006 with the Standard model. Mitsubishi Pencil describes it as a pioneer of low-viscosity oil-based ink, a thinner ballpoint ink that flows more easily than traditional oil-based ink, and says the series now sells more than 100 million pens a year worldwide. The 20th anniversary counts from the Japanese domestic launch.
How the four colors were chosen
Mitsubishi Pencil split 10 fashion-inspired candidate colors into five categories and put them to a social media vote. More than 10,000 votes were cast, and the four most popular won. The company says the lineup runs from casual to calm tones and is meant to match clothing and everyday belongings.
Jetstream Standard limited edition specs
Model number: SXN-150-05
Ink color: Black
Tip size: 0.5mm
Barrel colors: Khaki Brown, Beige Brown, Sheer White, Two-Tone Pink
Price: ¥165 (¥150 before tax, about $1.04)
Refill: SXR-5 (¥110, ¥100 before tax, about $0.70)
This is the single-color model with the streamlined body unchanged since 2006, fitted with a 0.5mm refill for everyday use. If you are used to medium-point Western ballpoints, expect a noticeably finer line; 0.5mm is a common everyday size for Japanese pens and suits small handwriting and planners. All four colors cost ¥660 (about $4.18). Japanese shops list stationery by model number, so search by these codes.
Jetstream New 3-Color limited edition specs
Model number: SXE3-507-05
Ink colors: Black, red, blue
Tip size: 0.5mm
Barrel colors: Khaki Brown, Beige Brown, Sheer White, Two-Tone Pink
Price: ¥550 (¥500 before tax, about $3.48)
Black refill: SXR-ML-05 (¥143, ¥130 before tax, about $0.91)
Red and blue refills: SXR-80-05 (¥110, ¥100 before tax, about $0.70)
This multi-pen is built around black, the most-used color. Only black is deployed by clicking the knock at the end of the barrel, so you get black without choosing a color first. The black is a long-life refill: a thinner tube holds about 70% more ink while keeping the shape of the company's standard SXR-80 refill, so the two are interchangeable, and it uses about 30% less plastic. Heavy black users will change refills less often.
Is the 8-pen set cheaper than buying singles?
Model number: JETASTUVT2026
Contents: All eight limited variants of both models
Price: ¥2,860 (¥2,600 before tax, about $18.10)
Four Standards (¥660) plus four 3-Color pens (¥2,200) total ¥2,860, the same as the set, so there is no discount. The advantage is getting all eight in one item, which can simplify a proxy order. If you know which color or model you want, singles are enough.
How to buy Jetstream limited editions from outside Japan
These colors were announced for the Japanese market, and the announcement says nothing about sales abroad, so do not assume they will reach your local shops. The usual routes are Japanese online stationery retailers that ship internationally, or proxy buying services that purchase from Japanese stores and forward the items. Limited editions tend to sell out soon after release, so order around October 27 rather than waiting. For a ¥165 pen, shipping and service fees will likely exceed the item price, so combine it with other purchases. We have not confirmed whether the SXR-5, SXR-ML-05 or SXR-80-05 refills are sold in your country; check before relying on local supply.
Editor's take
For overseas collectors, the draw is the colors, a limited release for Japan, not new technology. If you buy only one, make it the New 3-Color. The black-first knock and larger black refill make it a genuine daily pen for planner users who mark schedules or corrections in red and blue, and at about $3.48 it is the item where import costs are easiest to justify. Treat the Standard as a cheap add-on to a larger order; two colors, one for the desk and one for the bag, cost about $2. The 8-pen set is for completists who want the full anniversary run in one box, knowing it carries no discount. Everything is 0.5mm only, so fans of 0.38mm or 0.7mm tips can skip this release. Quantities are limited, so secure your colors around release day.