Traditional Japanese calligraphy ink, referred to as sumi ink, comes in a solid form. It takes at least four years of production before these ink sticks can be sold, and even longer for the most expensive ones. A 200-gram high-grade ink stick from a producer like Kobaien costs over $1,000. And at some other retailers, prices can reach almost $2,000. Meanwhile, almost double the amount of commercial India ink can go for as little as $9.

Editor's Note: The original version of this video incorrectly named the featured calligrapher as Shijo Azakami. His correct name is Sho Azakami. The original video incorrectly stated that monkey glue was used to make ink sticks, the correct type is donkey glue.

Intro 0:00
Making and using soot 1:37
Melting animal glue 4:00
Kneading the ink dough 5:30
Drying the ink sticks 7:35
Using the ink sticks 9:15
Kobaien and inkmaking in Nara 10:46

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Why Japanese Calligraphy Ink Is So Expensive | So Expensive | Insider Business