Pilot Phoenix Emperor Hirohito 60th Anniversary Pen 1986

by Jim Mamoulides, June 6, 2025

Pilot Phoenix Emperor Hirohito 60th Anniversary Pen 1986

Commemorating the 60th anniversary of Emperor Hirohito's reign

On December 25, 1926 Emperor Yoshihito died and his son Hirohito became the 124th emperor of Japan. Hirohito died on January 7, 1989 and was Japan’s longest reigning emperor at just over 62 years. His time as emperor is known as the Shōwa (昭和) “enlightened peace” era. The 60th year of his reign was celebrated on April 29, 1986, Hirohito’s 85th birthday, about six months before the actual anniversary date.

This ornate silver fountain pen was made by the Pilot Pen Company in 1986 to commemorate the event. Many companies in Japan also issued commemorative items to mark the occasion.

Pilot Phoenix Emperor Hirohito 60th Anniversary Pen 1986

The pen has three decorative elements that together to represent and honor the emperor. The first, appearing on the cap top and near the top of the barrel, as well as on the Paulownia wood box, is a kiku (菊) or chrysanthemum, the imperial family’s emblem and a symbol of royalty, longevity, and rejuvenation. The imperial throne is known as the chrysanthemum throne. The high relief cast silver chrysanthemum on the cap top has the Kanji “寿” for “longevity” to commemorate the Emperor's long life.

The barrel is engraved with two phoenix birds, perhaps a male and a female. The birds have long tail streamers and are associated with immortality and rebirth. They herald the beginning of a new era, the birth of a peaceful ruler, and peaceful times, aligning with the Shōwa era of Hirohito. The mythology of the phoenix bird came originally from China. Pilot named the pens “Phoenix” in the advertisement and the papers included.

Pilot Phoenix Emperor Hirohito 60th Anniversary Pen 1986

The cap, clip, and barrel end are decorated with a special process that gives it a molten effect. I have not been able to discover how it was done. Perhaps the cap, barrel, and clip were each cast and then treated to darken the edges and create this unique finish. The darkening treatment extends to the engraved work on the barrel. The peaceful pair of engraved phoenix birds are seen flying in calm clear air in-between.

Pilot Phoenix Emperor Hirohito 60th Anniversary Pen 1986

The 5 1/4 inch long cylindrical pen comes in a Paulownia wood box with a chrysanthemum embossed on the top. The interior has a deep red cloth bed for the pen. The nib is a 14 karat gold medium stamped 14K-585 over over the JIS logo and H186. All the materials I have seen about the pen indicate it only came with a medium nib. Included in the box would be commemorative papers, five ink cartridges, and a converter.

Pilot Phoenix Emperor Hirohito 60th Anniversary Pen 1986

The pen was made in two versions, this one, in solid “pure” silver, and another in solid silver with gold plate and black lacquer on selected highlights. The cap is stamped SILVER near the lip on the back side. The pen weighs about 15.6g in either finish. I don’t know how many were made. Both pens originally retailed for 19,800 yen.

Pilot Phoenix Emperor Hirohito 60th Anniversary Pen 1986

This is a visually striking pen. I’m not sure how the molten decoration was done, but that alone would make the pen a standout. It is long and slender in the hand and very pleasantly tactile. I was not able to write with it as it was visiting for photos, but the same Pilot nib unit is used on other Pilot models and is a nice, smooth writer.

These pens appear infrequently on Yahoo Japan. Recent Yahoo auctions for Pilot Phoenix Emperor Hirohito 60th Anniversary Pens show starting prices of $329 for the gold plate and black on silver pen and $180 for the silver pen. I’ve seen one auction for a silver pen close for $643. These are beautiful pens and very uncommon. Obtaining one takes some patience but is rewarding.

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References

Fountain Pens of Japan by Andreas Lambrou and Masamichi Sunami, © 2012 Andreas Lambrou Publishers, Epping, Essex, United Kingdom, page 248

“Hirohito, a Remote Figure to Most Japanese, Is Drawn Into the Spotlight” by Sam Jameson, April 27, 1986, Copyright © 2025, Los Angeles Times

“PHOENIX Origin = China” Copyright 1995 - 2014. Mark Schumacher