Japanese Culture in New York - Chopsticks NY

Trend in Notebooks: “Todai Gokaku Noto” Makes You Smarter

Beautiful note-taking might affect brain function.
Thanks to small dots arranged on ruled lines, the “Todai Gokaku Noto” enables users to draw neat graphs while taking notes.
The dots also contribute to making a perfect indentation and itemization.
Photo images by Noriyuki Shimizu

Numerous studies have been conducted on how to improve the learning curve during a lecture. But what specifically makes the difference between an average student and a respected student from “Tokyo Daigaku” (Todai)? In Japan, a researcher made the assumption that the answer is in their notebook! Analyzing countless notebooks from successful applicants to the nation’s highest educational institution, she came to the conclusion that Todai students’ note-taking techniques are so sophisticated and aesthetically appealing that it can influence their academic successes.

When we talk about notebook, we refer to the notepad with ruled lines, called “Daigaku Noto” (College Notebook) in general.  Its origin goes back to late 19th century when Japan broke its national isolation and started to implement aspects of the Western culture in the country. Daigaku Noto was first introduced at a stationary store across Todai, but remained an expensive item for most of the people. Only dedicated people like Todai students could afford that new type of notebooks. Progressively, people started to rename the notebooks used by Todai students as Daigaku Noto. 120 years later, Daigaku Noto has evolved and many spinoffs are now commercialized.  Nowadays, everybody uses Daigaku Noto and nobody mentions its initial relationship with Todai students, however, when it comes to note-taking technique and brainwork, the correlation clearly emerges.

To get into Todai, the students have two major challenges to overcome: accumulate a lot of information and the ability to solve a problem in a timely manner. This ability to think through a problem demonstrates a structured mind and powerful organizational skills. These capacities translate into an admirable lay-out on paper during the note-taking process.  For instance, after a few hours of lecture, the students mark each page with a number and create an index at the end of each of their notebooks. This technique applies to any subject. In History class for example, they can easily find information hidden in the Ashikaga period, without going through the whole Japanese feudal era! Following this concept of original methods, the students develop innovative abbreviations. This personal Rosetta Stone allows them to encrypt their own specific language and triggers easier reaction from their memory.

The personalization of the page layout is also a crucial and common feature found amongst Todai students. During English classes for example, the wise learners never bother with endless lists of new vocabulary or abstract grammatical patterns. Instead, they use both pages of the opened notebook and divide the space in distinct areas: English sentences in the upper left, important words to remember in the lower left section, Japanese translation in the opposite upper part, and finally short sentence patterns in the lower right area.

The benefits of the method were initially introduced in the 2001 essay “How to study in college” by Walter Pauk, professor emeritus at Cornell University. The Cornell method provides a systematic format for condensing and organizing notes without laborious recopying.

To support the trend, famous notebook manufacturers like Kokuyo, have developed specific models to help the students spend less time organizing their notes and energize their brain cells.

The Japanese researcher concentrates on “Todai Gokaku Noto” as the landmark containing the most specific features. For example, each line is highlighted with small dots, allowing the user to proceed with a neat and organized note-taking, which will ultimately improve their brainwork.

The “i-Can” model is also a state of the art notebook designed to increase concentration using the power of colors and smell. Studies have shown that there is an ideal chromatic value to a paper sheet to keep concentration. In addition, a special lemon scent, known for its energetic power, is incorporated in the front cover of the notebook: after a few hours of brain-clogging study, a simple sniff gives you a little kick to keep moving forward!

Tokyo University, Cornell University… these students must do something right! An inside look into their notebooks gave the author international credit and might help all the future student generations sleep a few more hours.  Oh, I know what you’re thinking: “if only I knew!”

————- Reported by Ruth Berdah-Canet