Japan is one of the few countries with its own paper standard: the Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS). It includes JIS A, JIS B, and traditional formats.
JIS A vs ISO A
The JIS A series is the same as ISO A but with slightly different tolerances. JIS A4 is 210 × 297 mm, same as ISO A4.
JIS B: Larger than ISO B
The JIS B series is not the same as ISO B. JIS B1 has an area 1.5× JIS A1. In practice:
- JIS B4 — 257 × 364 mm (vs ISO 250 × 353)
- JIS B5 — 182 × 257 mm (vs ISO 176 × 250)
- JIS B6 — 128 × 182 mm (vs ISO 125 × 176)
JIS B5 is the common size for Japanese books and manga.
Traditional Japanese Sizes
- Kiku — "chrysanthemum" — Kiku 4 is 227 × 306 mm
- Shiroku-ban — "four-six size" — Shiroku ban 4 is 264 × 379 mm
- Hakuban — 300 × 600 mm, traditional painting paper
Common Uses
- JIS A4 — office, letterhead
- JIS B5 — Japanese books, notebooks
- Shiroku-ban — manga
- Kiku — art prints