Platinum Kamakura Pens “General Grant” Maki-e Fountain PenMy failures have been errors of judgment, not strokes from my pen. U. S. Grant The story of how a specific maki e design became associated with Ulysses S. Grant is a fascinating tale of diplomacy and cultural exchange. In 1877, while serving as president, Grant had recognized Japan as a crucial ally. Two years later, in 1879, as Japan grappled with tensions with Russia and China, the nation saw the former U. S. president as an ideal ambassador and