Yatate are small personal smoking-pipe-shaped writing sets from medieval Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

 which provided a carrying box for the ink cotton, and a shaft for a brush (and possibly a letter opener).
Yatate literally means "Arrow Stand" ("ya-tate"). The name comes from the fact that early bushi kept ink stones inside their arrow stands.

Japanese writing was traditionally done using the usual writing set inspired from China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

: an inking stone, a small stick of solid ink (sumi

Sumi

Sumi may refer to:* Sumi Jo, a South Korean lyric coloratura soprano* Sumi, of Miga, Quatchi, Sumi and Mukmuk, the mascots of the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics* The Sumi Naga, one of the major Naga tribes in Nagaland, India...

) (which is turned to usable liquid ink

Ink

Ink is a liquid or paste that contains pigments and/or dyes and is used to color a surface to produce an image, text, or design. Ink is used for drawing and/or writing with a pen, brush, or quill...

 by grinding on the inking stone and watering), and brushes

Ink brush

Ink brushes are used in Chinese calligraphy. They are also used in Chinese painting and descendant brush painting styles. The ink brush was invented in China, believed to be around 300BCE...

.