The outer covers of the Hobonichi Techo books are made of leather-inspired cardstock, while the inner pages are printed on Tomoe River Paper. This incredibly thin paper helps keep the Techo compact—the entire book contains over 400 pages and weighs only 7.3 ounces. Tomoe River Paper is bleed-resistant and great for almost any pen, including fountain pens. The page corners are rounded to minimize creasing when you carry it around.

Durable stitch binding helps the Hobonichi withstand daily use, while allowing it to lay completely flat on your desk. Also referred to as “180-degree binding,” it lets you write comfortably wherever you go. 

Yearly Calendar Pages

Open up the planner and you’ll see a double-page spread that contains the yearly calendar from January to December. It’s a helpful reference when you just need a quick glance at the entire year’s dates. The Japanese-language books include the previous, current, and following years.

Yearly Index Pages

The next eight pages contain sixteen months, spanning from December to March. It can be a helpful table of contents or a place to write down birthdays.

Monthly Calendar Pages

Each month of the year also gets its own double-page spread. Use it to track things like a monthly phone bill or a recurring weekly meeting.

Weekly Calendar Pages (A5 Cousin-Only)

Only available in the A5 Cousin book, the Weekly Calendar pages are useful for managing detailed schedules for the week. The pages are labeled from 5 AM to 4 AM the following day, allowing you to record all of your plans.

Date & Day of the Year

Large, easy-to-see date and week numbers are printed in the upper left-hand corner. For instance, in 2021 June 6th was the 157th day of the year. (Always is except for leap years).

Moon Phase

Stargazers will appreciate the lunar phase and day of the year printed at the top of each page.

Timeline

A flexible timeline rests at the left edge of the page. In the English A6 Planner, 12:00 noon is the only time printed, which divides the day into morning and afternoon halves while remaining open enough to fit your schedule. In the Japanese Hobonichi Techo books, every three-hour interval is marked on the daily timeline.

Meal Planner

Appearing only in the English A6 Planner book, this tiny fork-and-knife symbol marks a space near the bottom of the page. Perfect for foodies, this section can be used to record memorable meals, dinner dates, or family meal plans.

Dashed Grid

The main body of the daily page is printed with a subtle, dashed grid. Slightly smaller than the US standard 5 mm, the 4 mm graph is visible enough to help you write straight but light enough to be disregarded.

Monthly Tab

Colored tabs are numbered with months of the year. These tabs make it easier to flip through your planner to find a specific entry.

Daily Quote

Each double-page spread contains one interesting quote, hand-picked from the Hobonichi website. The A6 Planner’s (English) quotes are carefully translated into English.

Mini Calendar

The two dates of the current spread are circled on a mini calendar of the month, which is printed on the lower right corner.

Sundays in Red

Whereas normal days are printed in charcoal gray, all Sundays in the planner are printed in bright red. Not only does this create visual contrast, it also signals the beginning of a fresh new week. In the Japanese A6 Original Avec and A5 Cousin, Sundays are not indicated in red on daily pages. They are marked in red in the monthly views. For the Cousin, Sundays are also printed in red in the Weekly Diary section.

Coming Up (English)/Remember This (Japanese)

At the beginning of each month, an empty lined page invites you to plan ahead. You can jot down your goals, tentative plans, and other thoughts here. The English A6 Planner has a “Coming Up” page at the beginning of each month for you to jot down important dates, to-do lists, and other notes needed to plan ahead. In the Japanese A6 Original Avec and A5 Cousin books, you will see blank pages with monthly quotes instead of lined pages.

Memo Pages

17 dot grid pages located after the last day of December can hold miscellaneous notes, lists, daydreams, and doodles. The Japanese books have graph, not dot grid memo pages.

Important Contacts (English)/Addresses (Japanese)

The next page offers a space to record the personal information of seven close buddies. This is also a good place to list your emergency contacts. The A6 Original (Japanese) has 6 spots, the A6 Planner (English) 7, and the A5 Cousin (Japanese) 8.

Conversion Table

A helpful conversion table lists data for length, area, weight, and more. It also has a convenient ruler in both centimeters and inches.

Personal Notes

Enter your name and current contact information on this page in case your planner gets lost or misplaced.

My 100

Keep a list of whatever you’d like on this page—books you’ve read, movies you’ve seen, or other any other bucket list!

International Size Charts

For traveling fashionistas, this page has many detailed size charts for men’s and women’s clothing, shoes, and accessories.

The Japanese Bread Shop

This page gives an introduction to delightful Japanese breads.

Time Table

If you have a recurring weekly or daily event, stick it into these timetables. For example, you can write down your favorite TV show times or daily chores.

Graph Paper

When you’re working towards a goal, use the graph paper to track your progress. The X-axis contains 31 boxes to cover a one-month span.

Favorites

Rank your favorite movies, books, songs, restaurants, games, and more on the Favorites page.

Solar Terms

The East Asian lunisolar calendar is quite complex–this page explains the names and origins of the terms in the calendar.

Emergency Preparedness

Make sure you have all the items on this checklist in case of emergency.

Gifts

When you receive gifts, record them on this page so you don’t forget who gave it to you. This is particularly helpful when writing Thank You cards.

Age Table

If you need to figure out someone’s age quickly, this table lists birth year in one column and age in 2018 in the next. The number to the left is the corresponding Japanese Imperial Era calendar year, while the character to the right is the Chinese Zodiac sign.

Getting the Most of Hobonichi

This page has an introduction to the Hobonichi company and tips to enjoy your Hobonichi Techo.

Weather Terms for your Techo 

These terms for the weather will help expand your vocabulary and add detail to your diary.

Basic Posture Techniques

Posture tips from a personal trainer can help energize you and prevent injury.

Finding New “Likes”

Experts in “rakugo” (Japanese comedic storytelling), art, and classic films provide thoughtful recommendations to help you find interesting new media.

Cover and Appearance

Since it does not dedicate one full page to each day, the Techo Weeks is more understated and compact. Simple textured covers are embossed with the current year on both the front and spine. Choose from a variety of stylish cover colors.

Size Comparison

While the regular A6 Techo measures 4″ x 6″ and about 4.5″ x 6.5″ with a cover, the slender Weeks measures 3.8″ x 7.4″. This narrow size is a better fit for purses and small backpacks. 

Interior

On the inside, the planner contains 240 pages of smooth Tomoe River Paper. Soft cream-colored pages are warm and easy on the eyes.

Pocket Sticker

Each planner comes with a clear adhesive pocket, which can be affixed to the inside cover and used to hold receipts, tickets, and other small items.

Left Side Pages

The left side features a structured weekly schedule that begins on Monday and ends on Sunday. The traditional name of the month is at the top of the page. Two subtle dots placed on the horizontal lines help divide your days into morning, afternoon, and evening. Each left page also has the moon phases, a weekly quote, and Sunday printed in red.

Right Side Pages

The right side has a free space for brainstorming, doodling, and writing notes. It is printed in subtle 3.55 mm dashed grid, which is slightly narrower than the regular A6 Techo’s 4 mm grid. A slightly darker “secret line” subtly divides the space into optional header and detail sections, and a mini monthly calendar is printed in the bottom corner.

Calendar and Index Pages

Three calendar layouts are placed at the front of the planner. The Yearly Calendar shows the entire year on one double-page spread. The Monthly Index and Monthly Calendar are designed for scheduling and long-term planning.

Other Pages

If you need space for notes and drawings, use the 68 empty pages towards the back of the planner. You’ll also find handy reference pages with interesting information, such as tips on using common items to measure size, a conversion table, and more.

Extra Memo Pages

The Weeks Mega contains a generous 210 pages of the versatile dashed grid memo pages. This gives you plenty of room for chronicling your thoughts and sketching out plans.

Thickness Comparison

Even with the huge increase in pages, its super-thin Tomoe River paper keeps the Weeks Mega from getting too thick or heavy to carry easily. It only weighs about 2 ounces more than the standard Weeks. 

Cover and Appearance

The Day-Free cover is a cheerful blue with cream accents.

Thickness Comparison

Similar to an Avec, the Day-Free is around half the thickness of a full-year Techo in both A5 and A6 sizes.

Interior

The A6 Day-Free has 240 pages, while the A5 size has 244. All feature silky cream-colored Tomoe River paper.

Inside Pages

The blank graph paper pages of the Day-Free are enhanced by page numbers, daily quotes in Japanese, and a slightly darker “secret line” that can be used to split each page into a header and detail section.

Flipbook Corner

The bottom right of each spread features a flipbook sequence of the adorable Dancing Fox, illustrated by Aki Kondo. 

Calendar and Index Pages

The yearly calendar spread shows three years at once, while the yearly index spans four pages with four months per page. The monthly calendars span from December 2020 to March 2022.

Cover and Sizes

The A6 size is 240 pages, while the A5 size is 288 pages, comparable to the Avec or Day-Free planners.

4-Color System

The ink color of the Plain Notebook changes for each quarter of the book, proceeding from red to blue to green to purple. This makes it easy to split one notebook into multiple themes. 

Pair with Another Techo

The Plain Notebook can easily fit in a cover along an Avec or even squeeze in next to a full-size planner for a convenient expansion of your writing capabilities.

Cover and Appearance

Inspired by old dictionaries and Bibles, the soft textured brown cover is pleasant to the touch. It has “Hobonichi 5-Year Techo” pressed in gold foil on the front and the years on the spine.

Size Comparison

The regular A6 Techo measures 4″ x 6″ while the A6 5-Year Techo is slightly wider at 4.5″ x 6″. The A5 5-Year Techo is a bit larger at 6.2″ x 8.4″, a bit larger than the A5 Cousin (5.8″ x 8.3″).

Interior

This planner contains 752 pages of smooth Tomoe River Paper. Like the Techo Weeks, it features soft cream-colored pages. Each month is printed at the edge of the page for easy reference.

Manual

Included in each box is a manual that explains how to use the Hobonichi 5-Year Techo.

Left Side Pages

The left side pages are printed with the same date across five years, with the day and month at the top, and the year and day of the week in each section. You can fill each day up or just write a sentence.

Right Side Pages

The right side are memo pages for brainstorming, doodling, and writing notes. It is printed in subtle 3.7 mm dashed grid, the same as the Original and Cousin books. Daily quotes are printed at the bottom of the page. 

Yearly Calendar

Five calendar layouts are placed at the front of the planner. Each year spans one page.

Other Pages

At the end of the book, Hobonichi included bonus pages to help you reflect and stay organized, like Remember This, Gifts, and Personal Notes.

The Hobonichi Techo was designed to be a daily planner, so it’s no surprise that most people use it to organize their day-to-day lives. Busy students, teachers, and parents all appreciate its versatile format. The timeline and grid layout are especially helpful when blocking out specific times for appointments.

The Hobonichi Techo A5 Cousin is great for those who prefer the big-picture view of their weekly plans. Schedule appointments and meetings with this full two-page spread. Then use the free space on the right side for doodles, impromptu notes, or miscellaneous trinkets. 

Writers and journalers can use the Hobonichi Techo as a diary. At first you might feel limited by the one-page-per-day layout, especially in comparison to an undated journal, but over time you’ll appreciate how it encourages you to write thoughtfully and concisely. 

A daily planner is a great way to build good habits. Whether you’re hoping to maintain a weekly exercise regimen, practice mindfulness, or eat healthier meals, tracking your progress can hold you accountable to your goals.

If you love crafting, you can turn your planner into a year-long scrapbook. Record everyday moments by taping movie tickets, receipts, and photos into your planner. At the end of the year, you’ll love looking back on all the memories you’ve collected. 

Artists can use their Hobonichi Techo planner as an art journal. The daily page format can motivate you to make one drawing, painting, or doodle every day. As the year goes by, watch your creative skills improve. 

Pen Loops

Two wide pen loops can accommodate most pens. They also function as a way to keep your planner closed; just thread your pen through both loops.

Ribbon Bookmarks

Keep one bookmark in the monthly calendar and move the other one each day to the current date.

Front Cover Card Slots

The front inside cover has 5 slots for business cards, loyalty cards, stamps, and other small items.

Front Cover Pocket

Tucked behind the card slots is a larger pocket, which can hold items like receipts and coupons.

Back Cover Pockets

The back cover also has two pockets for larger items like tickets and leaflets.

Large Outer Pocket

This easy-access pocket can snugly hold one A4-sized sheet folded into quarters.