A daily planner is the perfect tool for organizing your day, but how do you know which one to choose?
In this video, we’ll take a close look at the Hobonichi Techo and the
Jibun Techo DAYs so you can figure out which one is right for you.
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Year VS Half-Year Hobonichi offers full year and half year books.
Meanwhile, the DAYs comes in a set of two half-year booklets.
The set includes one cover that can fit one booklet at a time.
Half-year planners like the Avec or DAYs are lighter and easier to carry around.
Size The Hobonichi comes in A5 and A6,
while the DAYs comes in A5 slim and mini B6 slim.
The DAYs is approximately the same thickness as an Avec, Hobonichi’s half year planner.
Paper Both planners use lightweight 52 gsm paper.
The Hobonichi features Tomoe River paper, which is ultra-thin, fountain pen friendly,
and bleedthrough-resistant. Great for experimenting with fountain pen inks,
it shows off shading and sheen exceptionally well. The DAYs is filled with Kokuyo’s THIN PAPER.
It’s just as bleedthrough resistant as Tomoe River paper, but slightly more textured,
pairing well with graphite. The paper holds up well to erasing and resists wrinkling,
making it a good choice to use with Pilot FriXion gel pens.
Binding The Hobonichi planner
is able to lie flat, more so than the DAYs. However, you can use a clip to keep pages open.
Daily Page Layout The biggest difference between
the Hobonichi and the Jibun Techo DAYs is the page layout. The Hobonichi features empty grid space,
while the DAYs has an hourly scale down the center of the page.
Now, let’s get into the details. Hourly Organization
Hobonichi offers hourly organization on the left side, with every third hour noted. The
English version only features noon and a little icon to denote dinnertime.
On the flipside, the DAYs tracks every hour of the day.
Details Both planners include monthly tabs,
a tiny calendar with the dates of the spread marked, and the current moon phase.
In a Hobonichi planner, you’ll find thoughtful quotes at the bottom of each page.
The Avec and larger sizes feature five checkboxes at the top for tasks,
as well as months themed by color—plenty of opportunities to match pen inks and stickers!
The DAYs is packed with little details, including: checkboxes along the entire left side,
a mood tracker, a weather tracker, a “future tracker” with upcoming dates at top of page,
and marks for sunrise and sundown in Tokyo. The grid size is smaller than that of a Hobonichi;
this is more noticeable in the smaller version.
All these details make the planner suited to people who like more structure in their day.
Other Features Hobonichi offers several pages of
yearly and monthly calendars at the beginning of the book. The A5 size also includes a full year of
hourly weekly planner layouts, and the A6 provides a section of blank pages at the back of the book.
The DAYs starts with a two-page spread of little calendars spanning the next three years, a yearly
index, and spacious two-page calendar spreads with Gantt charts for tracking. It also features
six pages of blank checkboxes, plus sections for specific planning, such as dreams for the future,
events per month, and a 100 wishes list. For translations, check the card above.
The DAYs also includes two handy bookmarks. You
can use one to mark the month and the other to mark the day.
Month Start Pages Both planners start
each month with an empty planning page. This page is either lined or blank
in the Hobonichi. For the DAYs, the page is split into sections with thoughtful prompts.
Covers Hobonichi releases an
array of attractive limited-edition covers each year. The standard covers include pen loops,
ribbon bookmarks, card slots, cover pockets, and a large outer pocket. Because the planners come
in standard sizes, there are more cover options to choose from. For an in-depth look at Hobonichi
covers, check out our guide in the card above! The DAYs comes with a clear cover that offers
convenient pockets on the front and back, roomy enough for sliding postcards, bookmarks, and
index cards inside. The interior features a pen holder and a variety of slots for business cards.
You can customize the cover by decorating or replacing the colored paper inside,
or swap it with other Jibun Techo covers.
Still Can’t Choose? If you’re the creative type
and enjoy doing daily art challenges, doodling alongside entries,
or taking a journaling approach to planning, the Hobonichi is right up your alley.
If you prefer a structural planning style that involves habit tracking,
studying, or timing yourself, you’re sure to appreciate the thoughtful details the DAYs offers.
We hope this video was helpful! Which planner do you like better? Let us know
in the comments below. Be sure to check out our blog for more details on each planner.
You can find both planners as well as guides to them at JetPens.com.