﻿The Hobonichi Techo might look like an ordinary notebook, but it’s actually one of the most popular planners in Japan.
In this video, we’ll introduce you to Hobonichi’s different books, covers, and accessories.
Let’s get started!
Hobonichi Techo 2023 Lineup
So what makes the Hobonichi Techo special?
All of their books provide just enough structure to keep you organized, while giving you plenty of free space to express your creativity.
Hobonichi’s books are also amazingly well-constructed.
They lie flat and are filled with Tomoe River paper, an ultra-thin paper that ensures the planners are as slim and lightweight as possible.
Tomoe River paper pairs perfectly with all kinds of writing instruments.
However, if you’re familiar with Tomoe River paper, you know that its future has been rocky.
But don’t worry: we have good news that we’ll share at the end of this video.
Book & Cover Sets
Hobonichi offers several planners that come with covers, and others that are only available as separate books.
We’ll go over the planners with covers first, because the covers designs are refreshed every year!
There are so many that we can’t go into detail in this video, so to get an in-depth look,
check out our comprehensive guide by clicking on the card above.
This is the Hobonichi Techo Planner, which is the English A6 book.
A full page is dedicated to each day.
The simple layout includes details like moon phases and quotes.
New for 2023, the A5 Cousin is now available in English!
An A5 notebook is twice the size of an A6 one, so the Cousin is a good option for those who want more space for ideas or memories.
If you've never used the Cousin before, the layout is slightly different from the English A6 Techo.
The grid size is smaller, and the daily pages have small to-do lists at the top and timelines on the left side.
There’s even weekly vertical sections at the beginning of the planner, so you can block out time to help you keep track of your schedule.
The A6 and A5 covers can be separated into five categories:
Colors, Artist Collection, Fabric, Pouch, and Leather.
Finally, the Weeks has an English edition too!
The Weeks is shaped like a long wallet, so it’s slim and portable.
This is a weekly planner with the days of the week on the left side and a gridded memo page on the right.
The Weeks MEGA has the same planner pages as the Weeks, but it includes three times as many memo pages in the back.
Unlike the A6 and A5 books, the Weeks cover is attached to the planner itself.
Weeks covers come in Colors, Smooth, White Line, Artist Collection, Bow & Tie, Shirt Fabric and Leather.
Weeks MEGA covers are available in a more limited selection: Colors and Sneaker.
The English Techo planner books can be purchased without covers.
Additionally, Japanese or Simplified Chinese books, half-year books, and other formats are available.
You can learn more about all the different books in our guide.
Hobonichi Accessories
Hobonichi makes a variety of accessories to pair with your new Techo.
We’ll discuss just a few, so make sure you visit our guide to see them all!
We’re really excited to introduce this new addition to Hobonichi’s accessories: the Deco Rush!
It works like correction tape, but instead of white tape, it applies adorable designs directly to the page.
Hobonichi offers pencil boards, or shitajiki, for A5, A6, and Weeks planners.
A pencil board is a simple accessory that makes it easy to write in your planner,
especially if you find the pages bumpy from stickers and other pasted-in items.
Just slip the pencil board beneath the page you’re working on to get a firm, flat surface.
The Illustrated Cover on Cover and Cover for Weeks are made in collaboration with artists and protect your Techos’ covers.
Note that the clear covers are not meant to be placed over the A5 or A6 planner book and have to be used with a separate cover.
You can put the clear cover directly on top of most Weeks and Weeks MEGA planners.
Be sure to check the product page at JetPens.com to see what's compatible with your cover.
If you’d like to give your Weeks planner more protection, consider picking up a Zip Cover!
It comes in several designs that match the A5 and A6 Pouch covers.
It has plenty of pockets so you can even use it as a wallet.
The BS Lite is a cover that was made to fit the Day-Free.
This planner book is a dated monthly calendar with plenty of blank, gridded pages.
Regular A5 and A6 Techo covers can feel a little loose when paired with the Day-Free, but the BS Lite hugs this planner book snugly.
The last cover we’ll take a look at is for the 5-Year Techo, a diary with space for you to write about the same day over consecutive years.
The covers come in fabric or real leather and protect the 5-Year Techo’s soft cover.
New Hobonichi Paper for 2024
The Tomoe River Paper paper used in Hobonichi’s books was sadly discontinued.
Thankfully, a company called Sanzen took over its production and was able to create a paper that’s very similar in performance to the original.
Starting in 2024, all Hobonichi Techo planners except the Weeks will include Sanzen paper.
The Weeks will swap its paper in 2025.
Hobonichi understands that the paper is one of the most important parts of the planner books,
which is why they’ve included a sheet of Sanzen paper with every Hobonichi book.
You can try out the paper with your favorite pens and pencils to get ready for 2024.
What’s your favorite planner from Hobonichi? And what cover are you looking forward to using this year?
Let us know in the comments below!
Be sure to check the links in the description to learn more about this fan-favorite planner.
Thanks for watching.