There are many planners to choose from, but none are quite the same as the Hobonichi Techo. These Japanese planners are known for having a minimalistic style, with a variety of unique designs and layouts to choose from. Once you start planning with a Hobonichi, you’ll notice that they are extremely versatile for journaling, as well as for making daily and weekly spreads.
It’s easy to keep track of important information in Hobonichi planners. They give you the flexibility to approach planning your way, with space to customize and decorate. Each planner features a special kind of paper called Tomoe River Paper, which is thin, yet resistant to ink bleeding. It’s no surprise that Hobonichi planners are beloved across the world for their simplicity and elegance.
Hobonichi traces its beginning to 2002, when a group of developers in Japan were looking for a new product to sell on their website. They decided to make a weekly planner in response to requests from customers, eventually creating a notebook that had many of the essential features seen in the present-day Hobonichi Techo. With adjustments to style and layout over the years, including the addition of an English-language version in 2013, the Hobonichi planner has come a long way.
The planners are available in a number of sizes, all of which have different uses and functions. The four varieties of Hobonichi Techo include the Cousin, Original, Weeks, and Five-Year. Each of these planners is fun to use, with an intuitive layout that gives you lots of space to be creative with your journaling. Whether you use it for half a year or across a five year span, Hobonichi has excellent options for all types of planning.
The Original is based on the first of the Hobonichi designs, with pages for the day, month, and year. It is useful for a number of different approaches to planning, especially for those who desire a weekly layout or a journal for their art. With daily pages and monthly calendars, this planner can be used to track important information throughout the year. There are several optional features that can be added to the Original, including an English translation and weekly page inserts. You can choose to format the Original as an Avec, which splits the year into two different journals. This gives you more space to write in and decorate.
For a complete weekly layout that includes a timeline of each day, the Cousin is an excellent choice. It makes scheduling easy, and gives you a helpful format for planning. This is a great option for those who like their planners to be structured. The Cousin is also available in Avec format, giving you the option to split the year in half. This means that you won’t have to carry it around for the rest of the year, when the planner gets bulky from journaling and adding stickers.
Hobonichi Weeks is an elegant, compact planner that features a smaller weekly layout on one page. On the opposite side, there is space for writing notes, journaling, and drawing. This is located on the right side of the notebook, and it utilizes the gridded lines which have become a main feature in all of the Hobonichi planners. The left side has a vertical weekly layout, making it useful for notes, reminders, and short lists. Weeks is a great option for those who are interested in having a small, yet versatile planner. It is also a useful companion for a larger planner, allowing you the freedom to journal throughout the day without carrying a heavier notebook.
The Five-Year planner gives you the opportunity to write notes every day across a five year span. It contains small daily sections on the left side, and a gridded journal space on the right. This planner is useful for gratitude journaling, memories, and other important notes. Having the space to record five years worth of notes in one notebook makes the Five-Year Hobonichi an excellent choice for journaling across years rather than months.
The Hobonichi Techo is truly unparalleled in offering a variety of layout options and customizations with a minimal, attractive design. These planners may have originated in Japan, but there is broad appeal for their trademark simplicity and elegance. Regardless of your preferences for size and layout, Hobonichi has the right option for you. Each one has lots of space for drawing, journaling, and decorating with all your favorite stickers. They also give you areas for entering information in a yearly, weekly, and daily schedule. With all its variations, the Hobonichi Techo should be considered when choosing your new planner. Take advantage of the simplicity it has to offer, and remember to plan boldly and be you.