Hobonichi Techo
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What Is Hobonichi?
Hobonichi is a Japanese planner brand known for its thoughtful layouts and high-quality paper. The planners are lightweight, durable, and easy to customize, making them great for both scheduling and creative journaling. The most popular formats—Weeks, Cousin, and Original—offer different layouts so you can choose the style that fits your planning habits.
Tomoe River Paper
Most Hobonichi books use Tomoe River Paper, a beloved lightweight Japanese paper known for its smooth texture and its ability to handle fountain pen ink with minimal feathering. Despite being extremely thin, it resists bleed-through surprisingly well and keeps the planner compact even with 365 pages.
- Ultra-thin 52gsm paper that keeps even 365-day planners lightweight and compact
- Exceptionally smooth texture for effortless writing
- Handles fountain pen ink with minimal feathering
- High bleed-through resistance despite its thinness
- Works well with a wide range of pens: fountain pens, gel pens, brush pens, and markers
- Creates the signature crinkly “shari-shari” sound when turning pages
- Durable and flexible, making it ideal for daily planning and creative journaling
Types of Hobonichi Techo
Hobonichi offers several formats—Weeks (weekly), Cousin (A5 daily), Original (A6 daily), and Day-Free—each with its own layout and purpose. Detailed explanations for each format, size differences, and recommendations can be found here:
Where Can I Buy Hobonichi Techo?
Because Hobonichi is a very popular brand, it’s available through multiple official and authorized retailers worldwide. Shipping is usually reliable, and most shops offer yearly release information and accessories.
My recommended stores:
- Hobonichi Official Store (global shipping)
- JetPens (U.S. based, fast delivery)
- Yoseka Stationery (U.S. based, curated selection)
Helpful References
🔗 Hobonichi Official Store
🔗 Hobonichi Instagram
🔗 JetPens Tomoe River Paper Guide
🔗 JetPens Best Pens for Tomoe River
Popular Posts
Reviews & Lineup Guides
Honest reviews and yearly lineup overviews to help you choose your next Hobonichi. From new releases to real-life impressions, here’s everything you might want to know before hitting “buy.”
By Year: My Lineups
Take a peek at how my planner lineup changes each year—what I loved, what I tweaked, and how my planning style keeps growing.
Setups
Come see how I set up my Hobonichi! From page layouts to tiny habits and routines, here’s everything that keeps my planner running smoothly.
Layout Ideas
Looking for inspiration? These layout ideas are easy to try and fun to customize—perfect for adding a little spark to your weekly pages.
Accessories & Customization
Covers, inserts, pen tests, and DIYs—pretty much everything that makes a Hobonichi feel even more “you.”
Resources
A collection of tools and printable resources I’ve created for Hobonichi users! Grab anything you like and add it to your own setup!
FAQs
Got questions? Here are quick, friendly answers to the things Hobonichi users wonder about most.
Does Hobonichi work well with fountain pens?
Yes! Hobonichi uses Tomoe River Paper, which is famous for handling fountain pen ink beautifully. Minimal feathering, great shading—just watch out for slightly longer dry times.
What’s the difference between Weeks, Cousin, and Original?
Quick version:
Original = A6 daily planner, cute and compact
If you’re not sure where to start, Weeks is a very beginner-friendly choice.
Weeks = slim, portable weekly planner
Cousin = A5 daily planner with lots of space
Will my ink bleed through the pages?
Surprisingly, not usually! Even though the paper is super thin, it holds ink really well. Some juicy markers may ghost, but everyday pens are safe.
Where can I buy Hobonichi outside Japan?
You can shop directly through the Hobonichi Official Store (international shipping available) or through popular Japanese stationery shops like JetPens, Yoseka, and stationery boutiques that carry seasonal stock.
What’s the best pen for Hobonichi?
Gel pens, ballpoint pens, and fine-nib fountain pens all work great. Uni-ball One, Pilot Juice Up, and Zebra Sarasa are popular staples. The key is choosing ink that dries quickly if you’re a fast writer.
How do I prevent smudging?
Easy tricks:
Avoid oil-heavy highlighters on fresh ink
Don’t close your planner immediately after writing
Use fast-drying gel ink
Try writing with finer nibs (0.38 / 0.4mm)
Is Hobonichi good for beginners?
Absolutely! You don’t need a fancy routine—just use a page whenever you want. Many people start simple and naturally build their own style over time. It was also the first planner I ever filled for a full year, so I genuinely recommend it to anyone starting out.
Can I decorate my Hobonichi even if I’m not “artistic”?
Of course! Hobonichi isn’t about perfection. Stickers, washi, simple doodles, or even just lists and notes all look great on the pages.
Is the Weeks Mega worth it?
If you love taking extra notes, tracking habits, or keeping lists, the Mega is amazing. If you mainly use the weekly layout, the regular Weeks is enough.
If you’re curious about my real experience with both, here’s my honest review:
What’s the biggest difference between a regular notebook and a Hobonichi?
The paper quality, layouts, durability, and the overall experience. You get a planner that feels light, opens flat, handles ink beautifully, and simply sparks joy when using it daily.
If you’re curious about how it compares to other planning systems, here are a couple of posts you might find helpful: