Every year, we refine the Hobonichi Techo to polish it into a book that’s easy to use and loved by its user. The 2017-edition book includes improvements on even the smallest details as we reviewed every single page. Here is a list of the changes to this year’s layout, as well as the new informational pages in the back.

New features in 2017

New page:
“Turning the page to a new year”

Planner / Original / Cousin

Japanese A6-size Original

English A6-size Planner

There is now a warming up page located at the very front of the daily pages section. This free space allows you to reflect on the last year’s events, make resolutions for the new year, keep important data that was written in the last year’s book, or anything else you can think of. This section includes a December 2016 and January 2017 calendar in the corner of the pages in the Japanese-version Original and Cousin, while the English-version Planner includes a blank graph-paper design.

Now includes Weekly Calendar

Cousin (avec)

Weekly Calendar

The 2017-edition A5 Cousin Avec now includes the popular Weekly Calendar featured in its full-year counterpart.

Redesigned monthly header pages

Planner / Original / Cousin

Japanese A6-size Original

Japanese A5-size Cousin

English A6-size Planner

We’ve improved the design of the memo page featured at the beginning of every new month of daily pages. Refinements include the intervals and lengths of the lines on the page and a block of color across the top to make the page easy to find after closing the book.

Improved weekly page design

Weeks

We’ve removed the free-space area at the bottom of the weekly page and spread out the weekly quotes across the two-page spread, which now allows for the inclusion of longer Japanese quotes. We’ve also reintroduced labels for the day of the week in Japanese, so the days are now written in both English and Japanese.

Monthly calendar boxes
now the same size

Weeks

While Sunday’s box was previously slimmer than the rest of the days, this year’s monthly calendar has balanced out all the boxes into the same size. The Japanese holidays are also easier to distinguish.

Yearly Calendar improvement

Original / Cousin / Weeks

The A6 Original, A5 Cousin, and Weeks now all feature three years (last year, this year, next year) on the yearly calendar page.

Improved daily page designs

Original / Cousin

The daily page designs for the A6 Original and A5 Cousin have been refined with clearer numbers and lines, larger dates, dotted lines changed to solid lines, and a bolder vertical timeline.

Holidays removed from
daily page headers

Planner

The international holidays of 30 countries will no longer be listed at the top of the daily pages, in order to allow more freedom in using this space. The list of National Holidays will still be listed in the back of the book.

Two-days-per-page section removed

Planner

In response to customer input, the December 16-31, 2015 and January 1-8, 2017 two-page-per-day sections have been removed.

Planner official name change

Planner

The English version book’s official name has been changed from the Hobonichi Planner to the Hobonichi Techo Planner.

2017 Hobonichi Techo
new informational pages

Here are some of the pages you’ll find in the informational section in the back of the book.

[Original / Cousin / Weeks]

Favorite Local Japanese Sweets (Japanese)

Hobonichi conducted an online survey in February 2016 about favorite local treats across Japan. This page lists the top two choices for each prefecture.

Interacting with Cats and Dogs (Japanese)

This two-page spread introduces things to know and tips on interacting with cats and dogs you come across around town.

Useful First Aid Tips

This simple guide provides basic first aid tips you can use at home to treat sprains, slivers, bloody noses, and other minor injuries.

My 100

This list lets you pick whatever theme you want: things you want to do this year, books you want to read, movies you want to see, foods you want to try, restaurants and shops you want to visit, etc.

(Other useful pages / Original)
Time Table, Graph Paper, Favorites, Solar Terms, Emergency Preparedness, Conversion Table, Age Table, Gifts, Useful Links, Addresses (for 6 people), Personal Notes

(Other useful pages / Cousin)
Time Table, Graph Paper, Favorites, Solar Terms, Emergency Preparedness, Conversion Table, Age Table, Gifts, Useful Links, Remember This, Addresses (for 4 people), Personal Notes

(Other useful pages / Weeks)
Shorthand Note-Taking, Solar Terms, Emergency Preparedness, Age Table, Conversion Table, Useful Links, Addresses (for 6 people), Personal Notes

[Planner]

Favorite Local Japanese Sweets

This page introduces the names and flavors of the top seven favorite local treats across Japan.

A Guide to Japanese Tea

This guide illustrates the different types of green tea, tips on how to prepare it, and the philosophy and process behind the Japanese tea ceremony.

Japanese Plants and Animals by Season

This illustrated guide describes some of the plants and animals that have come to represent each distinct season in Japan.

Important Contacts

This address book contains space for 7 entries so you can write down contact information you use often, list emergency phone numbers, etc.

(Other useful pages / Planner)
International Size Charts, Conversion Table, International County Codes / Dialing Codes, National Holidays, Personal Notes, etc.