Can you believe it's already the last day of 2021? I feel like this year has gone by in a flash! (as cliche as it sounds)

To go over my events this year, I decided to download the Reminiscing Game from Download City.

> Download City
> The Reminiscing Game



This board game setup provides a way for you to look back through your memories in your Hobonichi Techo. There are 31 boxes to fill, so you can write in things that happened on a certain month or year in each box to play the game.

I decided to make a board game titled "My 2021," so I went ahead and flicked through my 5-Year Techo for 2021 to remind myself what I have been up to this year. The process of looking back at past entries was more fun than I thought! I roughly wrote down entries that stood out to me in a notebook before I wrote them down on the board game. I'm glad I did this, because I actually picked up about 50 topics at first and had to narrow it down by quite a bit! By creating a draft beforehand, I was able to evenly space out my events across the year (as much as I can).

This is the end result! (I used the one for A5 Cousin size)







I cut this out and pasted it in my Cousin (which is my work techo. I have been juggling between three techos this year . . . )



The dice and the roulette you see peeking through are also available for download. You can fill in the red speech bubbles in the board game to add instructions like "lose a turn" or "reroll dice" to spruce things up.



It would be fun to create a board game every year and for you to pull out your past techos to play with it every once in a while! Also, although I used it to reflect on the year, you can also use it to look back on each month.

I did look back at my old techos before, but actually picking events out of it and writing it down helped me reminisce on each event more vividly. Also, it's nice to have a colored page in your techo - I think it makes it look cute!

With 2021 almost coming to an end, I'm sure many of you are prepping for your techo for next year (me included!). You might be customizing the yearly, monthly, or daily pages with stickers or by sectioning them to your needs, but how about customizing the pages at the back?

The Download City has lots of pages you can print out and paste to the memo pages at the back (or anywhere you want). To customize my techo for next year, I decided to print out and paste the 365 Days: Check-Off Sheet!


My techo for 2022: Into the Forest and the Planner. Into the Forest is planned to restock on February 1st at 11 AM Japan time!

This is the 365 Days: Check-Off Sheet (for the Planner/Original size).



It has a bubble you can fill in for each day of the year, and you can use it to track studying, working out at home, or anything else you’d like to do every day!

Here's a step-by-step instruction on how you can print and paste one yourself.

1. Go to Download City
Click here to visit the page.


2. Click on "365 Days: Check-Off Sheet"
Or you can click here to go to the page directly.


3. Click on a size of your choice and print it out!
Make sure your printer settings is set to 100% scale.


4. Cut it out along the lines


And ta-daa! That's it!

I went ahead and pasted it to one of the memo pages at the back of the book.



One of my goals for 2022 is to achieve the splits, so I'm going to color it in every day after I stretch. Fingers crossed I can keep it up!

You can also cut off the title at the top to create some space to write down your own title. I wrote down my goals "Get Front Splits!" on the Kitta (Frame 2) to make it stand out.



The good thing about Download City is you can print out as many as you want. If you're super motivated and have several things you want to continue every day, go ahead and print out several of these sheets so you can use one per goal! It must be so rewarding to see them all colored in at the end of the year.

That's it for today! See you next time with another "Hello! Download City!"

Hi everyone!

Our (Hobonichi’s) winter vacation started yesterday, and during the holiday season, I’ll be updating the Techo News under the theme “Hello! Download City.”



. . . You might be wondering, what is Download City? Well, it’s a page where you can find handy materials to print out and tape into your Hobonichi Techo!



Some of these pages have been included in the bonus pages towards the back of the techo (you might recognize My 100 for example), and some were made originally for Download City. The sheets have been sized for the Original/Planner (A6 size), Cousin (A5 size) and Weeks size, so you can download one depending on the size of the techo you’re using to cut and paste in your techo.
*Please note some pages aren't available in all sizes.

We even have printable designs you can insert for your cover.



Print your favorite and insert it under a Cover on Cover (or Clear Cover) to change the look of your techo cover!

Over the next couple of days, I will be introducing you to some of the pages in depth, as well as detailed guides on how exactly you can use it.

I hope you look forward to it!

Hello! Today, on December 1st, sales for the new Drawer Pouch designs begin! Cute designs such as Aki Kondo's Field of Flowers and Whisker Cat will join the lineup.

Additionally, we've added a companion to the Drawer Pouch, the Anytime Tote! It comes in three styles: the Anytime Tote, the Anytime Tote Petit, and the Anytime Drawstring Bag.

I've used all three types, so here I'll be talking about what they're like and my personal thoughts on them while talking through each of their characteristics.

Anytime Tote




First up is the large-sized tote bag "Anytime Tote." The fabric is sturdier than the thinner reusable bags out there, and it's lined and comes with large pockets.

A bag this size made of leather or canvas material for example tends to be heavy, but a characteristic of the Anytime Tote is that it's light while still having plenty of storage. On top of that, the fabric used is cute. I think there aren't that many bags like this.

I use it to put in my change of clothes and towels when going to yoga classes and carry around my laptop with this when I'm headed to the office. It's useful because I can throw in scarves and layers that tend to get bulky when carrying around.

Anytime Tote Petit




This is the Anytime Tote Petit that comes with short shoulder straps. It comes in handy when I'm going out for lunch or to have a stroll around. Even when I put in my purse, techo, and water bottle, because it's gusseted it still has plenty of room.

It uses the same material that's not too thin but light, so it doesn't bother me when I hang it from my shoulders. Rather, it rests well on my shoulders and I like how it's easy to hold.

Anytime Drawstring Bag





Last up is my personal favorite, the Anytime Drawstring Bag. Because the fabric used is fashionable, I found it comes in handy as a handbag to carry around when going out. I'm able to gather my smartphone, wallet, handkerchief, lipstick, and keys all in one place and because it's a drawstring-type bag, it's easy to pull out its contents.

The Anytime Drawstring Bag is really cute when paired with matching Drawer Pouch Pockets. The balance of the two sizes is perfect too. I also think it would be useful to put the Anytime Drawstring Bag inside the Anytime Tote if you have a lot to carry when going out.

Here was my brief introduction on the Anytime Tote series that's fun to pair with the Drawer Pouch. I hope you enjoy the new lineup!

*This is a re-edit of Hoshino’s Techo News from March 2020.

In 2019, I started to use the Weeks book for the first time. I use it as a "cultural techo.”

… Some of you may be confused as to what I exactly mean by it. Basically, it’s a techo where I keep a record of the books I read, movies I saw and exhibitions I went to (and occasionally some other stuff).

Let me talk you through my techo.

[The reason why I started to use it]
I started using the Weeks book in this way because I wanted to look back on that year by reflecting on the things I saw and how I felt about it.

I used to write a diary in the A6 Original techo, but because I switched to the 5-Year Techo, I was in need of a place to paste tickets and small bits and pieces, so that would be another reason why,

[Why I chose the Weeks]
I decided to go for the Weeks when a techo user once told me how they could paste in tickets without having to fold them in the Weeks because of its vertically narrow shape.

I planned on pasting in loads from the start, so I chose “White Line” with a soft front cover. This way, I don’t have to worry even if the book puffs up.


The Weeks book after being used for a year. It has puffed up quite a lot.

[How I use it]
There’s nothing special in the way I use it, but I chose to write the title of the piece and my quick thoughts on it on the left page, and paste tickets, sleeves of the books I bought, and cutouts of newspaper book reviews on the right page.




My reviews are really quick and easy.




An article introducing a novel based on Bunraku (traditional Japanese puppet theatre), a ticket of Bunraku I went to because of the novel and my thoughts on it.

I use the memo pages towards the back of the book to paste newspaper cutouts that I was moved by and other things I’d want to see multiple times throughout the year.




I paste large newspaper articles by folding them.

[What I found interesting]
Because the Weeks layout allows me to see a record of a week's worth, I found it interesting how I can see how my thoughts developed through the books and exhibitions I read and saw.

For example,



April 29
I ate Czech cuisine to discuss a Dashenka cover. (The restaurant's name was Dasehnka too!)

↓
April 30
I bought books by Dashenka's author Karel Capek that someone told me during the meeting.
↓
May 1
I bought a book by Mari Yonehara, a Russian translator and author who had lived in Czechoslovakia before. I became interested in Czech and Russian dishes that appeared a lot in her book.
↓
May 10
I bought Yonehara's book, which is a collection of essays written on the topic of food. I loved the design of the book cover and checked the credits to find out it was Shinbo Minami's work. It reminded me of a book written by Minami named "Soutei (bookbinding) that I read during high school.
↓
June 1
I ended up buying "Soutei." It had been 10 years since I last read it. It was fresh to read even now, and I reminisced on when I read it for the first time and it made me happy.

… Like this, I'm able to keep track of how I chose a book, a bit like a word association game. Now I don't have to feel frustrated not being able to remember why I chose to read a particular book. It's a record that would only be meaningful for me, but I mean, techo's are for yourself isn't it?

[Other fun things]
I occasionally pasted chopstick bags from the bento’s I ate when going to a concert, or packages of items I bought at exhibitions too.


Chopstick bag of a Sukiyaki bento I ate.


The name of the socks I bought was funny.

It's fun how I can remember small things like how I saw Mt. Fuji from the bullet train I was on to head to a concert while eating a Sukiyaki bento, or how I bought "Ancient Microbes Socks" at the National Museum of Nature and Science to see their dinosaur exhibition.


I also pasted a sticky note memo that came with a book I borrowed.

[My thought after using it for a year]
Because the space in which you can write everyday is compact in the Weeks, my reflections ended up being short. But I think this was the key, as I was able to continue writing in it feeling relaxed.

By just writing a short sentence, I was able to remind myself where I was attracted to in a piece and my thought process of when I was reading a book. It also came in handy when I wanted to talk about a certain piece to someone.

Hi everyone!

The article where we interviewed writer Minori Kai about Omiya Yogashiten has been uploaded.



Kai, who not only has deep knowledge of cute wrapping paper but on various goods that are fun to use in your daily life, lovingly talks about Omiya Yogashiten that has been a place she had admired for a long time.

Please take a look!

Read the article >

The Hobonichi Note started sales on November 1st.



We’ve received a few remarks from those who had seen the “Where to Buy” list (only available in Japanese) on how it will also be sold in eyewear shops, and that’s right! This time, the Hobonichi Note will be sold in several Paris Miki shops (eyewear brand) in Japan.



The novel ruled lines that reduce eye strain is the main characteristic of this brand new notebook. Someone who’d be thinking about the importance of eyes would be . . . an eyewear shop! That’s why we introduced eyewear brand Paris Miki to the concept and characteristics of this notebook, and they have kindly decided to sell the Hobonichi Note in some of their stores in Japan.





This is how the Paris Miki Narita Misatodai shop looks like. They have arranged an old sewing machine into a table to line up the Hobonichi Notes. It makes me happy to see it displayed like this!

Tokyo Sweets Guide is an article that focuses on shops in Tokyo that are perfect to spend time writing your techo while eating something sweet. Since they are only available in Japanese on the Hobonichi Techo Online Magazine page, here is a summarized English version.

This time, it features a cafe close by to wester sweets shop Omiya Yogashiten that was featured last time, named Cafe Chopin.



Tokyo Sweets Guide: CAFE CHOPIN



A cafe located in Kanda Suda-cho, an area with places loved by locals for a long time, such as soba noodle restaurants and sushi restaurants.

Founded in 1933, it will mark its 88th year this year. Around the time when this cafe opened, this area was popular amongst the younger generation as there was Jimbocho’s famous book district and Ochanomizu’s student town close by. “Chopin” was popular as a classical music cafe to listen to classical music with vinyl.

Actually, the founder didn’t know much about Chopin or classical music in general. The reason why it was named “Chopin,” however, was because a salesperson of a vinyl shop thought their vinyl albums will sell well if this cafe played lots of classical music, so they insisted it should be named “Chopin.”

Yukiko Okamoto, the wife of the 3rd generation shopkeeper and current owner of the shop also told us how the stained glass inside the shop says “Shopin” instead of “Chopin” as the founder misspelled it. (Laughs)

Chief Nobuhiro Sasaki, who makes coffees and light meals, has worked here for 49 years.

“So many things have changed over the past 49 years. After the bubble economy popped, it isn’t as crowded anymore. The vinyl we played has changed from SP records to LP records and has then switched to reel-to-reel audio tape recording, CDs, auto-changer, and now we use the Walkman (digital audio player) to play music.”

The way the younger generation listens to music has changed over the years, but the taste of Chopin’s coffee, using lots of beans that are lightly roasted, hasn’t changed from the beginning.











The misspelled stained glass






The toast’s thickness is 2cm. Anko (red bean paste) is heaped on.


It’s then sandwiched and smothered with butter.




Layered with even more butter!






And another smothering of butter!




The final addition of butter


The toasty color, the smell . . . How yummy does this look?






Has a deep taste made with lots of beans that are lightly roasted.




















Today’s Sweets



An Press 500 yen

Uses shoku pan (white loaf) from Suzuki Bakery, who they have known each other for over 50 years. It’s sandwiched with anko (red bean curd) and toasted gradually by adding lots of salted butter. Chief Sasaki came up with this idea.

“I started making these when a customer who came to our cafe every day told us they were getting bored and wanted to try out something new.”

The saltiness coming from the butter soaked in the fluffy bread combined with the sweetness of the red bean curd makes this dish a delicious one. Because they are created one by one using a single sandwich press, only one An Press or other hot sandwiches can be ordered per group. Please order food menus with a drink. Blend coffee is available at 550 yen.



Lemon Juice 650 yen

This sherbety drink is made by blending lemon, ice and sugar in the mixer. Start of by using scooping it with a spoon, and drink it using a straw once it’s metled. In the lineup of fresh juices, there are bananas and strawberries. (Strawberries are available for a limited period of time: from Mid December to April)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Shop Details
1-19-9 Suda-cho, Kanda, Tokyo
Hours: 8AM to 8PM (Saturday 11AM to 8PM)
Closed days: Sunday, Holidays
Telephone: 03-3251-8033
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Today’s Techo


*See the original article here.
*Tokyo Sweets Guide main page

Photography: Nobuki Kawaharazaki

Hi everyone!
Taut (Beige & Navy) has recently restocked.



This year's leather uses a reversible leather of beige and navy. The front is a beautiful beige with a tinge of gray.
The navy that peeks through accents the look.

Because it uses soft Italian leather the texture is pleasant and makes me want to touch it again and again. As the name suggests, this cover snugly fits the techo book and has an elegant look.




Behind the scenes of when we were shooting in the summer. Brings back the memories!

If you are still considering which cover you should go for next year's techo, check this cover out!

*This is a re-edit of Komata’s Techo News from this time last year.

Hello everyone!

This is my third year using the Hobonichi 5-Year Techo. Because I get to look back on my past “today’s” every year, the second year is more interesting than the first, and the third year is more interesting than the second! This was my new finding after using it for a while.

Today, I’ll be talking about the 7 things I do with the Hobonichi 5-Year Techo. It’s nothing special, but I’ve collected a few things that I found quite useful.

1. Draw the zodiac sign for that year on January 1st


Although I normally fill my techo with words, I’ve decided to draw on this page. I also write my resolutions on this page too, so I find this page is where I put in my effort the most.

2. Jot down notes about the pens I’m using


In my first year, I changed the pen I used every month to see which pen goes the best with the 5-Year Techo’s paper. After trying out various pens, I found that the kakuno Fountain Pen worked best for me, so I have been using it from the second year onward.

3. Use a pencil board


I had actually never used a pencil board with the Weeks, which is the techo I use daily, but I decided to use a pencil board for the 5-Year Techo because I wanted to keep the pages tidy knowing I’d be using the same pages for 5 years. This turned out to be successful! I can write stress-free without applying too much pressure. It also works as a bookmark as well. I’ve actually started to use a pencil board for my Weeks book too!

4. Write down plans scheduled way ahead in the 5-Year Techo


For plans I want to remember across the years, like tickets for plans scheduled way ahead, I write it down on a sticky note and paste it in my 5-Year Techo like a bookmark. If it were a techo for a single year, I’d probably even forget that I had written a memo, but this way I won’t forget it!

5. Paste stickers for when the season changes


I paste my favorite press flower stickers when the season changes. I also paste cute stickers on my friends and family’s birthdays and for slightly special days.

6. Write down extracts of“Today’s Darling” from the Hobonichi website


“Today’s Darling” is an essay by Shigesato Itoi posted on the Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun and it doesn’t have any archives. Although not every day, I pull out phrases that meant a lot to me and write them on the right page for my future self. I often find myself feeling glad that I had written it down.

7. Write down travel packing list (mainly clothes)


By writing it down, it becomes a handy reference for when I travel next, and I find it super useful. I also have another page where I write down outfits for each day. (This memo was for when I traveled to a place where it was said to be -15 degrees for the first time in my life, so I prepared for it extra carefully.)

It turned out to be quite long, but these are the 7 things I do with my 5-Year Techo. I hope you enjoyed it!