Hello everyone. This is Maho Ise, a writer on the Techo Team.

This is the time of year when we reflect on the end of one year and the start of a new one, making it the perfect moment to think about which planner to use next.

I’ve decided to refresh my main everyday planner and continue using the Hobonichi 5-Year Techo.



I’ve chosen the HON (A5 Size) Slash (Ivory).

After years of using the Weeks alongside a notebook, I decided to move to the HON (A5 Size) because of my determination to consolidate all my work-related notes into one book!

As for why I chose the Slash cover, it’s because its simplicity fits perfectly with any scenario?whether it’s a meeting, an interview, or whether I’m dressed casually or formally.

However, I agonized over the color choice. If someone asked me, “What’s your favorite color?”
I’d immediately answer, “Navy.” Naturally, you’d think I’d choose navy without hesitation, but… hmm.

I lost count of how many times I visited Tobichi Tokyo to imagine myself using it.

In the end, I went with ivory, inspired by the mindset of “When you feel uncertain, it’s okay to choose something different!”

And since this will be my second year using the Hobonichi 5-Year Techo, I’m looking forward to not only jotting down my daily thoughts but also enjoying the feature of looking back at “What was I doing a year ago today?”



Here’s to a year where those moments of “Hmm?” turn into “Aha!”

Stay tuned for the next post!

Hello, this is Nanako from the Techo Team.
This time, the theme is “My Hobonichi Techo for 2025.”
The planner I’ve chosen is the “Planner.”



The Planner is a simple and sophisticated planner directed by Sonya Park, the owner of the select shop and brand ARTS&SCIENCE.

As a beginner in using planners, I did wonder, “Can I really make the most of this...?” But, drawn by admiration, I finally took the plunge.



Currently, I’m using the large HON (A5 size), but for 2025, since so many adorable notebooks are available, I decided to go with the Alettone Document Case. I plan to pair the Planner with some notebooks, so I can use them differently depending on the situation.



What sealed the deal for me was that with this combination, you can see the stylish cover of the Planner through the case!

So why did I choose the Planner?
Just looking at its pages feels like it clears and sharpens my mind, and it has a vibe that seems to spark great ideas. The texture of the cover also feels like it’ll become familiar and well-loved over time?similar to how a dictionary feels as it becomes “yours.” It gave me a sense of nostalgia and excitement.




Inside, the design is minimal, with only a few colors like charcoal gray and red. I plan to use rich black ink pens and colored pencils to turn it into an idea sketchbook. (That’s the goal!)



One of my favorite features is the “dinner mark” at the bottom left of each daily page. I’ve recently started paying more attention to my nutritional balance, so I’m thinking of using it to track ingredients I use for home-cooked meals or to record delicious lunches I’ve had in Jinbocho. Having a specific spot to write this down will help keep my layout clean, which makes me happy.

So, that’s my choice for “The Hobonichi Techo I Chose for 2025.”
What will the next featured planner be? Stay tuned!

Hello, this is Fujimori, a fairly new member of the Techo Team.

When it came to choosing my planner for next year, I thought I’d spend ages deciding - but surprisingly, it was an instant decision.

That’s because I switched from taking notes on my computer to using a techo this year. I’ve been using the “Planner (English)” and recording everything I need to remember, hear, or feel for work.


And it’s been fantastic.

Thanks to this, I rediscovered the joy of writing and even found moments to “acknowledge myself.”

So, for one of my techos, I’ll stick with the Planner for work. It’s my trusty companion - looking forward to another year together.

As for the second planner, it’ll be for personal use. I was drawn to the bold, vivid red of the “Colors: Chili Pepper”. It’s so striking that I couldn’t resist keeping it by my side!


Almost every day, I find myself observing things, daydreaming, or pondering various little curiosities:
“Why is that?”
“Wouldn’t it be interesting if…?”


In a previous job, I once collaborated with an author who loves to imagine things like me to create a whimsical picture book, fueled by shared daydreams.

For example, just recently, I started wondering:
Why, despite the abundance of restaurants in Jinbocho, do I only ever see pigeons and not a single crow?

And another thing: these pigeons seem to get along surprisingly well with the restaurant staff.

I want to start documenting these small curiosities and musings, investigate them when I can, and jot down my own conclusions.

By the end of 2025, I imagine this vibrant red planner will transform into my very own encyclopedia.

When I feel like taking a break, I’d love to decorate it by sticking my collection of stickers onto the “Clear Cover for Weeks”.


Even now, flipping back through my planner feels a little embarrassing, and there’s always a sense of fear when facing my own thoughts. But I think I’m ready to overcome that.

Stay tuned for the next Techo News!

Hello, this is Manaka from the Techo Team.

For my planners in 2025, I’ve chosen these three:
Cousin,
One Piece Techo,
and Planner!



In 2024, I used two planners - Original and Planner - so this is my first time using three. I’m a bit nervous about whether I can keep up!

Here’s how I plan to use each one:

- Cousin: For work
In 2024, I used the Original for work, but I found it didn’t have enough space. Next year, I’ll switch to the Cousin so I can write much more.

For the cover, I chose the Going Merry Logbook. It’s a favorite of mine because it’s stylish yet has a cute little detail.

- Original: For daily life
I’ve always used the One Piece Techo for my daily notes since it first came out, so I’ll continue using it this year too. I want to fill it up with fun things, like pasting in museum tickets
or jotting down schedules from memorable days.

I chose the Thanks Sea cover, which has a light gray base with a hint of silver sparkle. I absolutely adore how charming it looks.

- Planner: For a visual journal
As I mentioned in a previous Techo News update, I wanted a techo for sketches and things that inspire me. So I’m continuing with the Planner for 2025! I want to fill it only with things I love, creating something like a visual journal.

So, in 2025, I’m challenging myself to use three planners! I hope to take my time and enjoy writing whatever I feel like.

Stay tuned for the next update!

Hello! This is Nakamae from the Techo Team. November has begun, and today marks the start of a new series where members of the techo team introduce the techos and covers they’ll be using in 2025.

I’ve been given the honor of kicking things off, so I’ll do my best to share mine with you!



But…

As the saying goes, “A woman’s mind and winter wind change oft.” True to form, I can be incredibly fickle.

At the end of August, during the “New Lineup Pre-Release Live Stream” on YouTube, I passionately declared, “This is the techo I’m going with!!” But when I actually opened the box, I found myself with a completely different set of techos… quite a few of them, in fact.



The total? Five planners. Yes, five. That’s a lot.

Well then, let’s open the box and take a closer look at each one!



What I Bought
- Original
- HON (A6 Size) - Hiroko Kubota: Crescent Moon Delivery　
- Weeks - Smooth: Vanilla Soda
- Day-Free (A6)　
- Day-Free (A5)
- Fireside Chat Notebook (B6)
- mina perhonen: pomppia (Light Blue)
- Phoolon (Large Flowers)　
- Alettone Document Case (Navy)　
- Alettone Document Case (Brown)　
- Yumi Kitagishi: Hobonichi Pencil Board (In the Room)　
- Yumi Kitagishi: Hobonichi Pencil Board (Animal Condo)

Wow, what a list! Let me explain how I plan to use them:

Original → Diet Journal

Since May, I’ve been using a simple checklist-style *“planner diet”* to track my daily habits. It’s been effective, and I want to keep it up in 2025!


I chose the Original paired with the min? perhonen: pomppia (Light Blue) cover for this purpose. My goal is to lose 15 kilograms?I’m currently down 7 kg. With this cheerful cover by my side, I’m ready to push forward!


HON (A6 Size) → Work Planner

I originally planned to use Day-Free for work in 2025, but when I saw the HON by Hiroko Kubota in person, I couldn’t resist its charm.


I’ll carry it in the Alettone Document Case. Don’t the colors go so well together?


Weeks → Reading Journal

In 2024, keeping a reading journal helped me read so many books! Even as a slow reader, I’m now on my 42nd book. I plan to continue this habit in 2025 using the Smooth: Vanilla Soda Weeks.


My companion will be the Animal Condo pencil board.


Day-Free (A6) → Bookstore Journal
I love visiting bookstores across the country, but I often leave with only books and no memento of the visit. So I’ll use the Day-Free (A6) to create a bookstore journal. I’ve actually already started using it because I just couldn’t wait!


I’ll use the monthly calendar to plan trips and the memo pages for shop cards and notes. Soon, I plan to visit some bookstores in Kyoto.


Day-Free (A5) → Book Creation Notes
In addition to working as part of the techo team, I also write essays. When I created a book before, documenting the process in a notebook was incredibly rewarding and helpful. It came in handy when at book launch events too.


So for my next book, I’ll use the Day-Free (A5), paired with the Phoolon (Large Flower) cover.


I’ll also use the In the Garden pencil board. I’m all set!


Fireside Chat Notebook → Idea Notebook

Finally, the Fireside Chat Notebook will be my idea notebook for essays. (The Yellow has blank pages)


I’ve already jotted down a few past experiences to use as seeds for future stories. I’ll carry it in the Alettone Document Case (Brown)]. This color combination is adorable too!


5-Year Techo → Daily Journal
I’ll also continue using the 5-Year Techo I started this year. I document each day with photos, and I’m excited to see what Year 2 brings!


It keeps getting more thick, and I’ve grown attached to it.


So, that’s my lineup for 2025! It’s a bit… excessive, isn’t it? Will I be able to keep up with all of them through the year?
Knowing myself, I might change my mind?like walking into a udon shop and ordering curry instead.

I’m a bit worried already, but I’ll update you on my progress!

Hello! This is Manaka from the Hobonichi Techo team. Today, I will be showing you how I’ve been using the Planner I started using this year.



I had been writing about shops I visited that I liked and things I enjoyed in the techo I use on a regular basis, but that wasn’t enough, so I started using a separate techo to use just for writing down all the good things I encountered.

How I use it is....



For example, I draw sketches of my favorite clip, paste a nice piece of paper I found,



and paste wrappers of snacks that I thought was yummy. I tend to forget what I thought was delicious, so I make sure I write it down in the Planner.



I sometimes sketch accessories I recently purchased, too. I like to collect paper so there are many pages where I’ve pasted paper.



I sometimes draw dense observational sketches. The pen I use is the uniball one by the way. The black is pigmented and it makes my Planner spreads look nice and sharp.

When I find a particular aspect of an item that I think is cool, I write or paste that in the Planner.

As I started using the Planner, I feel I’ve been observing things more carefully. It made me realize small details that I otherwise would not have noticed.

How about creating a journal that is packed with good things for yourself?

Hi, this is Ayagi from the techo team.

To go with the Hobonichi Techo 2025's theme of “Potential,“ I'll be sharing with you my way of using the Hobonichi Techo!



I actually started a “scrap techo“ with the A5 Cousin size Avec from January 2024.



It was my first time “growing a techo,“ and here's my very thick techo half a year later. It makes me feel emotional seeing it.

How I actually paste and write things is...



I paste wrap-around bands of books I read and write down my comments in the leftover space.



I also cut out the good parts of wrap-around bands of mangas to paste in.

I used to throw them away, but they turn into good records so I've started saving them.



I print out social media posts that caught my attention and write down my thoughts alongside it.



For purchases that made me happy, I paste tags that were attached to the product and often draw quick illustrations.



I also recommend pasting screenshots of songs you listened to that day.

It would be fun to look back on a few years later!



Even if I don't pack the page with words, printing out a nice photo of the day and pasting it into my techo creates a good memory.



As I started to paste lots of things in my techo, I came across more moments when I feel I want to keep something in my techo. I've started to take business cards at shops I visited, started to take more photos, and draw more.

I feel I've developed a habit of treasuring every single day.

The “scrap techo“ is a very enjoyable way to feel like you're putting pieces of your day into a techo, so I hope you try it out! Your techo will puff up so I recommend using the Avec.

Hello, this is Nanako from the Hobonichi Techo team. Today I’ll be sharing a way to use the techo I’ve been trying out since last month.

This year, I’ve been using the Tomitaro Makino’s “Yamazakura“ A5 size HON.

The daily pages are the pages I use every day to write down plans, ideas, and important words I hear from my seniors, or paste things in. You will be able to use it in different ways by day. I take tons of notes, so I love this A5 size techo that even comes with weekly calendars.

However, ever since I started working, I hadn’t been able to use the monthly calendars well and that had been bothering me. There are so many schedules I need to write down, and I couldn’t keep up with writing down the latest schedule changes in my techo. That’s when I decided to try out a monthly picture diary I had long admired.



I get bored pretty easily and I knew I’d end up giving up at an early stage, so I started the diary feeling quite relaxed.

I first draw one thing that left an impression on me that day.



On the commemorative day 1, I drew “The Sudachi“ canned juice I received from (Susan).

I sometimes scroll through my smartphone’s camera roll to see if there’s anything to draw, or draw a quick sketch during lunch break when I receive something yummy from a senior.

As I spent everyday thinking about what could be that day’s thing to draw, I developed an “antenna for finding topics.“







Once I draw, it reminds me of nothing-special funny events such as a funny photo sent from my mom.

I also feel a sense of fulfillment filling in the blocks, which made me like this monthly picture diary even more.



What I like about drawing a monthly picture diary on the Hobonichi Techo is that
I’m able to have fun with a peace of mind. The monthly calendars are lightly printed with a grid design, so I can draw neatly without having to worry about the overall balance of the illustration. This allows me to have fun freely.

Because of its simple design, it looks more put together using a single pen rather than using lots of different colors, making it easier to continue, too!

The sense of fulfillment gave me a gentle nudge to continue drawing the diary, which might be the biggest news for me.

Look forward to the next Techo News!

Hi, I’m Shiozaki from the techo team.

The theme of this series of Techo News’ is “The potential of the Hobonichi Techo.”

I wonder what it could be?

Perhaps it could be that when you write about something you like, you feel excited and want to write more, and as you write more you find something new and interesting about it.

I’ll talk about things that I have fun writing in my Hobonichi Techo.


My pal is the Weeks

This year, I wanted to add greenery in my room and ended up adding more to my collection of succulent plants.

I thought succulent plants would be easy to take care of and look cute, but when you water them varies depending on the type.

I had grown attached to these plants, and felt this urge to not let them die so I started using the Hobonichi Techo to manage their watering schedules.

I tried it out on the monthly calendar of the Weeks so that I can see a month’s worth of plans at a glance.

I started out by simply keeping a record of when I watered them.


The pages looked quite bland to start off with
As the days passed, each plant started to develop their own character and I felt like I wanted to keep a record of how they’re growing on top of managing their watering schedules.

On busy days I’d just jot down a few words but when I have the time I add illustrations. I have a laid back approach to these pages. Because I use the monthly calendar, I’m not too bothered when I have days where I don’t write anything at all.


My page from July looks cheerful and I’ve become attached to it

I found more things I want to write, and so I started keeping a record of the seasonal flowers I see when going on walks.


I’m currently into adding seasonal illustrations on holidays

There’s a free space on the left and bottom side of the calendar, and I like how I can write comments about the month as a whole in this space.


Comments to refer to next year

With this method, I can keep a record of the changes each month so I can feel the seasons while at the same time seeing how my plants have grown.

As I wrote little by little, I started coming up with ideas on how the page would be easier to see, and found more things I want to write about. My curiosity expanded the more I wrote.

Creating an exciting spread as I write about a single theme on something I like made me encounter many happy findings.

Although these pages aren’t perfect, as long as I continue to write, I’m positive I can find a new “potential!”

The Hobonichi Techo 2025 Preview Stadium has fun information on the new lineup every day, so please check it out!

Hi, I’m Higashi from the techo team.

The theme for the Hobonichi Techo 2025 is “Potential.” For this Techo News series, team members will be writing about their take on the “potential” of the Hobonichi Techo.

Although I said that, when I tried putting my idea into words, I found it hard to describe it. So I decided to first write down the theme in my techo.



As I wrote the phrase
“Watch it shine through, bit by bit,
in the pages of your Life Book.”
it hit me.

Something shining through in my Life Book (=Hobonichi Techo). Right, let’s find my “potential” as I carefully go over my Hobonichi Techo.

The first thing that stood out was the “Remember This” page in April.


Don’t forget how you started out.

It had been a year since I joined the techo team, and as I got used to things, I remember feeling that I needed to roll up my sleeves and remember how I started out.



This is when I drew a sashimi capsule toy I had received that made me happy. Then, here’s a page from June that says “TRY!” in large letters.



I’ve written down my resolution of wanting to start something new and TRY. I like writing down things in large letters in the Remember This page because it turns on a switch inside me to actually do it.



Here I’ve written “I layed on my back in the veranda because it was a new moon.” This day was Hobonichi’s anniversary, and because I had spent such a fun day I’d already written quite a lot for my diary entry, but I still felt like I should write this down as well.

As I read back on my techo like this, it made me realize how writing down nothing-special, mundane things like this could turn into something interesting.

The more you write, the more fun it will be to read back on. To think that this is all possible by myself makes it exciting.

The Hobonichi Techo 2025 Preview Stadium is updated daily, so I hope you check out that page too!