Hi, this is Momo.

Have you ever used the “Hobonichi Notebook?”
There are a few different kinds, but I always use the plain one.


Top row, from left: plain, graph, ruled (A5 size). Bottom row: same, but A6 size.
Why plain?
Well, it started with something someone told me when I had just started working. (This was before I joined Hobonichi.)

On my first day at the office, the department head called me over.
The first thing he asked was:

“Do you have a notebook?”

Of course I did.
It was a typical ruled notebook. When I showed it to him, he said:

“Let’s try a plain notebook instead.”

…Huh?

Here’s what he meant:
Once you start working, you’re going to be asked to come up with ideas and opinions. To be someone who can really express those, it helps to have a plain notebook.

- Lines make you want to write “correctly.” So be bold and go with how you feel.
- Use words, use drawings ー whatever works. It’s all about clearing your head.
- Don’t lose that childlike curiosity.

That’s how you make space for new ideas and possibilities.

To be honest, I thought using a plain notebook seemed kind of childish. I felt a little embarrassed. But since the head said so, I reluctantly bought one.

At first, I wrote neatly from the top left corner of each page. But over time, my lines got wilder. I started sketching things, drawing diagrams... writing down thoughts, ideas, feelings, goals ー just anything that came to mind.


Old notebook #1
When I felt stuck, I’d use arrows to map my way toward a solution, or just sort things out in my head.


Old notebook #2
When something felt hard to explain with words, I’d draw it ー even if I was bad at drawing. That helped me communicate better. I think I’ve gotten better at explaining things to others too.


Old notebook #3
Sometimes I’d write out whatever was screaming inside me.

“I can’t even tell what’s going on in my own head.”
“Even a random idea is fine ー I just want a hint.”

That feeling of freedom, and the way a notebook can really support you ー I wanted others to experience it too. So whenever new employees joined, I’d recommend a plain notebook.

＊＊＊

All Hobonichi Notebooks use Tomoe River paper, which feels so good to write on. Your pencil just flies across the page. And I love how the notebook feels after you’ve filled it up ー all soft and worn out. Lately, I try to carry less, so I’ve been using the A6 size. Sometimes I also use the ruled one, in addition to the plain.


Left: ruled, Right: plain. I stick on idea-sparking stickers on the plain one.
The ruled notebook is for handwriting practice.

I want to write beautiful vertical text, like the way Japanese writing flows from top to bottom and right to left. There's something about that flow that feels so elegant. That feeling really hit me after I turned 40.


I use the ruled notebook top-bound like this.



Depending on my mood, I carry my notebook, a paperback, and some stationery in my tragen. Sometimes two notebooks and some tools.


See? Perfect fit!
A notebook really helps open up ideas ー and yourself, too.
Notebooks are great.


---＊The Products Introduced ---
Hobonichi Blank Notebook（A6・A5）
Hobonichi Lined Notebook（A6・A5）
Hobonichi Graph Notebook（A6・A5）
Tragen (Black) A6 Original Size

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