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Yumi KitagishiLittle GiftsA5 Size (fits Cousin)

  • 2024 New

Illustrator Yumi Kitagishi is popular both in and out of Japan, and now you can get her illustrations on a techo cover.



The world in Kitagishi’s acrylic gouache paintings evoke warm, nostalgic feelings reminiscent of childhood days spent gazing at picture books.



The artwork on this cover is called “Little Gifts,” and is filled with over 80 carefully drawn items with various themes. These include not only imaginary items, but many that Kitagishi has actually bought or received and cherishes. You can find all kinds of sparkling treasures across the design, including a seal snow globe, a clasp pouch with a face, a cat stamp, and a rose tea bag.



The themes pictured on the cover are the kind that could tickle a girl’s fancy, but the black background gives the overall design a mature look that really brings it together.







Look closely and you can see the overlap of paint colors and precise brush strokes that reflect Kitagishi’s art style.







The cover interior is a dull shade of mint green. The pockets are also covered in illustrations.







The interior left pocket contains a cat-shaped brand card. It looks cute peeking out from the pocket, so you could even leave the card in so you have something to look forward to every time you open your cover.







The pink and pale yellow bookmarks provide a nice accent to the cover design. The bookmarks are simplified by leaving off the charms.







Kitagishi’s illustrated designs are also featured on folder sets, Hobonichi Paper(s), and Deco Rush products. Feel free to use them together as a set.



*In the Hobonichi Techo 2024 lineup, the Cousin book is available as the Japanese edition and the English edition.

(The English edition is only available as the January start version.)



About Yumi Kitagishi

Illustrator. Creates works with a rich sense of color and the warmth of hand-drawing, giving people a picture book-like view of the world. Illustrated for Kitty Cat Nursery Strolling Car (written by Hiroshi Ishizaki, published by Kodansha) and Little Stories of 366 Days (Shufunotomo).

Happy every day, every time you pick it up

Kitagishi regularly posts on social media with artwork that tells “little stories.” I fell in love with the charm and warmth of her art and reached out to her, which led to us working together.



Little Gifts, especially, is a design that carefully depicts things that are close to Kitagishi in real life. It’s a perfect theme for a book you fill with things that are important and close to you, which is why I wanted to pursue it as a cover design.



Keeping the designs from getting too sugary and ensuring they remained fashionable for adults was a major focus when putting these designs onto techo covers. I worked with Kitagishi on the color selection and placement of the artwork and its images so we could ensure the design would appeal to as many people as possible.



The design’s cute, but not in a way that you’d get sick of it. You’ll feel happy every time you pick it up, and find yourself wanting to just sit and gaze at it.

Staff List

Photographer
Styled Images: Nobuki Kawaharazaki / Product Detail: Hiroyuki Oe
Stylist
Minami Nosaki
Makeup & Hair
Daisuke Yamada (Cake.)
Model
Lisa Bayne
Yumi KitagishiLittle GiftsA5 Size (fits Cousin)
  1. ¥7,040 - ¥8,910(incl. tax)
  2. ¥4,180(incl. tax)

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Available
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Recommended Techo Books and Covers

Recommended Stationery and Accessories

Compatible Techo Books

  • Cousin (A5)1 page per day
  • Cousin Avec (A5)1 page per day 6-month book
  • Day-FreeMonthly notebook

[Cousin] Daily Pages (English / Japanese Version)

A daily techo with lots of space to write
This A5-size techo provides ample space on each daily page. It’s great for keeping in one place at home or at work and you can use it to track your child’s growth or exchange with someone.
  • Monday-start
  • A5 size
  • Thickness: 18 mm (0.7”)
  • Daily pages
  • Yearly calendar
  • Yearly index
  • Monthly calendar
  • Weekly pages
  • Memo pages

[Cousin Avec] Daily Pages (2-Book Set)

Each 6-month daily techo is thin and light for easy carry
This techo splits the year into two 6-month books, making it easy to carry while keeping the same page design and layout as the standard edition.
  • Monday-start
  • A5 size
  • Thickness: 10 mm (0.4”) each
  • Daily pages
  • Yearly calendar
  • Yearly index
  • Monthly calendar
  • Weekly pages
  • Memo pages

[Day-Free] Monthly Techo + Notebook

A monthly notebook with undated pages to write freely
This techo starts with monthly calendars and ends with undated graph paper pages so you can write whenever you want, and as much as you want.
  • Monday-start
  • A5 size
  • Thickness: 8 mm (0.3”)
  • Monthly calendar
  • Yearly calendar
  • Yearly index
  • Graph paper notebook pages

Specifications

Cover
SizeA5 size
H: 228 x W: 337 x T: 3 mm / H: 9.0" x W: 13.3" x T: 0.1"
*Specifications may vary slightly
WeightApprox. 170 g
Main materialExterior: Polyester / Interior: Polyester
Book (Cousin English Edition / English / January Start)
SizeA5 size
H: 210 x W: 148 x T: 18 mm / H: 8.3" x W: 5.8" x T: 0.7"
*Actual book size may vary slightly"
Weight Approx. 445 g
LanguageEnglish
Pages 544 Pages
Paper Type / Binding Thin, light Tomoe River S paper resistant to bleeding and designed for planners / Stitch-binding
Graph Paper Size3.7 mm
Start of WeekMonday-start week
Yearly Calendar 2023, 2024, 2025
Yearly IndexJan. 2024 - Dec 2024 (4 pages)
Monthly Calendar Dec. 2023 - Mar. 2025 (32 pages)
Daily PagesJan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2024 (378 pages)
*A blank two-page spread is featured at the very beginning of the book to provide a free area when starting out the book.
*A page is included at the beginning of each month to help in planning ahead.
*Every two-page daily page spread includes one daily quote.
*Includes a mini monthly calendar at the bottom right of every two-page spread (Monday-start).
Daily Quotes One quote per two-page spread (English)
Weekly Pages Jan 1, 2024 - Jan 5, 2025 (106 pages)
Memo Pages5 pages
Bonus Pages Time Table / Graph Paper / Favorites / My 100 / An Interview with Myself / Seasonal Sweets to Make at Home / Caring for Your Eyes / Words to Remember / 365 Days Check-Off Sheet / Getting the Most Out of Your Hobonichi Techo / Gifts / Addresses / Personal Notes
Listed Information Day of the year / Week of the year (listed on monthly calendars and weekly pages) / Moon phase (daily pages include every phase, monthly calendars and weekly pages only include full and new moon)
OtherSee the Exploring Each Type page for more details
Book (Cousin / Japanese / January Start)
Size A5 size
H: 210 x W: 148 x T: 18 mm / H: 8.3" x W: 5.8" x T: 0.7"
*Actual book size may vary slightly
Weight Approx. 445 g
Language Japanese
Pages 544 Pages
Paper Type / Binding Thin, light Tomoe River S paper resistant to bleeding and designed for planners / Stitch-binding
Graph Paper Size 3.7 mm
Start of WeekMonday-start week
Yearly Calendar 2023, 2024, 2025
Yearly Index Jan. 2024 - Dec 2024 (4 pages)
Monthly Calendar Dec. 2023 - Mar. 2025 (32 pages)
Daily PagesJan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2024 (378 pages)
*A blank two-page spread is featured at the very beginning of the book to provide a free area when starting out the book.
*A page is included at the beginning of each month to help in planning ahead.
*All daily pages include daily quotes.
*Includes a mini monthly calendar at the bottom right of every two-page spread (Monday-start).
Daily Quotes One per day (Japanese)
Weekly Pages Jan 1, 2024 - Jan 5, 2025 (106 pages)
Memo Pages5 pages
Bonus Pages Time Table / Graph Paper / Favorites / My 100 / An Interview with Myself / Seasonal Sweets to Make at Home / Caring for Your Eyes / Solar Terms / Emergency Preparedness / Gifts / Age Table / Conversion Chart / Getting the most of Hobonichi / Addresses (for 8 people) / Personal Notes
Listed Information Day of the year / Week of the year (listed on monthly calendars and weekly pages) / Old lunar calendar / Rokuyo (traditional Japanese lunisolar calendar) (listed on monthly calendars) / Solar terms / Japanese holidays / Moon phase (daily pages include every phase, monthly calendars and weekly pages only include full and new moon)
OtherSee the Exploring Each Type page for more details
Book (Cousin Avec / Japanese / January Start / 2-Book Set)
SizeA5 size x 2 books
Each Book: H: 210 x W: 148 x T: 10 mm / H: 8.3" x W: 5.8" x T: 0.4"
*Actual book size may vary slightly
WeightEach Book: Approx. 260 g
Language Japanese
PagesEach Book: 288 pages
Paper Type / BindingThin, light Tomoe River S paper resistant to bleeding and designed for planners / Stitch-binding
Graph Paper Size 3.7 mm
Start of WeekMonday-start week
Yearly Calendar 2023, 2024, 2025
Yearly IndexBook 1: Jan. - Dec. 2024 (4 pages)
Book 2: July 2024 - June 2025 (4 pages)
Monthly CalendarBook 1: Dec. 2023 - July 2024 (16 pages)
Book 2: June 2024 - Jan. 2025 (16 pages)
Daily PagesBook 1: Jan. 1 - June 30, 2024 (188 pages)
Book 2: July 1 - Dec. 31, 2024 (190 pages)
*A blank two-page spread is featured at the very beginning of the book to provide a free area when starting out the book.
*A page is included at the beginning of each month to help in planning ahead.
*All daily pages include daily quotes.
*Includes a mini monthly calendar at the bottom right of every two-page spread (Monday-start).
Daily Quotes One per day (Japanese)
Weekly PagesBook 1: Jan. 1, 2024 - June 30, 2024 (52 pages)
Book 2: July 1, 2024 - Jan. 5, 2025 (54 pages)
Memo PagesBook 1: 9 pages
Book 2: 5 pages
Bonus PagesTime Table / Graph Paper / Favorites / My 100 / An Interview with Myself / Seasonal Sweets to Make at Home / Caring for Your Eyes / Solar Terms / Emergency Preparedness / Gifts / Age Table / Conversion Chart / Getting the most of Hobonichi / Addresses (for 8 people) / Personal Notes
Listed Information Day of the year / Week of the year (listed on monthly calendars and weekly pages) / Old lunar calendar / Rokuyo (traditional Japanese lunisolar calendar) (listed on monthly calendars) / Solar terms / Japanese holidays / Moon phase (daily pages include every phase, monthly calendars and weekly pages only include full and new moon)
OtherSee the Exploring Each Type page for more details
Book (Day-Free / Japanese / Monthly)
Size A5 size
H: 210 x W: 148 x T: 8 mm / H: 8.3" x W: 5.8" x T: 0.3"
*Actual book size may vary slightly
Weight Approx. 220 g
Language Japanese
Pages 224 pages
Paper Type / BindingThin, light Tomoe River S paper resistant to bleeding and designed for planners / Stitch-binding
Graph Paper Size 3.7 mm
Start of WeekMonday-start week
Yearly Calendar 2023, 2024, 2025
Yearly Index Jan. - Dec. 2024 (4 pages)
Monthly Calendar Dec. 2023 - Mar. 2025 (32 pages)
Weekly Calendar Not included
Daily Quotes Included (Japanese)
Graph Paper171 pages
Bonus Pages Time Table / Graph Paper / Favorites / My 100 / An Interview with Myself / Seasonal Sweets to Make at Home / Caring for Your Eyes / Solar Terms / Emergency Preparedness / Gifts / Age Table / Conversion Chart / Getting the most of Hobonichi / Addresses (for 8 people) / Personal Notes
Listed InformationDay of the year / Week of the year (listed on monthly calendars and weekly pages) / Old lunar calendar / Rokuyo (traditional Japanese lunisolar calendar) (listed on monthly calendars) / Solar terms / Japanese holidays / Moon phase (daily pages include every phase, monthly calendars and weekly pages only include full and new moon)
OtherSee the Exploring Each Type page for more details

Please Read Before You Buy

In order to provide you with the most satisfaction for your product, we've compiled a list of warnings, potential issues, and tips to keep in mind for this particular product. Please be sure to read this information carefully before placing your order.

Actual specifications may vary from listing

Each item is individually assembled and sewn by hand by a factory worker. Best efforts are made to ensure consistent sizes and specifications, but there may be slight differences.

Color and print may vary slightly

This material is first printed or dyed and then later sewn onto the cover. While colors are designed to be consistent, there may be uneven coloring or slight shade variances between covers. This may also happen across a single cover, such as a pocket compared to the rest of the cover. In addition, on rare occasions, there may be small black or white dots visible on the print. This is an unavoidable aspect of the manufacturing process.

Cover may contain variations in stitching or loose lining

Due to the structure of the cover that opens flat 180 degrees, exterior stitching areas may appear puckered and lining material may be loose.

Pen holders are rigid at first

The pen holders are rigid at first, making it difficult to insert pens. You can speed up the breaking-in process by rolling the pen holders in your hand.

Pen holder fits pens up to 13.5 mm wide

The pen holder is designed to perfectly fit the 12.2 mm (0.48”) diameter Jetstream pen offered as a free Hobonichi Store Exclusive. Pens with certain shapes and materials may be difficult to pull through the holder. The holder can fit pens up to 13.5 mm (0.53”) in diameter.

Avoid storing in hot and humid places

Please avoid storing your product in hot, humid places or placing it atop other objects for long periods of time as this may result in lower quality and color stains.