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!

Hi everyone, I’m Hirano from the Hobonichi Techo team. I hope you’ve been enjoying the Hobonichi Techo 2025 Preview that started in August so far.

Have you read the Shigesato Itoi interview where he talks about “Potential,” the theme of this year? If you have already done so, you might have noticed that the mood of the article changed completely from one point.

This year, we asked Ryo Fujii to draw illustrations and create the story of “The Mystery of the Techo Mask” for the leaflet that comes with the Hobonichi Techo books. Look forward to seeing how “Potential” and “The Mystery of the Techo Mask” all come together!


A flyer picked up if it’s lying on the ground. (Photography: Yuki Ide)

In this series of the Hobonichi Techo News, techo team members will talk about the potential they feel in the Hobonichi Techo they’re currently using. I will be kicking this series off.

So now, let’s talk about “Potential.” I found a memo in my techo when we decided on this theme during a meeting with Itoi.



Although the meeting took place at the end of January, I had so much to write so it spilled onto the pages in February. In the memo I wrote during this meeting, I’d written


Japan is doing well
“Potential”
We still have a long way to go


These words by themselves don’t make much sense, do they? I tried my best to recall what Itoi was talking about during this meeting from the memos I took, so let me share them with you.

* * *


Although the Hobonichi Techo reached 10 million all-time sales in 2024, we shouldn’t draw a line there, or feel like we’ve accomplished something. The 10 million copies are numbers that accumulate like a body blow, and don’t have a strong impact like a punch to the face. 10 million is a number you’ll achieve as long as you continue to do so.

The Hobonichi Techo is growing in ways I wouldn’t have imagined when we first made it. It means that many people have continued to use it without getting bored of it, and also that there are a lot of new users trying it out. “For people in their 24th year, and for first-time users” is probably going to be our theme when we welcome new customers.

The Hobonichi Techo is increasingly becoming popular in the U.S. and in Europe, but I feel that the attention for “Tokyo, Japan” is growing too. I saw in some survey that Japan was selected as the number one “country with high expectations.” Doesn’t it make you a little happy in the midst of all the news saying Japan isn’t doing so well?

Thankfully, the Hobonichi Techo is accepted by people not as a planner, as a diary or as a journal, but as a completely new genre called the “Hobonichi Techo.” Since there’s the movement of “When it comes to stationery, it’s Japan” out there, let’s promote “Hobonichi from Japan” out there too.

We have our largest lineup of techos yet this year, haven’t we. When I actually look at the lineup, it doesn’t feel that you’ve increased the number of items indiscriminately. Instead, it gives a sense of reassurance while appearing fresh at the same time. I could tell that there’s a thoughtful intention behind making it into content. Let’s make wondering which techo to go for a joy in itself shall we.

When I think about this, I’d want the theme for this year to show that the Hobonichi Techo still has a long way to go and has potential. I’ve made Mr. Saturn say “Potential” in the MOTHER game and made products using this term at Hobonichi, but I feel it’s something you can say for the Hobonichi Techo too.

* * *

We reached the theme of “Potential” through these conversations.

Even after we’d decided on the theme, we went back to the starting point to discuss what a leaflet/user manual brochure actually is. Eventually, we asked Ryo Fujii to create the story of “The Mystery of the Techo Mask.” We’ve made it so you can have fun with it after receiving it too.

As Itoi said in the interview, it would be amazing if a positive, magic-spell-like word “potential” gets used more.

We have been releasing exciting information about the new lineup at the Hobonichi Techo 2025 Preview Stadium daily. Every news is packed with “potential,” so I hope you enjoy the previews and the Techo News that are to come!

We've got good news for One Piece fans: Today we will be talking about the ONE PIECE magazine x Hobonichi Techo 2025 collaboration.

This is our third year collaborating with ONE PIECE magazine, and we have been working on it since last autumn. This year's lineup sees a variety of techo covers and accessories too. They will go on sale October 1, 2024!

As well as the One Piece edition techo book we created with readers through surveys, we have a techo cover using new material and even more accessories. Information on the full lineup is actually introduced in the ONE PIECE magazine that goes on sale June 4, before anywhere else!

The ONE PIECE magazine x Hobonichi Techo 2025 lineup includes designs like this...


covers like this...


items like this...


and even stationery like this!


If you are interested in learning what will be coming to the lineup, we hope you check out the ONE PIECE magazine. The feature article is apparently about Zoro and Sanji. This sounds like such an interesting read!

The cover is so cool too...
↓


Over on Hobonichi, we will reveal the details of the lineup in August. We are currently working hard on it, so we hope you look forward to it!

Hello, I’m Shioguchi from the techo team.

How have you been enjoying the issues for “My New Stationery - Spring 2024?”

Here are my new stationeries: the perfect companions for my Weeks books!



- uni-ball one 0.38mm Sesame gray
- Jetstream 3-color Slim Compact
- Clickbright Yellow
- Clear Cover for Weeks
- Chiratto Index Clip Orange
- Plus Whiper Petit 4mm
- Post-it Slim Mini Page Markers

After I started using the stationeries that worked well with the Weeks books for this year, I noticed they were making my techo time much more pleasant. Let me introduce some of my favorites.

The specially-selected pens
These three pens are newcomers.



1) uni-ball one 0.38mm Sesame gray
I add some lines with this pen and customize the format of the Weeks book weekly pages.



One of my favorite qualities of the Hobonichi Techo is that the lines are exquisitely thin and easy on the eyes, and this pen allows me to write similarly.

I only use black ink at work to avoid the trouble of switching through pens for different lines, but I prefer using lighter ink for the Weeks book since there are many lines that I want to add.

The subtle color fits nicely and has become one of my favorites.

2) Jetstream 3-color Slim Compact
I love this ballpoint pen so much that I have two of them: one for work and another at home.



Since my hands are slightly smaller than others, this slim body fits very well in my hand.

I use multi-colored pens for the compact Weeks book so that I can carry only a few pens with it.

This white pen version is designed for 0.5mm leads, but I have replaced it with a 0.38mm refill since I like fine leads better.

3) Clickbright
This pen is perfect for highlighting the Daily Quotes that catch my eye.


^See how nice and thin it is for the Daily Quotes!

Unlike typical highlighters, the nib of the pen is very thin.


^The top line is drawn with a Clickbright pen and below that with a common highlighter. The line is quite thin!


My first Clear Cover



・Clear Cover for Weeks

This year, I decided to use the Colors and chose a bright yellow color that I usually would not pick up. This made me want to keep my techo clean, and since I also wanted a pen holder, I decided to use the Clear Cover for the first time.

I prefer not to have a Clear Cover on my techo to enjoy the material of the original cover, but I find it convenient once I get used to it!


Index clips I buy again and again

I came across these index clips while struggling to find the index stickers that fit my taste.



- Chiratto Index Clip Orange

It has little protrusion, perfect thickness and hardness for pulling with your fingers, and it stays firmly even on the thin Tomoe River paper. I love them so much that I have repeatedly bought them.


Correction tape matching the Weeks paper color



- Plus Whiper Petit 4mm

The cream-colored paper is one of the Weeks’ features.

The tape color would stand out when using white correction tape, but this cream-colored one blends in with the Weeks book’s paper color.

I also like that it is small enough to fit in my pen case with other stationeries.


The small-size sticky notes that are useful on the monthly pages

As a sticky note user, I find these mini-size sticky notes useful.



- Post-it Slim Mini Page Markers

I use them as placeholders for the monthly pages by writing plans on them.

When my schedule changes, I can easily move them without the need to erase and rewrite, and the size is great for the narrow monthly pages.


Thank you for reading!

This issue was brought to you by Shioguchi, a lover of stationeries that make the techo time even better!

Hello. I'm Wenlai, from the techo team.

For three days from May 1st to 3rd, we participated in an outdoor sketching event held in Shanghai. The official name of the event is "Shanghai Urban Sketchers."

The event was held during this period of Golden Week, which is a holiday season in China. The venue was a grassy area along the river, and on sunny days, it's a popular spot for people to take walks.



The Hobonichi booth was located in one of the sunrooms here. At the corner where visitors could try sketching in Hobonichi Techo, many families visited every day.

Children were using a variety of drawing materials lined up to draw freely and enjoyably. They seemed to be having so much fun.




Throughout the event, we held several workshops.

On the first day, we invited Lia as a lecturer, and went on a sketch tour with the participants. Lia is an illustrator who paints warm and gentle watercolor artworks.

We packed the Stappo with colorful pens and went to find subjects we wanted to draw.




It seemed that many participants were accustomed to drawing, as everyone was very skilled! There were many impressive works.




On the second day, there was a workshop by Maoz (猫子).
Maoz's techo pages feature a yellow cat character appearing throughout. They're a bit comical and cute!
It's said to be like an alter ego expressing her feelings.



Based on Maoz's style, the theme of this workshop was "Let's create and draw your original characters!"



With just a few tricks, the characters become expressive. Once you have your own standard character, the expression in your techo expands all at once.



The guest on the final day was e-Zai.
e-Zai quickly captures the outlines of people and landscapes with her brushwork, and paints with the combination of vivid colors.
It's tasteful and very lovely!



First, we practiced sketching indoors before heading out to the riverside.





"I'm not good at drawing at all, but because it was an event where everyone was doing it together, I was able to challenge myself. I'm glad I took the plunge to participate," one of the participants said.

Many people discovered the Hobonichi Techo for the first time at this event.
They were amazed that despite the paper being so thin, it didn't bleed through even when painted with watercolors or other materials.
Truly, it's the Tomoe River paper, demonstrating its prowess without fail.

It's also becoming a pleasant season to go out in Japan - how about your place? Why not take your techo and pouch with you on your days off and try sketching?