Ryoji AraiI forgot when it was, but we sure had funA6 Size (fits Planner and Original)

      Children’s book author and illustrator Ryoji Arai is back with this cute cover featuring a pink cat you’ll want to carry with you everywhere.



      Arai last had covers in our lineup with the popular I’ll listen to you anytime, says the donkey. in 2014 and the enchanting Some say the gate turned wishes into sound. in 2015.



      Is the cat in an open field? Or perhaps floating in a dream? The original piece had a canvas painted with a variety of art mediums and brush strokes to depict a basket, guitar, hat, and other dreamy objects. The artwork has been printed onto this cover and provides a wonderful work of art the user can enjoy.

      The cat is drawn without eyes or a nose, so its expression changes depending on how you look at it, sometimes looking happy, sometimes looking sleepy...



      In addition to the paint and other art mediums, the original art piece also includes a collage with pieces of vintage postcards and clippings. The yacht and tree on the bottom left of the back of the cover are an example of these clippings.

      The cover interior is a vibrant shade of pink, and the two bookmarks are lemon yellow, making the blue, pink and yellow color scheme reminiscent of colorful candies.

      The pen holders combine a starry design like the sparkling night sky pictured on the back cover with a cute cherry pattern.

      Arai also came up with the silly name to this cover. It almost seems like the cat is the one blurting out, “I forgot when it was, but we sure had fun!” Arai tells us, “I wanted to convey how cats are so arbitrary and blunt.” We hope this cover will have you filling in your book with all the “That sure was fun”s!



      A portion of the sales of this cover will be donated to Rencontrer Mignon and will be used for animal welfare.

      About Ryoji Arai

      Ryoji Arai was born in 1956 in Yamagata Prefecture. His children’s books are widely acclaimed in Japan and across the world. He won the JBBY (Japanese Board on Books for Young People) award for the book Sound of Taiyo Organ, the grand prize for the Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award for the book It’s Morning, So I’ll Open the Window, the grand prize for the Japan Picture Book Award for the book Tonight’s Full Moon, and in 2005 was the first Japanese author to win the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for children’s literature. Arai created the illustrations in the opening for the NHK Japanese drama television series Jun to Ai and served as the artistic director of the Yamagata Biennale Art Festival.



      Interviews with Ryoji Arai on Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun:

      Ryoji Arai and Shigesato Itoi’s Common Points (Japanese)

      Ryoji Arai Builds a Gate (Japanese)

      Staff List

      Photographer
      Styled Images: Kimiko Kaburaki / Product Detail: Hiroyuki Oe
      Stylist
      Megumi Nishimori
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      Ryoji AraiI forgot when it was, but we sure had funA6 Size (fits Planner and Original)
      JPY3,0245,292

      Normal
      Available

      Specifications

      Cover
      Size
      A6 size
      W: 117 x H: 165 x T: 20 mm / W: 4.6" x H: 6.5" x T: 0.8"
      *Excluding pen holders
      *Specifications may vary slightly
      Weight
      Approx. 102 g
      Main material
      Polyester
      Book (Original Avec / Japanese / July Start /Single 6-Month Book)
      Size
      A6 size
      W: 105 x H: 148 x T: 8 mm / W: 4.1" x H: 5.9" x T: 0.3"
      *Actual book size may vary slightly
      Weight
      Approx. 117 g
      Language
      Japanese
      Pages
      240 pages
      Binding
      Stitch-binding
      Paper Type
      Thin, light Tomoe River paper resistant to bleeding and designed for planners.
      Graph Paper Size
      3.7 mm
      *Monthly pages are 3.45 mm
      Yearly Calendar
      2018, 2019, 2020
      Yearly Index
      June 2019 - May 2020 (6 pages)
      Monthly Calendar
      June 2019 - Jan. 2020 (16 pages)
      Daily Pages
      July 1 - Dec. 31, 2019 (190 pages)
      *Three blank pages are 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.
      Daily Quotes
      One per day (Japanese)
      Weekly Pages
      Not included
      Memo Pages
      None
      Informational Pages
      Time Table / Graph Paper / Favorites / Words to Remember / Tips on Living Life in a Good Mood / Breakfast around the World / Introduction to Reading Classical Literature / Solar Terms / Emergency Preparedness / Conversion Chart / Useful Links / Gifts / Age Table / Addresses (for 6 people) / Personal Notes
      Listed Information
      Day of the year / Week of the year (listed on monthly calendars) / 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 only include full and new moon)
      List of Japanese holidays and era names in the 2019 Japanese techo
      -Information listed in the book is current as of February 2018.
      -Era names are not listed.
      -The names of dates relating to the Japanese emperor and the accession of the new emperor, including April 30th, May 1st, May 2nd, and October 22nd, will not be listed in the calendars.
      Book (Plain Notebook / Undated / Graph Paper)
      Size
      A6 size
      W: 105 x H: 148 x T: 8 mm / W: 4.1" x H: 5.9" x T: 0.3"
      *Actual book size may vary slightly
      Weight
      Approx. 117 g
      Pages
      240 pages
      The color of the ink on the page changes every 60 pages (red / blue / green / purple)
      Binding
      Stitch-binding
      Paper Type
      Thin, light Tomoe River paper resistant to bleeding and designed for planners.
      Book (Planner / English / January Start)
      Size
      A6 size
      W: 105 x H: 148 x T: 14 mm / W: 4.1" x H: 5.9" x T: 0.6"
      *Actual book size may vary slightly
      Weight
      Approx. 200 g
      Language
      English
      Pages
      448 pages
      Binding
      Stitch-binding
      Paper Type
      Thin, light Tomoe River paper resistant to bleeding and designed for planners.
      Graph Paper Size
      4 mm
      Yearly Calendar
      2019, 2020
      Yearly Index
      Dec. 2018 - Mar. 2020 (8 pages)
      Monthly Calendar
      Dec. 2018 - Mar. 2020 (32 pages)
      Daily Pages
      Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2019 (377 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.
      Daily Quotes
      One quote per two-page spread (English)
      Weekly Pages
      Not included
      Memo Pages
      12 pages
      Informational Pages
      Important Contacts / International Size Charts / Conversion Table /Highlights of the Calendar Year in Japan / Traditional Japanese Household Items / Junishi: The Japanese Zodiac / A World of Traditional Sweets / International Country Codes / Dialling Codes / National Holidays / Personal Notes
      Listed Information
      Day of the year / Week of the year (listed on monthly calendars and daily pages) / Moon phase (daily pages include every phase, monthly calendars only include full and new moon)
      Book (Original / Japanese / April Start)
      Size
      A6 size
      W: 105 x H: 148 x T: 14 mm / W: 4.1" x H: 5.9" x T: 0.6"
      *Actual book size may vary slightly
      Weight
      Approx. 208 g
      Language
      Japanese
      Pages
      464 pages
      Binding
      Stitch-binding
      Paper Type
      Thin, light Tomoe River paper resistant to bleeding and designed for planners.
      Graph Paper Size
      3.7 mm
      *Monthly pages are 3.45 mm
      Yearly Calendar
      2018, 2019, 2020
      Yearly Index
      Feb. 2019 - May. 2020 (8 pages)
      Monthly Calendar
      Feb. 2019 - May. 2020 (32 pages)
      Daily Pages
      Apr. 1, 2019 - Mar. 31, 2020 (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.
      Daily Quotes
      One per day (Japanese)
      Weekly Pages
      Not included
      Memo Pages
      11 pages
      Informational Pages
      Time Table / Graph Paper / Favorites / Words to Remember / Tips on Living Life in a Good Mood / Breakfast around the World / Introduction to Reading Classical Literature / Solar Terms / Emergency Preparedness / Conversion Chart / Useful Links / Gifts / Age Table / Addresses (for 6 people) / Personal Notes
      Listed Information
      Day of the year / Week of the year (listed on monthly calendars) / 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 only include full and new moon)
      List of Japanese holidays and era names in the 2019 Japanese techo
      -Information listed in the book is current as of September 2018.
      -Era names are not listed.
      -The names of dates relating to the Japanese emperor and the accession of the new emperor, including April 30th, May 1st, May 2nd, and October 22nd, will not be listed in the calendars.
      Book (Original / Japanese / January Start)
      Size
      A6 size
      W: 105 x H: 148 x T: 14 mm / W: 4.1" x H: 5.9" x T: 0.6"
      *Actual book size may vary slightly
      Weight
      Approx. 208 g
      Language
      Japanese
      Pages
      464 pages
      Binding
      Stitch-binding
      Paper Type
      Thin, light Tomoe River paper resistant to bleeding and designed for planners.
      Graph Paper Size
      3.7 mm
      *Monthly pages are 3.45 mm
      Yearly Calendar
      2018, 2019, 2020
      Yearly Index
      Dec. 2018 - Mar. 2020 (8 pages)
      Monthly Calendar
      Dec. 2018 - Mar. 2020 (32 pages)
      Daily Pages
      Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2019 (377 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.
      Daily Quotes
      One per day (Japanese)
      Weekly Pages
      Not included
      Memo Pages
      15 pages
      Informational Pages
      Time Table / Graph Paper / Favorites / Words to Remember / Tips on Living Life in a Good Mood / Breakfast around the World / Introduction to Reading Classical Literature / Solar Terms / Emergency Preparedness / Conversion Chart / Useful Links / Gifts / Age Table / Addresses (for 6 people) / Personal Notes
      Listed Information
      Day of the year / Week of the year (listed on monthly calendars) / 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 only include full and new moon)
      List of Japanese holidays and era names in the 2019 Japanese techo
      -Information listed in the book is current as of February 2018.
      -Era names are not listed.
      -The names of dates relating to the Japanese emperor and the accession of the new emperor, including April 30th, May 1st, May 2nd, and October 22nd, will not be listed in the calendars.
      Book (Original Avec / Japanese / January Start / 2-Book Set)
      Size
      A6 size x 2 books
      Each Book: W: 105 x H: 148 x T: 8 mm / W: 4.1" x H: 5.9" x T: 0.3"
      *Actual book size may vary slightly
      Weight
      Each Book: Approx. 117 g
      Language
      Japanese
      Pages
      Each Book: 240 pages
      Binding
      Stitch-binding
      Paper Type
      Thin, light Tomoe River paper resistant to bleeding and designed for planners.
      Graph Paper Size
      3.7 mm
      *Monthly pages are 3.45 mm
      Yearly Calendar
      2018, 2019, 2020
      Yearly Index
      Book 1: Dec. 2018 - Mar. 2020 (8 pages)
      Book 2: June 2019 - May 2020 (6 pages)
      Monthly Calendar
      Book 1: Dec. 2018 - July 2019 (16 pages)
      Book 2: June 2019 - Jan. 2020 (16 pages)
      Daily Pages
      Book 1: Jan. 1 - June 30, 2019 (187 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.

      Book 2: July 1 - Dec. 31, 2019 (190 pages)
      *Three blank pages are 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.
      Daily Quotes
      One per day (Japanese)
      Weekly Pages
      Not included
      Memo Pages
      Book 1: 2 pages
      Book 2: None
      Informational Pages
      Time Table / Graph Paper / Favorites / Words to Remember / Tips on Living Life in a Good Mood / Breakfast around the World / Introduction to Reading Classical Literature / Solar Terms / Emergency Preparedness / Conversion Chart / Useful Links / Gifts / Age Table / Addresses (for 6 people) / Personal Notes
      Listed Information
      Day of the year / Week of the year (listed on monthly calendars) / 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 only include full and new moon)
      List of Japanese holidays and era names in the 2019 Japanese techo
      -Information listed in the book is current as of February 2018.
      -Era names are not listed.
      -The names of dates relating to the Japanese emperor and the accession of the new emperor, including April 30th, May 1st, May 2nd, and October 22nd, will not be listed in the calendars.

      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

      When this cover is open flat, exterior stitching areas may appear puckered and lining material may be loose.

      White spots around stitching

      Due to the characteristics of the print and product material, the sewing process may expose the white of the original material around the stitches.

      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 bonus gift with select Japanese-version Hobonichi Web Shop products. 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.