Hello! I’m Nanako, and I’m a new graduate and the latest addition to the techo team in April.

This series has techo team members introducing which stationery have been our favorites from ones we’ve started using for the first time this year.

Here’s a look at mine!


This is the first time I’ve actually laid them out like this to look at them, and I’m surprised at how showy they are. It looks like I was trying to gather all the bright colors together. Let’s take a look at them one by one.

Stationery that makes me want to write
Pentel MATTEHOP


The ink of these matte color ballpoint pens writes so deep and vibrantly that it’s almost like you’re painting with it. Writing on dark-colored paper or photo paper gives it a strong sense of presence. I often have a hard time getting myself to colorfully decorate things, so I made it a little less intimidating by starting with washi tape for my journal entry headers and then wrote on that!


Yellow-green ink color

Lately I’ve felt compelled to use light yellow and yellowish-green colors for spring. I like MATTEHOP because the ink really pops and stands out even if I write over light colors.

Stationery that’s fun to pair with
Toiro Clear Masking Tape


My next item is this clear washi tape. It’s fun to play around with the transparency by layering strips of tape, and it’s simple enough that you can write on top of it. I bought it because it seemed perfect for taping things like shop cards and so on into my techo to look nice without covering it up too much.


Types: +Grid Red (L) 30mm (top left), +Lemon60 (S) 10mm (bottom right)

It’s recommended for use with oil-based pens, but I wrote the headline with an orange MATTEHOP and it turned out brilliant!


Stationery to gently organize a page
Sakura Coupy Marker


Lastly, I’d like to present the Coupy line marker, which can be used to apply soft color to writing. Of course, you can also use it for art. The shape is nice to hold, and the marker does not smudge, transfer, or take any time to dry.



I found a dandelion while I was on a walk and kept it for my diary. By drawing a matching yellow line to the corresponding words, the page feels more organized.


I used the colors Yellow and Pistachio. I made some vague shapes in the color of the dandelion and added lines with a ballpoint pen and MATTEHOP.

It's fun to add a hint of color after writing something in pen. It makes for an overall soft look, so I don't have to worry about making mistakes.

I'm personally nervous about coloring in pages I've already worked on but don't want lonely-looking pages, so if you're like me, I recommend it.



I used the colors Orange Peel and Violet Gray. After trying them out, I realized how calming the colors are.




Now my usual diary is lightly spruced up with my new stationery. I’m excited to have more pages that I’ll want to look back on.

What kind of stationery have you discovered lately? Even just having something new can make you feel more excited about writing.

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Hello, Watanabe here from the techo team.

Now, let me get right to the point: my writing is very small. I also tend to be long-winded when I write. So I was having a hard time making my to-do lists legible.

I thought maybe I could find a solution by changing up the thickness of my pen lines, so I tried out various nib sizes.





This is a Copic Multiliner. I’m trying the 0.5mm thickness to write my to-do list headers, and 0.1mm thickness for their details.



I draw the checkboxes for my to-do list and the “To Do” title with a thick line, and write in further details with a thinner pen. This way I won’t overlook my to-do list. (I think.)

On that note, my thin pen isn’t a Copic Multiliner, but a 0.3mm Pilot Hi-Tec-C Coleto 5-color pen.



I feel like 5-color ballpoint pens are relatively rare. (It comes with 10 refill colors and you make a set with 5 at a time.)

And even though it’s thin, it writes smoothly. The pen feels like it just glides across the paper, so it’s satisfying to write with. I feel like my long writing entries might get even longer at this rate.

The pen uses ink made of a special biopolymer, so the ink hardens quickly on the paper and doesn’t bleed.



I wrote down my plans in green letters, and in red I wrote my thoughts afterwards, as well as newly laid plans.

This color coordination is intuitive to me, so I feel like I have a hang of it so far.

Look forward to the next issue of Hobonichi Techo News to see our next round of stationery and accessories!

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Hi! I’m Iwasawa from the techo team.

The Hobonichi Techo NEWS is a series of articles on various themes by members of the techo team. Starting today, we will introduce “My New Stationery - Spring 2024,” some of the new favorite stationery items that the techo team members began using this year.

As the first one to share, these are the stationery I bought this year!


Let me walk you through one by one.

The first is the “Pelikano junior” fountain pen from Pelikan, a German stationery manufacturer.


I found it at a store and fell in love at first sight with its cute rounded shape and colorful translucent body. The price was reasonable, and I decided to buy it right away.

I later noticed that this fountain pen was designed for children. That is why the nib is rounded for easy writing, and it has a rubber grip to indicate the position of the fingers so that they can hold it correctly. (There were two types: one for right-handed people and one for left-handed people.)


The slightly thick line width is useful when writing large letters without worries. I also use it when I have little to write.


The second is Pentel’s “Ball Pentel.”


My favorite thing about this pen is that it writes so smoothly that it makes me feel good writing. I also love that the written letters are glossy. Writing and reflecting on my writing is fun since I can write in clear, dark letters.


These two pens were purchased when I had trouble sticking with my techo writing; I chose them with the hope of enjoying my writing again. I believe “using a new pen” is a tip for continuing to write in your techo, and I try it once in a while when I find myself not writing very frequently.

I selected turquoise and green body colors for these two to match the PAMM techo cover. I want to start fresh and keep up with my writing!


Let me share two more items. The PAPIER TIGRE mesh pocket and elastic pen holder are the ones that I bought at the beginning of this year for the HON book, as I was planning to use them for work this year. PAPIER TIGRE is a Parisian brand, and I am fascinated with their use of color.

The mesh pocket is not just cute in color and design but also lightweight. I came across it while looking for how to carry my stationery with my HON book. I wanted to keep my stuff as light as possible with a lovely design.


I bought the elastic pen holder with the mesh pocket. It is designed to be used horizontally but doesn’t fit tightly enough for the A6 size HON book. Although I knew the size before I bought it, it was so cute that I decided to use it another way. The HON book gets a little bulky as you add more items to the pages, so having an elastic band on it is reassuring.


I keep the pens and other stationery inside like this and bring them to work with my HON book!


What kind of stationery will come next? I can’t wait to see them, too!

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Hi! I’m Nakamae from the techo team.


I am flattered to hear that the illustration on the far left of the recently released “Hobonichi Techo Survey” article was based on me. I couldn’t be happier!


This edition of the Hobonichi Techo NEWS theme is “Share your Hobonichi Techo with me!” We will interview some crew members and have them show their Hobonichi Techo.


When I heard about this topic, the first person that came to mind was “meron” (that’s what we call her), one of our designers. I have seen her techo in the Hobonichi Techo NEWS and on social media, and I have always wondered, “How does she use all these different techo?” “They look so interesting!” “I wish I could take a look in person!” I thought it would be an excellent opportunity to have an interview with her and find out all about them.


meron is the web designer for the techo team. She has been working on the website and content designs for the Hobonichi Techo since 2022. (She has also appeared several times in the Hobonichi Techo NEWS!) She is a “grass” and “beer” lover in her personal life.

<1> How do you use them?
──
From what I know, meron has a lot of things to do in her free time and enjoys her days to the fullest. I was pretty sure that one or two techo would not be enough for her daily activities, including observing grass, going to art museums and exhibitions, and so on.

meron
That’s right! Right now, I use five different techo, with separate topics for each one. I have four here today, except for the 5-Year techo.

──
I cannot believe you use that many! How do you use them?

meron
The first Weeks book is for plants. It is the one I write about grass, which is one of my favorite things. The second Weeks book is for art. I record about art museums and architecture. The A6 size Original book is a journal where I keep things about my personal life. The A5 size HON book is my work techo; I am finally figuring out the best way to use this book. The final one, the 5-Year techo, is for writing down feelings and thoughts as they come to mind.

──
They are all brilliantly used! However, I assume that since you have so many hobbies, you are not at home very often. Can you still use all of them at the same time?

meron
I manage to get some time to write my techoーsometimes I write them before work, after work when I get home early, or on days off.

<２>A daily routine inspired by “Ranman”

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The Weeks book, with Dr. Tomitaro Makino's botanical drawings on the cover, is surely perfect for a “plants notebook.”

meron
Every day, I write my observations on the left side, and on the right side memo page, I draw illustrations and summarize information from the encyclopedia. This daily habit was inspired by the TV series Ranman (2023/NHK); every day at the end of the program, they introduce different kinds of plants with the title “Botanical Encyclopedia.” I started drawing them myself and kept drawing plants found outside even after the program was over.



──
That sounds wonderful! But isn’t it hard to continue that routine every single day?

meron
I came up with a trick to help myself with it: I set up a LINE notification on my smartphone to let me know the plant of the day every morning! Every day, I see the notification, and I draw.


──
So now you have a structure to support yourself! How about the other pages? What do you use them for?

meron
The yearly index is used as a table of contents to see the plants for each day quickly. The monthly calendar is for botanical and specific names, families, and genuses so that I can familiarize myself with those names. And this year, I started using the memo pages at the end of the book for plant sampling!

──
It’s amazing to see the real plants pasted!

meron
I’m excited to see a botanical techo being completed, with the whole book written about plant observation!

<３>Willing to visit more than 53 venues of art!

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The Taro Okamoto techo with the Tragen cover is for art, right? I see that you value the content of the techo matching the cover design. How do you use this one?

meron
I usually use it to paste art museum tickets and photos of architecture and to write down findings and feelings. It is useful to have the closing dates of exhibitions on the monthly calendar; it helps me remember visiting them. I have a list of exhibitions on the left side of the calendar to easily see how many I could visit!

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That’s awesome! It must make you want to fill up your techo with even more art activities.

meron
Exactly. I started this art techo last year, and my writing style motivated me to visit 53 venues. I would like to visit more this year!


<４>Write only the fun plans!
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The A6 size Original book is a journal. Do you have any writing rules?

meron
The only rule I have is to write the fun stuff. I write freely, mixing photos and illustrations on the daily pages.

──
You are writing willingly, but the quality is pretty high. Everything is written so carefully. Do you use the other pages as well?

meron
I use the yearly index for my schedule and write the things I am doing for fun. It makes me feel great to see it. I keep a “one-picture diary” on the monthly calendar.

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Look how cute it is! The picture describes an impressive event of the day with you as the main character.


meron
That’s right. I’m enjoying this habit, too.


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When was this cover released?

meron
It was back in 2022! Its name is “Into the Forest,” perfect for someone like me who often goes into forests to observe plants in Yakushima and other places. I was so happy when I found it, and it has been my favorite partner ever since.

<５>Finally found the best way to use it

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And this is the A5 size HON book. This one in the “MOTHER” design is for work, right?

meron
Yes, I use it at work. I had been looking for the best way to use it and recently reached an answer.

──
It is so full of work details that we cannot show everyone!

meron
It’s too bad I cannot show it, but the writing has been quite interesting since I started writing about my daily work, findings, and impressions of the day in the weekly diary. In the monthly calendar, I write deadlines and publish dates for the content I am working on.

──
So you have been searching for the best way and finally found it! It is also nice that it has become an excellent tool for working.

<６>Valuing my honest feelings

──
Finally, the 5-Year techo. Is this something you keep at home?

meron
Indeed. I am comfortable not showing it to others since it contains my actual thoughts. It is a special techo for me, deepening my thoughts and emotions.

──
You are using each techo not just for logging but also for developing thoughts.

I had so much fun interviewing and getting to know various styles of use from one user! Thank you very much for sharing!

＊＊＊


Knowing fun ways of using the techo makes you even more excited to try them out and create an even greater techo. I am also motivated to write my techo when I get home today! I will make sure to write down the happy moments of the day before I eat well and fall asleep.


Guess who’s next? See you in the next edition of “Share your Hobonichi Techo with me!”


- Tomitaro Makino: Shihai Sumire [Weeks]
- Tragen (Black) [Weeks cover]
- Taro Okamoto: Three Faces [Weeks]
- Into the Forest [A6 Original size cover] *Sales have ended
- Hobonichi Techo 2024 Japanese Original Book (January Start)
- MOTHER: EarthBound Beginnings [HON A5 size]
- Hobonichi 5-Year Techo Japanese Book [A6 size]

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Hello, I am Mizunoya from the techo team.

The Hobonichi Techo NEWS is brought to you by the members of the techo team.

The theme for this edition is “Share your Hobonichi Techo with me!” The techo team interviews and reports on how other crew members use their Hobonichi Techo.

As the third person to write this article, I decided to see , a Corporate Planning and Management team member.

I expected Miya to use a digital planner since he uses digital tools for forecast management and data analysis.

But to my surprise, he was using two techo and also a fountain pen. I definitely needed to ask him about them and went over to him.



Miya uses an A6 size HON book and an A5 size Day-Free book with an A5 size cover for the Cousin. *The yellow HON book is a custom color produced for the shareholder’s benefit for the fiscal year ending August 31, 2023.

He uses mostly digital tools for schedule management and two techo for note-taking at work.




I take notes for each meeting in this A6 size HON book. Whenever I look at my smartphone calendar and want to find out what we discussed at a specific meeting, I look up the date in my techo and find out. The dates serve as an index.

──It sounds quite useful to use the dates as an index! However, won’t that make the blanks more obvious?


I don’t mind the blanks; it’s also convenient to know that “there aren’t any.”

──That makes so much sense! It is an advantage of a handwritten techo to see that there was nothing to be written about. Digital tools are quite helpful, but you could get worried about the blanks that there may have been something that has been accidentally deleted.

How do you use the Day-Free?




I use the A5 size Day-Free when I want to put my thoughts together. What is written on digital tools could look organized, even when they’re not.

When thinking about a plan or a mechanism that has not yet been set in direction, I try sorting out my thoughts by hand-drawing diagrams and arrows instead of writing down sentences and then using digital tools.


He showed me a page he used to illustrate while listening to a complicated explanation at a meeting. It seems to sink in more easily when illustrated and color-coded rather than just listing the information in text.

──Indeed, text in digital looks organized even when they’re not! For better or worse, they look nicer than they truly are.


I know. Also, as a side note, I drew the house's layout in the techo when I moved since it was easy to write in grid lines. I drew a lot of layouts back then.



──The house’s layouts! It is certainly easier to draw something like that on grid lines. Can you tell me about the stationery, too?





I use ballpoint pens and fountain pens with the techo, and I also use a glass dip pen at home. I’m obsessed with pens; at first, it was the Jetstream, and then I learned about fountain pens on social media and was impressed when I tried it out at the store!

My first fountain pen was a blue Sailor Barcarolle, purchased eight years ago. As I tried various fountain pens, I felt fountain pens with extra-fine and hard barrels suited me better. Once I realized that, I became increasingly addicted to them.

──Keeping it in a leather case makes it look even more massive! Your techo time must be even more wonderful with this pen case at the side.


This pen case is from Tsuchiya Kaban and was purchased at Tobichi. A great pen case makes me feel great.

The staff at the stationery store told me that if you have fountain pens of the same size from the same manufacturer, you can enjoy swapping caps!


Changing the caps on the red and blue fountain pens instantly changes the feel of the pens!

──It’s great to know a new way of enjoying them! The more you know about them, the more you want to collect them.


I’m collecting more and more; most of my fountain pens are those I purchased, but I got some as a gift from my parents. I haven’t purchased any for a while, but the
Stationery Club content makes me want more… I unconsciously add them to the cart and try not to purchase them.

──I didn’t know how much you loved stationery! It was such a pleasure to know something new about you. Thank you for joining the interview!


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Miya’s sharing reminded me of the benefits of both digital and handwriting. I had thought that my work techo was difficult to look back at because it is filled with words, so I would like to record things in a style that is only possible with handwriting, such as using diagrams.

It also made me think about what kind of pen suits me best. I think I will go to a stationery store and try out some pens!

What kind of techo would we see next? Please look forward to the next issue of the Hobonichi Techo NEWS!

[Techo and stationery Miya uses]
・Japanese Day-Free Book A5 Size
・Leather
TS 2020 [A5 Cousin size cover] *Sales have ended
・Tsuchiya Bag Factory: Tone Oil Nume Roll Pen Case

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Hello, Shioguchi here from the techo team.

Spring is a time for new beginnings. This is the time of year I find myself wanting to get new stationery and writing utensils and clean up my desk so I can feel refreshed and uplifted.

The Stappo is perfect for times like these.



What is a Stappo?
The Stappo is a standing pouch that can store a lot of things from around your desk.

There are dividers and pockets all over the place - on the inside, on the outside - so you can strategically store accessories and things you use often in designated spots!

Click here to learn more about the Stappo

What makes the Stappo so appealing?
The Stappo is great because you can store stationery with your techo.

[With your work techo]
If you use a Weeks techo for work, for example, you could fit it into the back or inner pockets and then store your writing utensils and gadgets and everything from your desk alongside it.





Alternatively, you could fit an A6 Hobonichi Techo Plain Notebook, Hobonichi Address Book, Hobonichi Card Case, or a Hobonichi Photo Album into the pockets.

[For decorating the techo]
The Stappo can also fit an A6 HON.





You can also store in it things like the Pochitto6, Deco Rush, stickers, colored pens, and other slim items, making it perfect for users who enjoy drawing and pasting things into their techos.

There’s also an attached handle for easy carrying! By having your techo and decorative accessories bundled together in a set, you can bring it wherever you go and write in your techo anytime.

A look at Stappos of techo team members
The Hobonichi office setup is an open office, where desks are not assigned and people can work freely from anywhere in the office. This means employees need to carry their writing tools and other work items with them and stay portable. So this all makes the Stappo a popular item among the techo team. Let’s take a look inside some of the Stappos team members are using at work.

(Watanabe) from Product Planning’s Stappo: Black





Watanabe uses a Stappo Black to store colored pencils, Copics, and other pens. The large inner pocket can hold Copic markers by their clips for easy access.
One of the best parts of using it is apparently the ability to store things that get used often, such as measuring tape or scissors, and being able to access them anytime.

Designer (meron)’s Stappo: Liberty Fabrics - Clementina







Melon’s Stappo stores relaxing items, moisturizer, hand sanitizer spray, and other frequently used items. During work hours, she takes off her watch and hangs it over the Stappo’s cover.

In the far back pocket, she stores her drawing tablet and an Everlasting Bag, which is a Hobonichi Store Exclusive.

(Shioguchi) from Site Management’s Stappo: Black





I also use the Black Stappo. I store chargers and cords, a number pad, headphones, and other gadgets I use often. It also allows me to keep my lipstick, nail file, hand cream, face mist, and other moisturizers in one place for handy access.

***

So, what did you think? If you organize all the items you use most into a single place, you can make the most out of the time you spend writing in your techo, working, or studying!



Stappo that are currently on sale:
- Black
- Canvas: Ivory Brown
- Bow & Tie: Bunnies
- Dark Plaid

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Hi, I’m Higashi from the techo team.

This techo news is brought to you under the theme of “Share your Hobonichi Techo with me!” where techo team members report on how other crew members use their techo.

Today, I went to see Kurokawa, who’s in charge of the Hobonichi Techo store in Rakuten, to ask her how she uses her techo.

Kurokawa recently joined our company in September. I recall how she showed us the very first Hobonichi Techo she owned, which was the collaboration edition New Japan Pro-Wrestling Hobonichi Techo 2021 Weeks in the Kazuchika Okada version, when she introduced herself.



She’s a huge pro-wrestling fan, obsessed with Takarazuka Revue, and is currently into women’s pro-wrestling. This is the techo Kurokawa is using this year.


Liberty Fabrics
Emma and Georgina HON (A5)

──Can you start off by telling us why you chose this techo?

Kurokawa
I had always liked the designs and colorway of Liberty Fabrics. I love to use stickers and washi tape to decorate my techo, and decided I should choose the larger A5 size so I have enough room to paste them.

The pen I use is the Hobonichi Store exclusive Jetstream ballpoint pen and the Mildliner in mild gold. I use a Rivet Band Laccio so that these two pens don’t go missing.

I keep clear folders in two sizes where I keep memos in between the clear cover and the techo.


By keeping the A6 size clear folder in front of the A5 size, it slides well and is easy to take out the file in front.

──So this is how you create storage when using the HON! How do you fill your pages?

Kurokawa
I write recipes I learnt on social media, things that I found interesting, and titles of books that I wanted to read. This is what they call a "commonplace notebook."

──I’ve never heard of a commonplace before. How did you find it?

Kurokawa
I learnt that this method allows me to memorize things I want to remember. I was also able to actually do something rather than just vaguely reading it.


A memo from when she learnt how to bucket relay efficiently. She uses the free space to paste her favorite stickers.

──You’ve even written tips when bucket relaying! I love the illustrations you’ve added. I admire how you add stickers to your spreads.
Kurokawa
I’m happy to hear that! I used the Remember This page to paste my favorite shots of the month and books I read using the iNSPiC. I’m not sure whether I’d continue with my record of the books I read... but I want to enjoy writing in this techo freely without setting any rules.

Her best shot for January was when Will Ospreay entered the stage at the January 4 Tokyo Dome Show.

I use the daily pages to write a diary or about work or what I ate.

When I go see a Takarazuka Revue, I make sure I write a lot and use the spread like this...

A page from when she went to see a show in January

She went to see the same title in February, too.

──Wow. It’s beautiful!

Kurokawa
By writing about the performance like this in my techo, I’m reminded of what direction I was moved by or the music I liked. I make sure that I don’t pack it with words too much so it’s easy to read back later on. I also choose stickers and the color of the pens I use to match the image of the show.

──If it’s this pretty, it would be fun to read back on.

Kurokawa
But if I put my effort in all pages, I won’t be able to write in it every day, so I usually make sure I write at least a sentence.

She often ends up not writing much on weekdays. She fills up space with cute stickers.

──I’m glad to hear that even you feel that way sometimes. Can you introduce us to the stationery you brought with you today?

Kurokawa
Other than the pens I carry with the techo cover, I keep a few Mildliner pens in the Small Drawer Pouch.

The color combination of the illustrations by Hiroko Kubota and the Mildliner are cute.


She keeps stickers in a Miffy clear case

I keep my large stash of washi tape in cans of sweets or cases. The letter book with 100 sheets of Liberty prints is a must, too.


She uses the letterbook to tear pieces out to use for decoration.

──Oh wow, this is fun! You can open a shop! This is my last question, but do you choose a time you write in your techo?

Kurokawa
I don’t really have a set time, but on weekdays, I tend to write before I sleep. I write about my weekends on Sunday. I sometimes write how I’ve drunk too much.

──Haha, a record of when you drank too much. It was interesting to hear all about your techo today. Please let me take a peek at it every once in a while!

[Kurokawa’s techo and stationery]
- Liberty Fabrics: Emma and Georgina [HON / A5 Size]
- Rivet Band Laccio
- Clear Cover for A5 Size HON
- Hobonichi Folder Set of 2 for A5 Size
- Hobonichi Folder Set of 3 for A6 Size
- Mini Photo Printer iNSPiC
- Small Drawer Pouch
- Mildliner

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Hello, I’m Komata from the Hobonichi Techo team.

At Hobonichi, almost every crew member uses the Hobonichi Techo. In this series, Hobonichi Techo team members will be reporting how crew members, from product team members, designers, system team members to general affairs and accountings, on how they use their Hobonichi Techo.



To start off, I interviewed (Tomita) who is in charge of promotions.

Tomita used to be involved in the Hobonichi Techo for fourteen years. She launched The secret of the Hobonichi Techo which is the predecessor of the Hobonichi Techo Official Guidebook and flew all over Japan to interview people for the Hobonichi Techo guidebook. She’s currently involved in the Hobonichi MOTHER project and events held in our physical stores.



The techo she chose for 2024 is the Day-Free (A5 Size), and she uses it with the mina perhonen: hello swallow cover that came out last year.



It seems you have two Day-Free books in there?


“I’ve tried out various book types such as the Original and Weeks, and decided to try out the A5 size Day-Free the year before last. However, because I used up the memo pages, I bought my second Day-Free around August.

Last year, I switched to a new Day-Free in January, but this year I found I had a lot of tasks that are a continuation from last year so I decided to keep on using the same book. This is what’s great about the Day-Free.”

I see, so you have both the 2023 and 2024 Day-Free. How do you use between the two?


“In my 2023 Day-Free, I write down work memos that I have done since last year. This year marks the 30th anniversary since the sales of the MOTHER 2 game, so there’s a lot going on. That’s why I decided to use my 2024 Day-Free solely for MOTHER and write all kinds of things here. Because the Day-Free has monthly calendars, it’s easy to link schedules with memos compared to a normal notebook!”



Wow, I see that your memos taken during meetings and summary of thoughts are all lined up chronologically. I like how you can write a lot because it’s an A5 size notebook. Let’s take a look inside!


^She uses one page of the memo pages per meeting. Here’s a memo from when she looked back at past techos and the techo team for the Hobonichi Techo 10-million sales project.


^Because she writes future plans, she writes them on the Hobonichi Translucent Sticky Notes so she can move it around when the schedule changes.


^A memo of a choreo for hula dancing when she forgot to bring her notebook.


^She pastes her favorite stickers and sticky notes on the endpaper.




^She keeps pens, sticky notes, memo pads and other stationery, as well as her business cards, in the Stappo.


^She keeps washi tapes that take up space in the Hobonichi Store Exclusive Everlasting “Paper” Bag (Mini).



“I started using the Hobonichi 5-Year Techo in 2018, and have ever since written diaries about my personal life, tickets that bear fun memories and memos all in the 5-Year Techo. The Day-Free was perfect to write and summarize memos for work that didn’t fit in there. I used to try out various techo book combinations like using the Original and Weeks together, but my current style seems to be the simplest.

I keep the Day-Free in the office and read it during work, and write in it. I feel like many people choose to write memos during meetings in their laptop these days, but I prefer to write by hand first. It helps organize my thoughts.”

The Day-Free may seem large but is slim and seems easy to use. Hearing Tomita’s story made me want to try using the Day-Free for work!

[Tomita’s techo and stationery]
- Techo Book Day-Free (A5)
- mina perhonen: hello swallow (White) [A5 Cousin size cover] *Sales for this product has ended
- Stappo (Dark Plaid)
- Hobonichi Translucent Sticky Notes)

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Hi, I’m Komata from the Hobonichi Techo team.

I brought an old techo that I found during the year-end house cleaning. It is the 2015 techo that I used eight years ago.



It was the year that I left my former job and took a vacation to travel to several places.

From April 1 to 10, I was in New York. I was based in an apartment in Brooklyn and spent the first four days with a friend in the U.S., and from the fifth day, I walked around on my own. I still remember what a wonderful time I had.





I looked back at what I wrote in the techo and found the detailed descriptions of where I went and what I did pretty interesting, different from what I would feel from seeing photos.

Still, I should have written more neatly; I can find some spelling mistakes here and there.

But looking at my handwriting, which could seem impulsively written, I could gradually feel the excitement, surprise, and joy at those times, even after eight years.

My Hobonichi Techo has what could have been written only “by myself on that day.” I will continue to treasure the techo books from the past and keep writing each day in 2024.

Below is some extra info I found along with the old techo book during my house cleaning.



This is a travel notebook that I have been keeping for a long time. It is from 2006 when I visited France (that was a long time ago!).









I loved Senoh Kappa’s “Kappa Peeked into Europe” book and did my best to take notes and draw my hotel room.

Back then, there were no smartphones or e-tickets. I was heading for the house in Giverny where Monet was born but took the wrong express train. When I got off, the station staff wrote me a note about the train I was supposed to take (the photo with the handwriting shows the note).

Although it has been 17 years since then, the memories of the time come flooding back when I open this notebook.




This is a notebook from a trip to Spain. I enjoyed bringing a notebook like this and summarizing the journey in it.

When I had an interview with Machi Tawara last year, I was delighted to hear from her that she also used to create a travel notebook for each of her trips.
(You might also enjoy the interview with Machi Tawara)

And at the end of last year, I decided to write another travel notebook for the first time in a long time, and visited Kurashiki. I would be happy if you could look at this page.

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To celebrate the Hobonichi Techo surpassing ten million all-time sales, we’re recruiting stories of everyone’s one-in-ten-million day. We’d love to hear about your own personal unforgettable day, and perhaps were glad you wrote it down in your techo. You will be able to submit your episode by clicking on the image below. We look forward to reading your submission!

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Hello, I’m Nakamae from the Hobohichi Techo team.

In this issue of the Hobonichi Techo News, I am sharing something I was glad I had written or pasted in my techo.

I keep a photo journal in my Weeks book every day.

So many happy events over 2023 remain with me as fun memories, and I would like to pick up two of the most joyful days.

The first one is when a longtime dream came true; I published my book!

I have been writing for quite a long time, but I never thought I could hold my book in my own hands. I had been preparing for it since last year. I will never forget the day the work was finally completed, and the book became available in bookstores.

Looking back at this page, I can reexperience the feeling of happiness over and over again, as if it has been preserved in a vacuum pack. It is definitely what I am glad that I have kept in my techo.


It would also be great to mark the pages you want to look back on repeatedly.


The second event was my wedding, which was held in April. Having my favorite people celebrate already made it a special day, but what was most impressive was what my father did.


　
At the climax of the wedding, I was planning to read a letter of gratitude to my father. It was supposed to be a surprise for him, to thank him for what he had done after becoming alone with me in the family when my mother passed away.

I started reading the letter out loud, wondering if I could see my father’s tears. I managed to finish the reading, but I sounded nasal from the thousands of emotions building up.

I looked at my father, who was trying hard to hide his tears. He then slowly got up from his seat and started walking towards me and my microphone. “What is happening?” I thought, would it be a handshake or a warm embrace?

Neither of my expectations came true.

My father suddenly took the microphone from me and started talking. “Good evening! I am the father; I came from Nara prefecture.” Everyone at the venue, including me, was stunned.

“Good evening! I am the father; I came from Nara prefecture. Thank you all for coming to celebrate my daughter’s wedding. Now that she has read a letter to me, I would also like to share something. My daughter recently published a book of essays, and I read it. I had never read essays before, so I wondered what it would be like, but after reading it, I was completely inspired. So I decided to write an essay myself! It is my first time doing something like this, and I would like everyone to hear what I have written. The title is “The Deer of Nara are Gods!” Oh… wait… I seem to have lost the note. I need to go look for it, so everyone, please have a chat!”

Everyone burst into laughter. After an interesting moment searching for the note together with the attendants, the MC announced that the note could not be found, and we decided to wait for another occasion to hear what he had written, and the wedding came to an end.

That night, however, my father did find the “essay note” from the bottom of his bag and gave it to me as a gift. “See? I really wrote something.”

What it said was about how godly my husband was to get married to a daughter like me (which seemed to have nothing to do with the deer of Nara). It was, in fact, an excellent piece of writing, so I printed a small copy of it and put it on the right page of my techo. It reminds me of the funny and happy wedding day whenever I read it over.




It was the night when I realized that my father was someone I could be nowhere near as good as, and to this day, I still remember the feeling every time I open the techo.

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To celebrate the Hobonichi Techo surpassing ten million all-time sales, we’re recruiting stories of everyone’s one-in-ten-million day. We’d love to hear about your own personal unforgettable day, and perhaps were glad you wrote it down in your techo. You will be able to submit your episode by clicking on the image below. We look forward to reading your submission!

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