*This is a re-edit of Komata’s Techo News from this time last year.

Hello everyone!

This is my third year using the Hobonichi 5-Year Techo. Because I get to look back on my past “today’s” every year, the second year is more interesting than the first, and the third year is more interesting than the second! This was my new finding after using it for a while.

Today, I’ll be talking about the 7 things I do with the Hobonichi 5-Year Techo. It’s nothing special, but I’ve collected a few things that I found quite useful.

1. Draw the zodiac sign for that year on January 1st


Although I normally fill my techo with words, I’ve decided to draw on this page. I also write my resolutions on this page too, so I find this page is where I put in my effort the most.

2. Jot down notes about the pens I’m using


In my first year, I changed the pen I used every month to see which pen goes the best with the 5-Year Techo’s paper. After trying out various pens, I found that the kakuno Fountain Pen worked best for me, so I have been using it from the second year onward.

3. Use a pencil board


I had actually never used a pencil board with the Weeks, which is the techo I use daily, but I decided to use a pencil board for the 5-Year Techo because I wanted to keep the pages tidy knowing I’d be using the same pages for 5 years. This turned out to be successful! I can write stress-free without applying too much pressure. It also works as a bookmark as well. I’ve actually started to use a pencil board for my Weeks book too!

4. Write down plans scheduled way ahead in the 5-Year Techo


For plans I want to remember across the years, like tickets for plans scheduled way ahead, I write it down on a sticky note and paste it in my 5-Year Techo like a bookmark. If it were a techo for a single year, I’d probably even forget that I had written a memo, but this way I won’t forget it!

5. Paste stickers for when the season changes


I paste my favorite press flower stickers when the season changes. I also paste cute stickers on my friends and family’s birthdays and for slightly special days.

6. Write down extracts of“Today’s Darling” from the Hobonichi website


“Today’s Darling” is an essay by Shigesato Itoi posted on the Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun and it doesn’t have any archives. Although not every day, I pull out phrases that meant a lot to me and write them on the right page for my future self. I often find myself feeling glad that I had written it down.

7. Write down travel packing list (mainly clothes)


By writing it down, it becomes a handy reference for when I travel next, and I find it super useful. I also have another page where I write down outfits for each day. (This memo was for when I traveled to a place where it was said to be -15 degrees for the first time in my life, so I prepared for it extra carefully.)

It turned out to be quite long, but these are the 7 things I do with my 5-Year Techo. I hope you enjoyed it!

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