Features
Daily Pages/Monthly HeaderClick image to enlarge
One day per page
Hobonichi features a format with a page devoted to each day. There’s lots of open space to plan the day ahead and enjoy recording your memories and activities. Think of the pages as containers for random ideas, with a clear record of the date. Paste magazine clippings, ticket stubs and photos to make the techo something completely unique – your imagination is the only limit.
*Starting in the 2016 version, there will no longer be two-day-per-page sections. This will be replaced by header pages before each new month to allow reflection on the month ahead.
Moon phase/Day of the year
Daily pages feature illustrations of the moon phase of that particular day. The new moon (●) and full moon (○) symbols are surrounded by stars at their peak. Underneath the moon phase is the cumulative day of the year, starting with Day 1 on January 1st.
Old Japanese lunisolar calendar
The date of the old Japanese lunisolar calendar is also included under the day’s date. This calendar was used in Japan until 1873, when Japan adopted the universal Gregorian calendar. Nowadays, certain days from this calendar are still celebrated across Japan, such as Hina-Matsuri (Doll Festival) on March 3rd and Tanabata (Star Festival) on July 7th. We’ve also included solar terms based on this ancient calendar.
To-do list
The to-do list is located at the top of the page with checkboxes for keeping track of your goals for the day. If there aren’t enough checkboxes, it’s easy to add more in the graph paper.
24-hour timetable
Work and personal plans take place at different times of the day, so the Hobonichi Techo uses a full 24-hour timetable to accommodate all schedules. Each hour is labeled with a dot, and every 30-minute mark is labeled with a line.
The "Secret Line"
There’s also something we call the “Secret Line”: a vertical line that runs parallel along the right of the timetable. This separates the schedule on the left from the open memo pad on the right. We’ve printed it lightly enough that you can ignore it when using the page as a whole.
3.7 millimeter graph paper
The Japanese techos have slightly smaller graph paper than the English Hobonichi Planner. The 3.7 millimeter graph paper was the result of extensive tests for an ideal size for writing in Japanese, although the size also allows comfortable writing in any language. Feel free to write along the lines of a single line or two – or just ignore the lines altogether.
Japanese holidays
Japanese holidays are labeled in large letters on the page background and printed in a light ink to make it easy to write over them.
Daily quotes
From the heartfelt to the humorous to the whimsical, each page of the techo features a quote in Japanese, specially selected from the techo’s parent site, Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shimbun. If you would like the quotes in English, please buy the Hobonichi Planner.
12-color tabs
Similar to a dictionary, each month is labeled with a different colored tab on the edge of the page for easy reference, even when the book is closed. It is easy to flip ahead to write future plans, or flip back to read old pages.
Mini calendar
The daily pages also include a mini monthly calendar at the bottom right of every two-page spread. The dates of the current pages are outlined.
Monthly header page
We’ve included a page at the beginning of each month for highlighting important dates, making to-do lists and writing other notes to help in planning ahead.
