This collaboration with the Tokyo National Museum comes on the 150th year of the founding of the museum.
Nicknamed Tohaku, the Tokyo National Museum collects, preserves, researches, exhibits, and educates the public about cultural artifacts from across Asia, with a focus on Japan. Currently there are about 120,000 objects in its collection, including the print chosen for this Hobonichi Techo cover, originally by Shibata Zeshin.
Shibata Zeshin (1807-1891) was born in Ryogoku, Edo, and was an active lacquer artist and painter from the late Edo period until the middle of the Meiji era. He had many lacquering techniques that he created himself, and created many magnificent lacquer wares and paintings. Zeshin had trained in art since he was young in order to draft sketches for lacquer work, so he also demonstrated talent in painting sketches, portraits, and designs.
One of these is Tairyukyo Gafu, a collection of 72 pictures depicting plants, animals, people, and landscapes. Tairyukyo is one of the names Zeshin went by, which originated from the fact that he could see a willow tree on the opposite side of the bank of the Kanda River where he lived at one time.
The print on this cover features one of the most beautiful selections from the Tairyukyo Gafu. It’s called “Small White Butterfly” and it has an exceptionally beautiful background color and a skillful composition.
The artwork has a gradient where a warm yellow color, reminiscent of spring sunshine, blends into a green with the gentle hue of freshly sprouted young grass. Above that dances a small white butterfly. The “butterfly stopper” pen holders are made with white synthetic leather and bring the whole cover together.
The cover interior is a pale blue reminiscent of a clear sky. The interior pocket on the right-hand side has the same gradient as the front cover. The left-hand pocket has the Tokyo National Museum logo to mark our collaboration together.
The bookmarks are a calm shade of brown. The charms are diamond-shaped after the image of a butterfly’s wings or flower petals.
This artwork combines the warmth of hand-drawn brush art with a beautifully designed composition that feels fresh even to this day. We hope you thoroughly enjoy Shibata Zeshin’s creation.
Size | A6 size H: 165 x W: 244 x T: 3 mm / H: 6.5" x W: 9.6" x T: 0.1" *Excluding pen holders *Specifications may vary slightly |
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Weight | Approx. 100 g |
Main material | Exterior: Polyester / Interior: Polyester |
Size | A6 size H: 148 x W: 105 x T: 8 mm / H: 5.9" x W: 4.1" x T: 0.3" *Actual book size may vary slightly |
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Weight | Approx. 117 g |
Language | Japanese |
Pages | 240 pages |
Paper Type / Binding | Thin, light Tomoe River paper resistant to bleeding and designed for planners / Stitch-binding |
Graph Paper Size | 3.7 mm *Monthly pages are 3.45 mm |
Start of Week | Monday-start week |
Yearly Calendar | 2022, 2023, 2024 |
Yearly Index | June 2023 - May 2024 (6 pages) |
Monthly Calendar | June 2023 - Jan. 2024 (16 pages) |
Daily Pages | July 1 - Dec. 31, 2023 (190 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. *Includes a mini monthly calendar at the bottom right of every two-page spread (Monday start). |
Daily Quotes | One per day (Japanese) |
Weekly Pages | Not included |
Memo Pages | 0 page |
Bonus Pages | Time Table / Graph Paper / Favorites / My 100 / Solar Terms / My Favorite Things / How to Better Enjoy Conversation / Enjoy Learning at the Hobonichi School / Emergency Preparedness / Conversion Chart / Getting the most of Hobonichi / 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) |
Other | See the Exploring Each Type page for more details |
Size | A6 size H: 148 x W: 105 x T: 14 mm / H: 5.8" x W: 4.1" x T: 0.6" *Actual book size may vary slightly |
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Weight | Approx. 200 g |
Language | English |
Pages | 448 pages |
Paper Type / Binding | Thin, light Tomoe River paper resistant to bleeding and designed for planners / Stitch-binding |
Graph Paper Size | 4 mm |
Start of Week | Monday-start week |
Yearly Calendar | 2023, 2024 |
Yearly Index | Dec. 2022 - Mar. 2024 (8 pages) |
Monthly Calendar | Dec. 2022 - Mar. 2024 (32 pages) |
Daily Pages | Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2023 (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 | 16 pages |
Bonus Pages | Important Contacts / International Size Charts / Conversion Table / My 100 / Express Youself in Japanese / Anko - the Secret of Japanese Sweets / 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) |
Other | See the Exploring Each Type page for more details |
Size | A6 size H: 148 x W: 105 x T: 14 mm / H: 5.8" x W: 4.1" x T: 0.6" *Actual book size may vary slightly |
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Weight | Approx. 208 g |
Language | Japanese |
Pages | 464 pages |
Paper Type / Binding | Thin, light Tomoe River paper resistant to bleeding and designed for planners / Stitch-binding |
Graph Paper Size | 3.7 mm *Monthly pages are 3.45 mm |
Start of Week | Monday-start week or Sunday-start week |
Yearly Calendar | 2022, 2023, 2024 |
Yearly Index | Feb. 2023 - May. 2024 (8 pages) |
Monthly Calendar | Feb. 2023 - May. 2024 (32 pages) |
Daily Pages | Apr. 1, 2023 - Mar. 31, 2024 (378 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. *Includes a mini monthly calendar at the bottom right of every two-page spread (Monday / Sunday start). |
Daily Quotes | One per day (Japanese) |
Weekly Pages | Not included |
Memo Pages | 12 pages |
Bonus Pages | Time Table / Graph Paper / Favorites / My 100 / Solar Terms / My Favorite Things / How to Better Enjoy Conversation / Enjoy Learning at the Hobonichi School / Emergency Preparedness / Conversion Chart / Getting the most of Hobonichi / 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) |
Other | See the Exploring Each Type page for more details |
Size | A6 size H: 148 x W: 105 x T: 14 mm / H: 5.8" x W: 4.1" x T: 0.6" *Actual book size may vary slightly |
---|---|
Weight | Approx. 208 g |
Language | Japanese |
Pages | 464 pages |
Paper Type / Binding | Thin, light Tomoe River paper resistant to bleeding and designed for planners / Stitch-binding |
Graph Paper Size | 3.7 mm *Monthly pages are 3.45 mm |
Start of Week | Monday-start week or Sunday-start week |
Yearly Calendar | 2022, 2023, 2024 |
Yearly Index | Dec. 2022 - Mar. 2024 (8 pages) |
Monthly Calendar | Dec. 2022 - Mar. 2024 (32 pages) |
Daily Pages | Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2023 (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. *Includes a mini monthly calendar at the bottom right of every two-page spread (Monday/Sunday start). |
Daily Quotes | One per day (Japanese) |
Weekly Pages | Not included |
Memo Pages | 15 pages |
Bonus Pages | Time Table / Graph Paper / Favorites / My 100 / Solar Terms / My Favorite Things / How to Better Enjoy Conversation / Enjoy Learning at the Hobonichi School / Emergency Preparedness / Conversion Chart / Getting the most of Hobonichi / 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) |
Other | See the Exploring Each Type page for more details |
Size | A6 size x 2 books Each Book: H: 148 x W: 105 x T: 8 mm / H: 5.9" x W: 4.1" x T: 0.3" *Actual book size may vary slightly |
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Weight | Each Book: Approx. 117 g |
Language | Japanese |
Pages | Each Book: 240 pages |
Paper Type / Binding | Thin, light Tomoe River paper resistant to bleeding and designed for planners / Stitch-binding |
Graph Paper Size | 3.7 mm *Monthly pages are 3.45 mm |
Start of Week | Monday-start week |
Yearly Calendar | 2022, 2023, 2024 |
Yearly Index | Book 1: Dec. 2022 - Mar. 2023 (8 pages) Book 2: June 2023 - May 2024 (6 pages) |
Monthly Calendar | Book 1: Dec. 2022 - July 2023 (16 pages) Book 2: June 2023 - Jan. 2024 (16 pages) |
Daily Pages | Book 1: Jan. 1 - June 30, 2023 (187 pages) Book 2: July 1 - Dec. 31, 2023 (190 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. *Includes a mini monthly calendar at the bottom right of every two-page spread (Monday start). |
Daily Quotes | One per day (Japanese) |
Weekly Pages | Not included |
Memo Pages | Book 1: 2 page Book 2: 0 page |
Bonus Pages | Time Table / Graph Paper / Favorites / My 100 / Solar Terms / My Favorite Things / How to Better Enjoy Conversation / Enjoy Learning at the Hobonichi School / Emergency Preparedness / Conversion Chart / Getting the most of Hobonichi / 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) |
Other | See the Exploring Each Type page for more details |
Size | A6 size H: 148 x W: 105 x T: 8 mm / H: 5.9" x W: 4.1" x T: 0.3" *Actual book size may vary slightly |
---|---|
Weight | Approx. 117 g |
Language | Japanese |
Pages | 240 pages (notebook section: 171 pages) |
Paper Type / Binding | Thin, light Tomoe River paper resistant to bleeding and designed for planners / Stitch-binding |
Graph Paper Size | 3.7 mm *Monthly pages are 3.45 mm |
Start of Week | Monday-start week |
Yearly Calendar | 2022, 2023, 2024 |
Yearly Index | Dec. 2022 - Mar. 2024 (8 pages) |
Monthly Calendar | Dec. 2022 - Mar. 2024 (32 pages) |
Weekly Calendar | Not Included |
Daily Quotes | Included (Japanese) |
Bonus Pages | Time Table / Graph Paper / Favorites / My 100 / Solar Terms / My Favorite Things / How to Better Enjoy Conversation / Enjoy Learning at the Hobonichi School / Emergency Preparedness / Conversion Chart / Getting the most of Hobonichi / 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) |
Other | See the Exploring Each Type page for more details |
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.
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.
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.
Due to the structure of the cover that opens flat 180 degrees, exterior stitching areas may appear puckered and lining material may be loose.
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.
The pen holder is designed to perfectly fit the 12.2 mm (0.48”) diameter Jetstream pen offered as a free Hobonichi Store Exclusive. 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.
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.