Unsodo: Bijutsukai (Rainbow) HON / A5 Size / Daily / ENG or JPN edition / Jan start / Mon start - Techo Lineup

UnsodoBijutsukai (Rainbow)HON / A5 Size / Daily / ENG or JPN edition / Jan start / Mon start

2025 New

Bijutsukai and Shin Bijutsukai are craft design books published during the Meiji period (1868–1912). Both contain beautiful designs created by various Japanese painters and designers. This collection of multicolored woodblock print designs was published by Unsodo, a Kyoto-based art publishing company and the only publisher of hand-printed woodblock books in Japan.

We created a HON book with the craft design selected from Bijutsukai.

Red, blue, white, yellow, green, and purple. The bright stripes catch your eye.

The combination of contrasting colors and shapes of the vivid, straight rainbows and the pure white, softly curved mountains is pleasing to the eye and something you can always enjoy. Looking closely, you will find the irregular widths and fluctuating borders heartwarming. The depth of the design makes it seem like a fairy tale scene.

The year 2025 is foil-pressed in subdued gold.

It is a fascinating design created more than 100 years ago. Keep it at your side and enjoy the tale it tells.

The contents are the same as the Hobonichi Techo Cousin book. The HON A5 size includes weekly pages which track a week in each two-page spread for easy planning and contain a handy time schedule.

The bookbinding on the HON has thread-stitch binding similar to the Hobonichi Techo Original, so it opens 180 degrees onto the table. It stays flat even if you don’t hold it down.

The book uses thin and light yet durable Tomoe River paper. This paper that underwent an overhaul with the 2024 edition techo is more resistant to bleed through, lighter despite being the same thickness, and has a smoother surface by adjusting the fibers of the paper.

The back of the book has bonus pages, including Sample Symbols and Icons, How to Have Fun Keeping a Diary, and Oodles of Noodles.

As a special exclusive only for the HON, this techo comes with a pencil board. The board is A6 size and clear, with 5mm grid lines printed across it. There are measurements printed along one side in 1mm increments, which allow for use as a ruler. It also has a pen holder attached to it where users can store pens by their clips.

The Hobonichi Techo HON comes in either English or Japanese. If you love this cover, then you can pick out which language you’d like in that book.

*Both the English and Japanese editions of the HON only come as January-start versions.

Craft designs that spark delight at any given moment

I first encountered the Bijutsukai and Shin-Bijutsukai craft designs when I ran into them online. I thought they were stylish, never imagining they were made so long ago. I was amazed to know that they were from the Meiji era.

I visited Unsodo in Kyoto to see almost all the craft designs, hoping to make beautiful techo covers. I looked through 20 books on Bijutsukai and Shin-Bijutsukai, with about 150 patterns for each book, all hand-printed. I was astonished by the designs’ amount and variety; some were old-fashioned, some were very Japanese, and some looked modern. Choosing from the many marvelous designs was a hard decision, and I ended up sampling more than 100 different layouts.

“Bijutsukai (Ferry)” for the A6 Original size is one of the designs that I first picked up, with a refreshing mood; the A5 Cousin size “Shin-Bijutsukai (Flower)” has a modern craft design, making the best use of the size; the “Bijutsukai (Tanabata Decorations)” Weeks includes geometric motifs and unique colorings, and I cannot wait to see who will be selecting this design for themselves; the graphical craft design of the “Bijutsukai (Rainbow)” for the HON is gorgeous and eye-catching.

All craft designs are ageless and attractive, creating techo that gives you joy every time with each glance.

Introduction to the Unsodo series products

(Hobonichi Techo 2025 lineup)

Staff List

Photographer: Styled Images: Nobuki Kawaharazaki / Product Detail: Hiroyuki Oe
Stylist: Minami Nosaki

UnsodoBijutsukai (Rainbow)HON / A5 Size / Daily / ENG or JPN edition / Jan start / Mon start

¥5,280 - ¥5,830(incl. tax)

Normal

Available

Specifications

Size	A5 size H: 214 x W: 152 x T: 20 mm / H: 8.4" x W: 6" x T: 0.8" *Specifications may vary slightly
Weight	Approx. 490 g
Main material	Rayon / Paper

Book (HON English Edition / English / January Start)

Language	English
Pages	544 Pages
Paper Type / Binding	Thin, light Tomoe River paper resistant to bleeding and designed for planners / Stitch-binding
Graph Paper Size	3.7 mm
Start of Week	Monday-start week
Yearly Calendar	2024, 2025, 2026
Yearly Index	Jan. 2025 - Dec 2025 (4 pages)
Monthly Calendar	Dec. 2024 - Mar. 2026 (32 pages)
Daily Pages	Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2025 (377 pages) A blank two-page spread is featured at the beginning 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 spread includes one daily quote. Includes a mini monthly calendar at the bottom right of every two-page spread (Monday-start).
Daily Quotes	One quote per two-page spread (English)
Weekly Pages	Dec 30, 2024 - Jan 4, 2026 (106 pages)
Memo Pages	6 pages
Bonus Pages	Time Table / Graph Paper / Favorites / My 100 / Sample Symbols and Icons / How to Have Fun Keeping a Diary / Oodles of Noodles / Words to Remember / 365 Days Check-Off Sheet / Getting the Most Out of Your Hobonichi Techo / Gifts / Addresses / Personal Notes
Listed Information	Day of the year / Week of the year (listed on monthly calendars and weekly pages) / Moon phase (daily pages include every phase, monthly calendars and weekly pages only include full and new moon)
Other	See the Exploring Each Type page for more details

Book (HON / Japanese / January Start)

Language	Japanese
Pages	544 Pages
Paper Type / Binding	Thin, light Tomoe River paper resistant to bleeding and designed for planners / Stitch-binding
Graph Paper Size	3.7 mm
Start of Week	Monday-start week
Yearly Calendar	2024, 2025, 2026
Yearly Index	Jan. 2025 - Dec 2025 (4 pages)
Monthly Calendar	Dec. 2024 - Mar. 2026 (32 pages)
Daily Pages	Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2025 (377 pages) A blank two-page spread is featured at the beginning 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	Dec 30, 2024 - Jan 4, 2026 (106 pages)
Memo Pages	6 pages
Bonus Pages	Time Table / Graph Paper / Favorites / My 100 / Sample Symbols and Icons / How to Have Fun Keeping a Diary / Recommended Noodle List of 47 Prefectures / Solar Terms / Emergency Preparedness / Gifts / Age Table / Conversion Chart / Getting the most of Hobonichi / Addresses (for 8 people) / Personal Notes
Listed Information	Day of the year / Week of the year (listed on monthly calendars and weekly pages) / 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 and weekly pages only include full and new moon)
Other	See the Exploring Each Type page for more details

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.

Test fountain pens before regular use: The Hobonichi Techo's Tomoe River paper is designed to prevent bleed-through, but some fountain pens and water-based ink pens are not compatible with this paper. When switching to a new pen, we recommend testing the pen somewhere in the book, such as the back memo pages, to see if the ink bleeds through or takes an especially long time to dry.
Pattern alignment varies by product: The patterned fabric has not been aligned to a specific layout, so the placement of each design will vary by product. The product will not be an exact replica of the one in the product photographs.
Use caution around sharp objects: The material in this product snags easily on sharp objects, so please handle with care.

Characteristics of materials and product design may result in white spots on the edges and corners of the front and back.: Characteristics of materials and product design may result in white spots on the edges and corners of the front and back. The corners of the cover contain light traces of press marks, shines, and lumps. This is an unavoidable part of the manufacturing process.
Cannot be used with a Hobonichi Techo Cover or Cover on Cover. Please use the Clear Cover for HON.: The cover of the HON book is thicker and firmer than that of the Hobonichi Techo book. It cannot be used with a Techo cover designed for the standard Hobonichi Techo book. The Cover on Cover designed for standard Hobonichi Techo covers also will not fit the HON. Please use the Clear Cover for HON. Please do not use excessive force when applying the cover as this may cause damage.
About the included pencil board: The pen hook on the pencil board can hold a pen by its clip.

User recommendations

If you’ve used any of these products, we welcome your notes on what you like about them or what led you to buy them so we can share it with customers who are currently considering these products. We’d also love to welcome comments from customers who purchased their techo outside the Hobonichi Store or received their book as a gift.

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