Masamune Kusano x junaida: Himitsu Stranger A5 Cousin Size - Techo Lineup

Masamune Kusano x junaidaHimitsu StrangerA5 Cousin Size

2025 New

The song-art book Himitsu Stranger is based on the lyrics from 13 songs recorded by Masamune Kusano for the music album “Himitsu Studio” by his rock band Spitz. Artist junaida illustrated the lyrical stories for each of the songs. This techo cover is packed with all the charm of Himitsu Stranger as it features an all-over print of the illustrations on the front cover of the special book.

The array of strange characters and items are all straight from the book and were drawn in response to Kusano’s suggestion to draw them in a deformed style.

It’s fun to look through all the images and let your mind wander as you wonder about the story behind each character and in which scene each item appeared.

In order to retain the vibrant colors of the original art, the cover is made with a fine-grain polyester material that’s velvety and smooth to the touch.

The back of the cover also has illustrations hidden inside the pocket. Peek inside and you’ll get a glance at art that’s different from that on the outside.

The cover interior is printed with pencil drawings from the book. From the various stories within the book, you can see recreations of the kind of scenes that go along with what it’s like to use the techo every day, such as scenes from everyday life, the passage of seasons and time, and a broad range of emotions.

The song-art book Himitsu Stranger that this cover is based on is also for sale in the Hobonichi Store so you can experience the rich blend of lyrics with illustrated narratives.

In the Hobonichi Techo 2025 lineup, the Cousin book comes in either English or Japanese.

*The English book is only available as the January-start version.

©Kusano Masamune, junaida

About Masamune Kusano

Born in 1967. Musician. Formed the rock band Spitz in 1987 and sang vocals and played guitar. Their first major hit was the single Hibari no Kokoro in 1991. Since then, Kusano has written the lyrics and music for most of Spitz’s songs. Their latest album Himitsu Studio was released in May 2023 and was accompanied by a nationwide tour called Spitz Jamboree Tour ’23~’24 “Himitsu Studio” that ran from June 2023 to February 2024.

About junaida

Born in 1978. Painter and artist. Has won many awards and accolades for his work around the world, including being selected as an artist for HOME (published by Sun Reed) in the 2015 Bologna Illustrators Exhibition, Michi and MONSTERIUM (published by Fukuinkan Shoten) winning awards at the Japan Book Design Awards in the children’s book/illustrated book division, and MONSTERIUM winning the IBBY award (Peter Pan Prize). Has most recently been branching out, with a focus on creating picture books. Recent publications include This is Home (text by poet Shuntaro Tanikawa) (published by BlueSheep), World (published by Fukuinkan Shoten), and Tomoshibi (published by Sun Reed).

Putting a rich, beautiful world of artwork on a techo

When I first got the book Himitsu Stranger, it really surprised me. Masamune Kusano from Spitz wrote song lyrics that artist junaida then interpreted into illustrative stories. It really showed me the depth of Kusano’s work, beyond just hearing the songs. And more than anything I was struck by the beauty of that illustrated world. Having that appeal on a techo to make it accessible on a daily basis felt like a really appealing prospect, so I reached out to request a collaboration.

The A6 and A5 size covers have a layout that works directly from the cover of the Himitsu Stranger book. There are so many different motifs across the design that it’s fascinating to look through and never gets old. The back pocket is also a treat if you peek inside, as you can enjoy some artwork different from that on the outside.

The interior material is arranged with pencil drawings. From the 13 stories within the book, we’ve picked out which scenes best depict the passage of time and emotions and put them together for this techo design.

The Weeks cover features the image “Through the Purple Night.” I’d fallen in love with this image when I saw it on the title page and just knew that I wanted to put it on a Weeks techo.

The double-sided pencil board within the set of this Weeks book also features “Through the Purple Night.” The front shows the art as it appeared in the book, and the back features a design based on a closeup of the art. I hope you’ll find both the composition of the scene-setting and the texture of the paint appealing.

Introduction to the Masamune Kusano x junaida series products

(Hobonichi Techo 2025 lineup)

Staff List

Photographer: Styled Images: Masahiro Tamura / Product Detail: Hiroyuki Oe
Stylist: Haruka Kimura

Masamune Kusano x junaidaHimitsu StrangerA5 Cousin Size

¥7,480 - ¥9,130(incl. tax)
¥4,180(incl. tax)

Normal

Available

Compatible Techo Books

Cousin (A5)1 page per day
Cousin Avec (A5)1 page per day 6-month book
Day-FreeMonthly notebook

[Cousin] Daily Pages (English / Japanese Version)

A daily techo with lots of space to write: This A5-size techo provides ample space on each daily page. It’s great for keeping in one place at home or at work and you can use it to track your child’s growth or exchange with someone.

Monday-start
A5 size
Thickness: 18 mm (0.7”)

Daily pages
Yearly calendar
Yearly index
Monthly calendar
Weekly pages
Memo pages

[Cousin Avec] Daily Pages (2-Book Set)

Each 6-month daily techo is thin and light for easy carry: This techo splits the year into two 6-month books, making it easy to carry while keeping the same page design and layout as the standard edition.

Monday-start
A5 size
Thickness: 10 mm (0.4”) each

Daily pages
Yearly calendar
Yearly index
Monthly calendar
Weekly pages
Memo pages

[Day-Free] Monthly Techo + Notebook

A monthly notebook with undated pages to write freely: This techo starts with monthly calendars and ends with undated graph paper pages so you can write whenever you want, and as much as you want.

Monday-start
A5 size
Thickness: 8 mm (0.3”)

Monthly calendar
Yearly calendar
Yearly index
Graph paper notebook pages

Specifications

Cover

Size	H: 228 x W: 337 x T: 3 mm / H: 9" x W: 13.3" x T: 0.1" Excluding pen holders Specifications may vary slightly
Weight	Approx. 170 g
Main material	Exterior: Polyester / Interior: Polyester

Book (Cousin English Edition / English / January Start)

Size	A5 size H: 210 x W: 148 x T: 18 mm / H: 8.3"" x W: 5.8"" x T: 0.7"" *Actual book size may vary slightly
Weight	Approx. 445 g
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 (Cousin / Japanese / January Start)

Size	A5 size H: 210 x W: 148 x T: 18 mm / H: 8.3"" x W: 5.8"" x T: 0.7"" *Actual book size may vary slightly
Weight	Approx. 445 g
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

Book (Cousin Avec / Japanese / January Start / 2-Book Set)

Size	A5 size x 2 books Each Book: H: 210 x W: 148 x T: 10 mm / H: 8.3"" x W: 5.8"" x T: 0.4"" *Actual book size may vary slightly
Weight	Each Book: Approx. 260 g
Language	Japanese
Pages	Each Book: 288 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	Book 1: Jan. - Dec. 2025 (4 pages) Book 2: Jul. 2025 - Jun. 2026 (4 pages)
Monthly Calendar	Book 1: Dec. 2024 - Jul. 2025 (16 pages) Book 2: Jun. 2025 - Jan. 2026 (16 pages)
Daily Pages	Book 1: Jan. 1 - Jun. 30, 2025 (187 pages) Book 2: Jul. 1 - Dec. 31, 2025 (190 pages) A blank two-page spread (three pages for Book 2) 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	Book 1: Dec. 30, 2024 - Jul. 6, 2025 (54 pages) Book 2: Jun. 30, 2025 - Jan. 4, 2026 (54 pages)
Memo Pages	Book 1: 8 pages Book 2: 4 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

Book (Day-Free A5 size / Japanese / Monthly)

Size	A5 size H: 210 x W: 148 x T: 8 mm / H: 8.3"" x W: 5.8"" x T: 0.3"" *Actual book size may vary slightly
Weight	Approx. 220 g
Language	Japanese
Pages	224 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. - Dec. 2025 (4 pages)
Monthly Calendar	Dec. 2024 - Mar. 2026 (32 pages)
Daily Quotes	Included (Japanese)
Graph Paper	171 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) / Old lunar calendar / Rokuyo (traditional Japanese lunisolar calendar) (listed on monthly calendars) / Solar terms / Japanese holidays / Moon phase (Full and new moon listed on monthly calendars)
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.

Actual specifications may vary from listing: 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.
Color and print may vary slightly: 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.
Cover may contain variations in stitching or loose lining: Due to the structure of the cover that opens flat 180 degrees, exterior stitching areas may appear puckered and lining material may be loose.

Pen holders are rigid at first: 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.
Pen holder fits pens up to 13.5 mm wide: 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.
Avoid storing in hot and humid places: 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.

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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