This imaginative illustration depicts a fox riding a bicycle to deliver a crescent moon.
A fox rides a bicycle along the shoreline as the stars of the night sky sparkle overhead. Tied up in the basket of the light blue bicycle is what appears to be a crescent moon. We can only wonder to whom the fox is delivering the moon. This imaginative artwork by illustrator Hiroko Kubota is reminiscent of the cover of a picture book and has been created specially for the Hobonichi Techo HON.
The back of the cover shows a cat mailing a letter in a mailbox at the foot of a street lamp. Perhaps the cat’s gaze is directed at the fox on the other side.
The facial expressions of the fox and cat, the starry sky, the city off in the distance, and the surface of the water reflecting the light of the crescent moon and street light were among the things carefully considered to get just the right balance in the artwork. We went through many detailed revisions with Kubota to get it just right.
The year 2025 is foil-pressed in a slightly matte gold.
May your own unique stories of everyday life spin together in this techo.
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.
Born 1971. Illustrator. Uses acrylic gouache etc. to draw landscapes, people, and animals.
Instagram: @hiroko_kubota
Homepage: https://kuvotahiroko.jimdofree.com/
Introduction to the Hiroko Kubota series products
(Hobonichi Techo 2025 lineup)
Size | A6 size H: 156 x W: 110 x T: 16 mm / H: 6.1" x W: 4.3" x T: 0.6" *Specifications may vary slightly |
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Weight | Approx. 210 g |
Main material | Glossy paper (PP coated) / Paper |
Language | English |
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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 calendar pages are 3.45 mm |
Start of Week | Monday-start week |
Yearly Calendar | 2024, 2025, 2026 |
Yearly Index | Dec. 2024 - Mar. 2026 (8 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 | Not included |
Memo Pages | 17 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 / Looking Back at the Year 2025 / 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 / 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 |
Language | Japanese |
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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 |
Yearly Calendar | 2024, 2025, 2026 |
Yearly Index | Dec. 2024 - Mar. 2026 (8 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- / 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 / Sample Symbols and Icons / How to Have Fun Keeping a Diary / Recommended Noodle List of 47 Prefectures / Solar Terms / 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.
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.
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.
The pen hook on the pencil board can hold a pen by its clip.
This cover uses thicker materials than usual, so it may not fit. Forcing it into a Clear Cover may damage the product.
Scratches inevitably occur in the manufacturing process of the front covers and bookbinding, and may be more noticeable on dark-colored products in particular.
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.