Jin Kitamura: Love it (Panda) Yellow Plaid 2024 edition / Weeks Hardcover Book / Weekly Horizontal / JPN edition / Apr start / Mon start - Hobonichi Techo 2023 Edition

Jin KitamuraLove it (Panda) Yellow Plaid2024 edition / Weeks Hardcover Book / Weekly Horizontal / JPN edition / Apr start / Mon start

2024 ver.

Illustrator and children’s book author Jin Kitamura created the cute illustration featured on this Weeks book.

The image shows a panda happily playing with a tire. It was drawn in crayon for a laid-back look. The image is so cute that you’ll never “tire” of looking at it.

The checkered lines in the background are also hand-drawn by Kitamura. There is variance in the line thickness and space between each line, giving it a gentle look. Kimatura also hand-wrote the title “Love it” into the illustration itself.

The cover material is white with the same texture as a painting canvas.

The front cover and book spine are foil-printed with the year 2024 in black, for a nice and simple look.

The back cover features the image of Kitamura’s signature.

The cover has been constructed as a light hardcover book with some give to it so it still bends.

When you order this Hobonichi Techo Weeks, you’ll receive a clear, adhesive corner pocket you can stick anywhere you like.

From the 2024 April-start version for the Weeks, the book uses thin and light yet durable Tomoe River paper. The paper has supported the Hobonichi Techo for over 20 years with its special characteristics, but it’ll be undergoing an overhaul starting with the 2024 edition techos. The paper 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 Weeks book has space for writing in plans or journal entries, and it also has 73 pages of grid paper memo pages in the back. The back of the book contains informational pages, including An Interview with Myself and Seasonal Sweets to Make at Home.

If you’d like storage space or a way to change up the look of your Weeks book, you can customize your book by pairing it with a Weeks cover.

See Weeks cover lineup

Kitamura’s panda illustrations are also featured on techo covers, pencil board, Deco Rush products and the Translucent Sticky Notes so you can surround yourself with cute pandas.

You can also purchase a children’s book written and illustrated by Kitamura, and experience the gentle world in his works.

About Jin Kitamura

Illustrator/picture book author.

Born in Tokyo in 1981. Author of Kasha!, Pappo (Poplar Publishing), Good morning! (Fukuinkan Shoten), Manjiro and the Rice Ball, Manjiro and the Watermelon and Manjiro and the Baby Racoon (all written by Izumi Honda, published by Fukuinkan Shoten). Also illustrated for And Life Goes On (written by Gen Hoshino, published by Bungeishunju), The Planet I Protect (written by Akane Kanda, published by Shueisha), and AC Japan’s “Japan Guide Dog Association” TV commercial.

The pandas with the cute expressions

I’d like you to focus on the expressions of the pandas in this design. Not every panda is smiling, yet they all look like they’re having a good time—you can tell how much they love tires. This design is cute enough to fill me with tender feelings when I look at it. I want to evoke the same feeling in others, so I filled this cover with pandas. The background is also quite colorful to give the cover a wonderfully playful feel.

I wanted to give the Weeks design a little more energy, so I made the background yellow. Kitamura drew every last detail, down to the cover backgrounds and the checkered lines on the Weeks. I hope these details let you feel how lovely it is to have something handwritten.

Pandas and characters in general can sometimes come across a little too cute, but Kitamura’s art style is more on the sophisticated side, so the designs have universal appeal.

Staff List

Photographer: Styled Images: Yutaro Yamane (TRONmanagement) / Product Detail: Hiroyuki Oe
Stylist: Ayano Nakai
Makeup & Hair: Takae Kamikawa (mod's hair)
Model: Itsuki Sato

Jin KitamuraLove it (Panda) Yellow Plaid2024 edition / Weeks Hardcover Book / Weekly Horizontal / JPN edition / Apr start / Mon start

¥2,970(incl. tax)

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Available

Compatible Techo Covers

Weeks Cover

Specifications

Size	H: 188 x W: 94 x T: 10 mm / H: 7.4" x W: 3.7" x T: 0.4" *Specifications may vary slightly
Weight	Approx. 140 g
Main material	Rayon / Paper

Weeks Book (Japanese / April Start)

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	3.55 mm
Start of Week	Monday-start week
Yearly Calendar	2023, 2024, 2025
Yearly Index	Apr. 2024 - Mar. 2025 (2 pages)
Monthly Calendar	Mar. 2024 - Apr. 2025 (28 pages)
Daily Quotes	One per week (Japanese)
Weekly Pages	Feb. 26, 2024 - Apr. 6, 2025 (116 pages) *All weekly pages include quotes.
Graph Paper	73 pages
Bonus Pages	Shorthand Note-Taking / Using Common Items to Measure Size / My 100 / An Interview with Myself / Seasonal Sweets to Make at Home / Solar Terms / Emergency Preparedness / Age Table / Conversion Chart / Getting the most of Hobonichi / Contact List / Personal Notes
Listed Information	Week of the year / Rokuyo (traditional Japanese calendar) / Solar terms / Japanese holidays / Moon phase (weekly pages include every phase, monthly calendars 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.
Cover corners are slightly bumpy and shiny: The corners of the cover contain light traces of press marks, shines, and lumps. This is an unavoidable part of the manufacturing process.
Coloring may stain other objects: The dye in the cover may stain other objects if it rubs against or sticks to them, especially if the cover is wet from water or sweat from your hands. Please store with care.

Imprinted year numbers may peel: The numbers of the year are stamped onto the cover in metallic or other colored leaf, so strong rubbing or everyday use may cause the numbers to peel off.
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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