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Keiko ShibataThanks for your hard work, Aoki-sanWeeks Hardcover Book / Weekly Horizontal / ENG or JPN edition / Jan start / Mon start

  • 2025 New

We’ve turned this unique piece of art by Keiko Shibata into a Hobonichi Techo cover. “Thanks for your hard work, Aoki-san” was originally drawn for Shibata’s personal art gallery held in 2017.



Aoki-san is a cat with great discipline and takes a bow. Behind him is a pond. You can sense a camaraderie between the two characters in this scene. This oil pastel artwork has a warm feel.The cover has a glossy finish so you can enjoy the colors.







The year 2025 is foil-pressed in metallic red on the surface of the cover. It’s imprinted onto a red background, and you can see it glint in the light.







The back is printed with an image of Keiko Shibata’s signature.







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



You can also purchase a Hobonichi Pencil Board for the Weeks. It’s printed with Keiko Shibata’s art piece “Wind gust during a Stay command.”







There are many more items in our collaboration with Keiko Shibata in the Hobonichi Techo 2025 lineup! This includes the techo covers “Bus management by Mr. and Mrs. Inoue” in A6 size and “Emotional Reunion with Kariya-san” in A5 size. There’s also a Weeks book called “Thanks for your hard work, Aoki-san.” The design “Dog Ears Fluttering in the Wind” is available on a Cover on Cover, which fits over a Hobonichi Techo A6 or A5 cover, and the Clear Cover, which fits over a Weeks book. The Hobonichi Paper(s) notebook has a cover with the design “Ueda-san’s summer of hugs.” Also available with prints by Keiko Shibata are the Hobonichi Pencil Board and a graph paper notebook, which continue from last year’s lineup. These all help expand the unique and charming world of Keiko Shibata!



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







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 Weeks book has space for writing in plans or journal entries, and it also has 69 pages of grid paper memo pages in the back (73 pages in the English edition). The back of the book contains bonus pages, including Sample Symbols and Icons and Oodles of Noodles.







The Hobonichi Techo 2025 Weeks book comes in either English or Japanese. If you love this cover, then you can pick out which language you’d like in that book.

*The English edition book only comes as the January-start version.







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

© Keiko Shibata

About Keiko Shibata

Born in Kochi prefecture. Picture book works include the Meganeko series (Tegamisha), the SHIROKUMA series (PHP Institute), and the PANDOROBOU “Bread Thief” series (KADOKAWA).



They may have unique names, but check their expressions, too

Our Keiko Shibata collaboration collection was very popular in our Hobonichi Techo 2024 Spring lineup, and we’ve chosen some previous works from a personal art gallery for further products. These unique works include “Bus management by Mr. and Mrs. Inoue,” “Emotional Reunion with Kariya-san,” and “Thanks for your hard work, Aoki-san” which had characters in each piece with an identified last name, and the names were all lined up in alphabetical order. Each scene also appears to have a story behind it. The expressions on the characters’ faces are also indescribably cute.



Keiko Shibata mainly uses oil pastel for her artwork. The colors have a warmth to them that we’ve made sure to preserve when printing them onto the covers, so we encourage you to really observe these details.



Each techo cover has bookmark materials and charms that match the design of the cover.



We’ve also created a Cover on Cover and Paper(s) notebook with Shibata’s art on them so users can enjoy her unique and playful art on our staple accessories and bring it everywhere they go.

Introduction to the Keiko Shibata series products

(Hobonichi Techo 2025 lineup)

Staff List

Photographer
Styled Images: Nobuki Kawaharazaki / Product Detail: Hiroyuki Oe
Stylist
Minami Nosaki
Makeup & Hair
Daisuke Yamada (Cake.)
Model
REIA (NUMBER EIGHT MODELS)
Keiko ShibataThanks for your hard work, Aoki-sanWeeks Hardcover Book / Weekly Horizontal / ENG or JPN edition / Jan start / Mon start
  1. ¥2,970(incl. tax)

Normal
Available
10

Recommended Techo Books and Covers

Recommended Stationery and Accessories

Compatible Techo Covers

Specifications

SizeH: 188 x W: 94 x T: 11 mm / H: 7.4" x W: 3.7" x T: 0.4"
*Specifications may vary slightly
WeightApprox. 135 g
Main materialGlossy paper (PP coated) / Paper
Weeks Book (English / January Start)
LanguageEnglish
Pages 240 pages
Paper Type / Binding Thin, light Tomoe River paper resistant to bleeding and designed for planners / Stitch-binding
Graph Paper Size3.55 mm
Start of WeekMonday-start week
Yearly Calendar2024, 2025, 2026
Yearly IndexJan. - Dec. 2025 (2 pages)
Monthly CalendarDec. 2024 - Mar. 2026 (32 pages)
Daily QuotesOne per week (English)
Weekly CalendarNov. 25, 2024 - Jan. 4, 2026 (116 pages)
*All weekly pages include quotes.
Graph Paper73 pages
Bonus PagesShorthand Note-Taking / Using Common Items to Measure Size / Favorites / My 100 / Sample Symbols and Icons / Oodles of Noodles / 365 Days Check-Off Sheet / Addresses / Personal Notes
Listed InformationWeek of the year / Moon phase (weekly pages include every phase, monthly calendars only include full and new moon)
OtherSee the Exploring Each Type page for more details
Weeks Book (Japanese / January Start)
LanguageJapanese
Pages240 pages
Paper Type / BindingThin, light Tomoe River paper resistant to bleeding and designed for planners / Stitch-binding
Graph Paper Size3.55 mm
Start of WeekMonday-start week
Yearly Calendar2024, 2025, 2026
Yearly IndexJan. - Dec. 2025 (2 pages)
Monthly CalendarDec. 2024 - Mar. 2026 (32 pages)
Daily QuotesOne per week (Japanese)
Weekly Pages Nov. 25, 2024 - Jan. 4, 2026 (116 pages)
*All weekly pages include quotes.
Graph Paper69 pages
Bonus PagesShorthand Note-Taking / Using Common Items to Measure Size / My 100 / Sample Symbols and Icons / Recommended Noodle List of 47 Prefectures / Solar Terms / Emergency Preparedness / Age Table / Conversion Chart / Getting the most of Hobonichi / Contact List / Personal Notes
Listed InformationWeek 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)
OtherSee 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.

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.

Avoid using with Clear Cover

This cover uses thicker materials than usual, so it may not fit. Forcing it into a Clear Cover may damage the product.

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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