The Hobonichi Techo 2024 features the debut of the new planner paper, Tomoe River S. We’re sure everyone who’s familiar with the old Tomoe River paper is curious what the new paper feels like, and what kinds of pens work well with it. The techo team took some time to test out various pens to compare their compatibility with Tomoe River S paper, and gathered their report to share with everyone. Here are some of our favorites. We hope it helps!
Starting with the Hobonichi Techo 2024, the Tomoe River paper will change to Tomoe River S. Here are some of the things that have changed with the new paper.
*The Weeks books will change to Tomoe River S paper starting with the April-start edition.
More resistant to bleed-through
*From top down: Jetstream, Kaweco, Brush Sign Pen
These look the same at a glance, and we hear the new paper is more resistant to bleed-through.
Ink dries more quickly
*Written in fountain pen and then rubbed 10 seconds later
Ink dries quickly, so the ink won’t smear when you touch it
Book weight is about 5% lighter on average
*Comparisons shown between Original A6 sizes
*Book weight varies slightly
We like how it’s lighter, and easy to carry around
A smoother, cleaner surface
The fibers have been smoothed out for a cleaner surface!
*You can find more information about the Tomoe River S paper
The techo team tried out a variety of pens on the Tomoe River S paper to see which they like, and share their recommendations.
The Pulaman’s flexible pen tip makes it a fun pen, as users can write in both thin and thick lines. It used to be hard waiting for the ink for this to dry, but it seems to work even better with the new paper. The ink dried quickly on the Tomoe River S paper!
The great thing about this pen is the way the paper won’t wrinkle easily when using the eraser. And the feel of the pen hasn’t changed much with the new Tomoe River S paper, but the line does feel somewhat smoother.
5-Color Multi Pen (Body Only) 275 yen
Refill 10-Color Set 0.3 mm 1,100 yen
It’s fun writing so smoothly
The Hi-Tec-C Coleto’s thin pen tip makes my handwriting look cooler, and makes it fun to write. The pen tip feels like it’s gliding across the paper, and it feels like a great match with the Tomoe River S. It’s also fun picking out my five colors of choice!
Uni Mitsubishi Pencil: Kuru Toga Advance Upgrade Model
1,100 yen
For those who like delicate writing
I think it’s thanks to the way the new paper feels even smoother, but the Kuru Toga Advance feels even crisper and smoother than before. It felt really good to write with this pencil, and I recommend it to anyone who likes a delicate look to what they draw and write!
*Included as a free gift with Hobonichi Techo books ordered on the online Hobonichi Store, at Tobochi shops, or at Hobonichi events. See here for more information.
The pen tip glides well for a smooth feel
The Jetstream was the benchmark when developing the paper, so naturally, the pen glides well on the paper and offers a smooth writing experience. It also seems to show through the other side of the page less now. I think people who use this pen a lot on a daily basis are going to be even more pleased with how it feels.
Ballpoint pen and mechanical pencil writing comparison
*From top down: Pulaman, Frixion Ball 3 Slim Black, Hi-Tec-C Coleto,
Kuru Toga Advance Upgrade Model, Jetstream
Fountain pens
Platinum: Preppy Fountain Pen
3 colors, 440 yen each
The ink suits the paper well and dries quickly
This pen’s ink suits the paper very well, and it feels nice to write with because it writes so smoothly. The ink dries quickly, so there’s no concern about it feathering or bleeding. The 0.3 mm pen tip makes it easy to draw even the smallest details, and writing won’t get blurry. It’s nice being able to write so freely.
Kaweco is our favorite because of its slightly thicker pen tip and smooth writing experience. The Tomoe River S paper makes the pen feel like it’s writing even more smoothly. The ink also seems to penetrate the paper more quickly, making fountain pens easier to use.
The pen tip doesn’t slip, so it feels easier to control across the surface of the paper. It’s also easier to actually write out the three different stroke types (tome, harai, and hane) when writing in Japanese. And thanks to the ink drying more quickly, you can close your book immediately after writing in it without the ink transferring onto the opposite page.
We really liked the feel of writing with this kakuno pen. It seems like a great choice for anyone using a fountain pen for the first time. The smile pictured on the pen tip is also a nice touch. Using it on the Tomoe River S paper, the lettering didn’t blur at all, and it felt nice how smoothly it wrote across the surface.
I initially liked these pens because they’ve got the perfect firmness and give writing a look different from that of ballpoint pens. But now that it dries faster, it’s even easier to use. And when ink has a light color to it, I worry that touching the ink too soon after writing will make it disappear, but I think that won’t be the case with these.
Sometimes I color in my monthly calendars or the weekly plans in my Weeks book to color code them, but now that the ink dries right after writing in the Tomoe River S paper, I no longer have to leave my book open a bit to let the ink dry.
I felt so relieved by it that I realized for the first time that I may have had slight stress piling up over time about it. So it was a happy revelation.
5 Color Set (2 types) 825 yen each set
Black - 165 yen each
More ways to use it with brighter colors!
You can tell just by looking at the paper how the ink pooling has gotten smaller. It’s clear that the drying time has gotten faster, so it’ll be easier to use these pens more often. The colors also turned out great!
5 Color Set (Sky Blue, Pink, Gray, Green, Yellow)
5 Color Set (Yellow Ocher, Violet, Brown, Red, Blue)
I often use a system of coloring in dots and then writing on top of them, so having the ink absorb quickly into the paper allows me to immediately write on the dots. And with the previous Tomoe River paper, the ink would accumulate in the center, leaving a sort of dotted pattern, but the Tomoe River S paper allows the ink to apply smoothly and without that unevenness.
*From top down: Shikiori Calligraphy Pen, Dual Brush Penx,
Brush-Touch Felt Tip Pen, Zig Clean Color Dot
Other Recommendations
Some of the members discovered some pens that work well with the Hobonichi Techo’s new paper, but aren’t for sale in the Hobonichi Store. Here are some of these additional options.
Pilot: Juice up 04
This writes more smoothly than ever! The ink dries quickly, so it’s handy for writing down all of your many thoughts without worrying about it bleeding through. The glossy color series have colors that are especially exquisite!
Pentel: Energel
I like how I’m able to write letters with a mature look to them. I love this pen so much that I always keep ink refills on me. But I’d been avoiding them since I wasn’t quite happy with the way it felt to write on the old Tomoe River paper. When I tried it on the Tomoe River S paper, I don’t know if it was because the ink dried more quickly, but I feel like I can write better with it than before. I’m thinking about trying it out for the 2024 techo.
Pentel: Calme
I’ve been using the Calme a lot lately. It’s an oil-based ink, but it doesn’t feel sticky against the paper, and it writes so smoothly. It feels like I’m using a gel ink pen. When I tried it out on the Tomoe River S paper, I was shocked at how much it magnified that smooth feeling when writing! I was hesitant when writing on the light paper at first, but once I got used to it, I was able to write comfortably without putting any pressure on the pen tip. I recommend this pen for users who like oil-based ink pens!
Staedtler: Water brush
I like how the water brush fills with water to blend together colors in a way that you wouldn’t think could be done with a marker. Because the Tomoe River S paper allows for quick drying, even when the paper gets a bit wet with water, it’s resistant to bleed-through. I use this for painting watercolors in my techo!
Suica Penguin Rolling Stamp (Face)
This isn’t a pen, so it’s a little off topic, but because ink dries faster on the paper, rolling stamps are easier to use. It used to take time for it to dry, so the penguin’s face used to stretch out sideways when rolling it, until he didn’t even look like himself. So I wasn’t able to use this before, but when I tried it on the Tomoe River S paper, it worked great!
![TOOLS&[November 2023 / Tomoe River S & Pens]
The Hobonichi Techo team
tries out pens on the Tomoe River S paper!
Pen Recommendations](./img/mv_sp.jpg)
More resistant to bleed-through
Ink dries more quickly
Book weight is about 5% 
A smoother, cleaner surface
and we hear the new paper is
more resistant to bleed-through.