Hobonichi Techo Lineup Guide: Every Planner, Cover, and Accessory Worth Knowing

Introduction

The Hobonichi Techo might look like an ordinary notebook, but it is one of the most popular planners in Japan, and for good reason. The lineup covers everything from pocketable weekly books to sprawling A5 daily planners, plus a rotating collection of covers and accessories that gets refreshed every year.

This guide walks through the main books, the cover options, and a few accessories that pair well with them, so you can pick the format that matches how you actually plan.

What Makes Hobonichi Techo Special

Every Hobonichi book provides just enough structure to keep you organized while leaving plenty of free space for creativity. The books are also impressively well constructed: they lie flat, and they are filled with Tomoe River paper, an ultra-thin paper that keeps the planners slim and lightweight while pairing beautifully with all kinds of writing instruments.

One thing to know before buying: the Tomoe River paper used in these books has been through changes, and Hobonichi has been transitioning to a new paper supply. We cover what that means at the end of this guide.

Book & Cover Sets

Hobonichi offers several planners that come with covers and others sold as separate books. The cover designs are refreshed every year, and the A6 and A5 covers fall into five broad categories: Colors, Artist Collection, Fabric, Pouch, and Leather.

Hobonichi Techo Planner (English A6)

This is the English A6 book, with a full page dedicated to each day. The simple layout includes details like moon phases and quotes, and it can be purchased with or without a cover.

Hobonichi Techo Cousin (English A5)

New to the English lineup, the A5 Cousin doubles the page area of the A6. The layout differs slightly: the grid size is smaller, the daily pages have small to-do lists at the top and timelines on the left side, and the planner opens with weekly vertical sections for blocking out your schedule. It is a strong option if you want more room for ideas or memories.

The Weeks and Weeks MEGA

The Weeks also has an English edition. Shaped like a long wallet, it is slim and highly portable, with the days of the week on the left side and a gridded memo page on the right. Unlike the A6 and A5 books, the cover is attached to the planner itself, in Colors, Smooth, White Line, Artist Collection, Bow & Tie, Shirt Fabric, and Leather options.

Hobonichi Techo Weeks MEGA

The Weeks MEGA uses the same planner pages as the Weeks but includes three times as many memo pages in the back. Its covers come in a more limited selection: Colors and Sneaker. If you fill memo pages quickly, this is the version to get.

Other Books and Formats

The English Techo planner books can be purchased without covers, and Hobonichi also offers Japanese and Simplified Chinese editions, half-year books, and other formats for specialized planning styles.

Hobonichi Day-Free

The Day-Free is a dated monthly calendar paired with plenty of blank, gridded pages, making it flexible for people whose planning does not fit a strict daily format.

Hobonichi 5-Year Techo

The 5-Year Techo is a diary with space to write about the same day across consecutive years. Its covers come in fabric or real leather and protect the book’s soft cover, making it a long-term keepsake rather than a single-year planner.

Accessories Worth Adding

Hobonichi Deco Rush

The Deco Rush works like correction tape, but instead of white tape it applies adorable designs directly to the page. It is a fun, low-cost way to decorate your planner without stickers.

Other accessories include pencil boards (shitajiki) for A5, A6, and Weeks planners, which give you a firm, flat writing surface even when pages get bumpy from pasted-in items, and Illustrated Cover on Covers and Covers for Weeks made in collaboration with artists. Note that the clear covers are not meant to sit directly on A5 or A6 planner books and must be used with a separate cover, while most Weeks and Weeks MEGA planners can take a clear cover directly on top.

Hobonichi BS Lite Cover

The BS Lite is a cover made to fit the Day-Free. Regular A5 and A6 covers can feel a little loose when paired with the Day-Free, but the BS Lite hugs this planner book snugly.

Weeks owners who want more protection can also look at the Zip Cover, which comes in designs matching the A5 and A6 Pouch covers and has plenty of pockets, enough to double as a wallet.

New Paper from 2024 Onward

The original Tomoe River paper used in Hobonichi’s books was discontinued. A company called Sanzen took over production and created a paper very similar in performance to the original. Starting in 2024, all Hobonichi Techo planners except the Weeks include Sanzen paper, and the Weeks swaps its paper in 2025. Hobonichi includes a sheet of the new Sanzen paper with every book, so you can test it with your favorite pens and pencils before committing.

Buying Advice

If you want a one-page-per-day format in a compact size, the English A6 Planner is the classic choice. If you need more room for writing and scheduling, the English A5 Cousin is the natural upgrade. For portability, the Weeks is hard to beat, and heavy memo users should jump straight to the Weeks MEGA. Day-Free suits flexible, non-daily planning, the 5-Year Techo suits long-term journaling, and the Deco Rush and BS Lite cover round out the experience with decoration and protection.

Conclusion

Hobonichi’s strength is that the lineup scales with your planning style, from a wallet-sized weekly book to an A5 daily canvas, all built around paper that treats writing instruments kindly. Match the format to how much you write, pick a cover that makes you want to open it every day, and test the included Sanzen paper sheet with your own pens before the year starts.