Hobonichi planners: a guide to the different layouts
Start with how much you want to write and which view you need: a day, a week, or a month. Then choose the size, language, and cover.
Choose a layout
Original and Planner offer compact daily pages. Cousin adds a vertical weekly view. HON has its cover attached, while Weeks focuses on a horizontal week. Day-Free leaves the notebook dates to you; the 5-Year Techo brings several years together.
| Planner | Layout | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Hobonichi Original | A6 monthly + daily | Dated |
| Hobonichi Planner | A6 monthly + daily; 4 mm grid | Dated |
| Hobonichi Cousin | A5 monthly + vertical weekly + daily | Dated |
| Hobonichi Original Avec | A6 daily; two half-year books | Dated: Jan–Jun / Jul–Dec |
| Hobonichi Cousin Avec | A5 weekly + daily; two half-year books | Dated: Jan–Jun / Jul–Dec |
| Hobonichi HON A6 | A6 monthly + daily; attached cover | Dated |
| Hobonichi HON A5 | A5 weekly + daily; attached cover | Dated |
| Hobonichi Weeks | Monthly + horizontal weekly + notes | Dated |
| Hobonichi Weeks Mega | Weeks layout + extra memo pages | Dated weeks; undated memo pages |
| Hobonichi Day-Free | Monthly + 171 undated grid pages | Dated months; undated notebook pages |
| Hobonichi 5-Year Techo | Same date across five years + notes | Dated: 2027–2031 |
The entries below cover the main 2027 formats and selected variants. Check the exact language, start month, and cover listing before choosing.
Daily planners
Hobonichi Original
The compact, one-page-per-day Hobonichi.
- Inside
- Monthly calendars and daily pages with a 24-hour timeline and 3.7 mm grid.
- Worth considering if
- You want a separate page for each day in a small book.
- Before choosing
- There is no built-in weekly spread. Compare the daily writing area with your usual notes.
- Details
- 2027 · A6 · Japanese or English · Tomoe River paper. Dated.
Hobonichi Planner
An English-language A6 daily book directed by Arts&Science.
- Inside
- Monthly calendars and daily pages with a 4 mm grid and a simple timeline marked at noon.
- Worth considering if
- You prefer a quieter daily page and slightly larger grid squares.
- Before choosing
- Planner is a specific model, not another name for the English Original. Compare their page designs before choosing.
- Details
- 2027 · A6 · English · Tomoe River paper. Dated.
Hobonichi Cousin
A larger daily book with a separate weekly view.
- Inside
- Monthly calendars, vertical weekly timelines, and one dated page per day.
- Worth considering if
- You want to plan the week and keep detailed daily notes in one book.
- Before choosing
- Decide whether you will use both weekly and daily sections. A larger page also means more book to carry.
- Details
- 2027 · A5 · Japanese or English · Tomoe River paper. Dated.
Hobonichi Original Avec
The Original format split into two books.
- Inside
- The daily format is divided across January–June and July–December volumes.
- Worth considering if
- You like A6 daily pages but want to carry only half a year.
- Before choosing
- Keep the second volume accessible when planning beyond June; earlier daily records stay in the first book.
- Details
- 2027 · A6 · Japanese · Tomoe River paper. Dated: Jan–Jun / Jul–Dec.
Hobonichi Cousin Avec
The Cousin format in two lighter volumes.
- Inside
- Monthly, vertical weekly, and daily layouts are divided into two six-month books.
- Worth considering if
- You want the Cousin’s page space with less book in your bag at once.
- Before choosing
- Choose it for the split-year arrangement, not a different daily layout. You will change volumes halfway through the year.
- Details
- 2027 · A5 · Japanese · Tomoe River paper. Dated: Jan–Jun / Jul–Dec.
Hobonichi HON A6
Original-style pages in a book with its cover attached.
- Inside
- The A6 HON follows the Original’s monthly and daily format.
- Worth considering if
- You want the compact daily format without choosing a separate cover.
- Before choosing
- A6 HON has no weekly spread; the A5 HON does. Do not assume the sizes have identical contents.
- Details
- 2027 · A6 · Japanese or English · Tomoe River paper. Dated.
Hobonichi HON A5
Cousin-style pages with a cover already attached.
- Inside
- Monthly, vertical weekly, and daily sections follow the Cousin format.
- Worth considering if
- You want several planning views in a single finished book.
- Before choosing
- Compare the size and weight with where you will use it most, especially if you plan to carry it daily.
- Details
- 2027 · A5 · Japanese or English · Tomoe River paper. Dated.
Weekly planners
Hobonichi Weeks
A tall, slim planner built around the week.
- Inside
- The week is on the left, grid notes on the right, with more memo pages at the back.
- Worth considering if
- You want short daily entries beside a shared weekly task list or notes.
- Before choosing
- The narrow format gives each day less writing room than a daily book. Check the language of collaboration editions.
- Details
- 2027 · Wallet size, about 186 × 95 mm · Japanese or English · Tomoe River paper. Dated.
Hobonichi Weeks Mega
The Weeks format with more notebook space.
- Inside
- The same weekly layout, with roughly three times the memo pages of the regular Weeks.
- Worth considering if
- You want a weekly planner and a substantial running notebook together.
- Before choosing
- Mega adds notes, not a larger weekly spread. Choose based on how much you write outside the calendar.
- Details
- 2027 · Wallet size · Japanese or English · Tomoe River paper. Dated weeks; undated memo pages.
Day-Free & multi-year diaries
Hobonichi Day-Free
Monthly planning paired with a notebook you can date yourself.
- Inside
- Dated monthly calendars followed by 171 numbered graph-paper pages in either size.
- Worth considering if
- You write irregularly or want to use several pages for one day.
- Before choosing
- Day-Free is not a full year of preprinted daily pages, and its monthly section is still tied to the edition year.
- Details
- 2027 · A6 or A5 · Japanese · Tomoe River paper. Dated months; undated notebook pages.
Hobonichi 5-Year Techo
A diary for comparing the same day across several years.
- Inside
- Five years of entries share the left page, with grid note space on the right.
- Worth considering if
- You want a small recurring record to revisit over time.
- Before choosing
- Each year shares the spread with four others. Choose it for short memories rather than a full page per day per year.
- Details
- 2027–2031 · A6 or A5 Large · Japanese · Tomoe River paper. Dated: 2027–2031.
2027 highlights from the video
JetPens’ overview introduces collaborations with Akiko Miyakoshi, Leo Lionni’s Frederick, Moomin, NATAL DESIGN, tanakadaisuke, the V&A, and Yoshie Watanabe. These are design collections across selected covers, books, and accessories, rather than new planner layouts.
The video also visits Hobonichi for an interview with Koizumi Ayako and a look at the first Techo and her own HON. It offers background on the people behind the books; the layout comparisons here come from Hobonichi’s official type guides.
JetPens notes that its 2027 covers and planner books are sold separately. That is retailer purchasing information: check what each listing includes rather than assuming a cover comes with a book. Explore the official 2027 lineup.
Covers, accessories & edition checks
- Choose the book first. A design collection can appear on several formats. Decide on the inside pages before the outside artwork.
- Check cover compatibility. Original and Cousin take matching-size covers. HON already has an attached cover; 5-Year books have their own fit requirements. Check the selected accessory’s compatibility.
- Check language and start month. English and Japanese editions are not offered in every model or collaboration. Avec, Day-Free, and 5-Year entries here are Japanese editions; a January-start and an April-start book cover different periods.
- Treat accessories as extras. The video includes stickers, sticky notes, pouches, and miniature keychains. Add them around a routine you already enjoy.
Sources & how we put this together
This is a researched guide, using the video’s accessible transcript and description for lineup highlights and Hobonichi’s official specifications for layouts. We have not tested these books or their paper. “Worth considering if” and “Before choosing” are our editorial guidance.
- What’s new for the Hobonichi Techo 2027 Lineup! And an Interview with Hobonichi President ✨📖 — JetPens, published Oct 15, 2026.
- Hobonichi’s 2027 Techo Type Guide — individual official guides are linked with each entry.
- Hobonichi’s official 2027 lineup — check the exact edition and design.
Retailer assortments vary. This guide does not track stock or prices.