Hobonichi Techo HON: I guess I'm buying this...

A story about buying a Hobonichi Techo HON.

Introduction

There is a word that everyone who likes stationery and planners eventually learns: "Hobonichi Techo." As I started to like stationery, I would hear fellow stationery lovers say, "Hobonichi Techo is great, isn't it?" and I learned about it before I knew it every time I saw it in stores.

Let's list some images of what a Hobonichi Techo is like.
・The price is set high
・The cover designs are lovely
・It has columns

Those are the three things that come to mind.

Reasons why I hadn't chosen a Hobonichi Techo until now

I knew well from rumors that it was an attractive planner. However, there were a few reasons why I didn't end up buying one.
・I get distracted by the text in the columns, and miscellaneous emotions get mixed in when I try to write in it as a diary. I want to enjoy the columns, but having them there introduces distracting thoughts.
・I don't really like the font. It's like a gossip-style typeface, and I didn't really like the way the Japanese was written.

While I think it's nice that it has columns, I had a dilemma where the presence of the columns made it hard to write. If possible, I prefer something simple without ruled lines.

So, there were several reasons why I didn't choose it.
However, I have a Hobonichi Techo HON in my hands now.

Reasons why I chose the Hobonichi Techo HON

I learned about the existence of the Hobonichi Techo HON on social media, and when I looked at the website, there was something that drew me in. Starting last year, a lineup called "HON" was added to the Hobonichi Techo. I will list the points that are different from the usual Hobonichi Techo.

・No cover needed.
・You can choose between a Japanese version and an English version.
・There are two sizes: A6 and A5.

Points that attracted me
・There is an English version. By having the columns in English, I don't have to read Japanese, and the font doesn't bother me.
・Since a cover isn't necessary, I can store it as is. Having the year on the spine is also a good point.
・It opens flat at 180 degrees. The torinco I used before didn't open 180 degrees, so it was hard to write in and discouraged me from writing. Opening 180 degrees is a necessary prerequisite.
・Uses Tomoe River S paper. It's a paper I like so much that I even use it for my system planner refills. It's smooth and easy to write on.
・Grid paper. Personally, unruled is best, but grid paper clears the compromise point.
・You can choose A5 size. I could choose between two sizes, but since I often have a lot to write, I chose A5.
・The cover designs are abundant, and there are many lovely ones. I struggled a lot with which one to choose. I chose Yamazakura.
・The material of the planner is good. It has a cloth-like texture and feels luxurious and antique.
・The accent colors differ by month.

Impressions after actually picking it up at LOFT

The actual product was at the Osaka Umeda LOFT, so I picked it up and tried it out.

・As expected, I felt that I wouldn't be very motivated to write in the Japanese version when I imagined doing so. The columns would bother me.
・The material of the planner felt very good to the touch. I want you to try touching it once.
・The A6 version was a size that would fit in a bag and seemed good for carrying around.
・It's thicker than I thought. I feel the weight.
・It comes with a pencil board with a pen holder, and I felt it would be easy to use.
・The paper is quite thin and easy to flip through.

You won't know the texture unless you actually touch it, so please take a look. There are many cover designs, but when I saw the actual products, the impression was quite different from the photos on the website. Especially the two colors of Slash. Be careful, as both change their impression depending on how the indoor light hits them when you see the actual product.

The Hobonichi Techo HON arrived

My Hobonichi Techo HON Yamazakura English version arrived.
However, sadly, I received one with an initial defect (there was a stain about 5cm in radius on the page for December 5th), so I had it exchanged.

Since it's the English version, the columns are written in English.

In conclusion

In the article above, I mentioned that I would also write my diary in the SUNNY Techo, but I actually tried writing in the weekly section a little and it felt insufficient, so I will use the SUNNY Techo to track my habits, and I want to enjoy using the Hobonichi Techo HON I purchased this time as my diary for 2024.

It's a bit pricey, but I want to enjoy writing in it one page a day.

Postscript (February 18, 2024)

I am also sharing information about the Hobonichi Techo HON on YouTube!

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