Best 2027 Journals: Hobonichi, Moleskine & 3 More

To-scale drawing of five closed 2027 journals: Hobonichi Techo Original A6 105 × 148 mm, Midori MD Diary A6 112 × 154 mm, Moleskine Large 130 × 210 mm, Leuchtturm1917 Medium 145 × 210 mm and KOKUYO Jibun Techo A5 Slim 138 × 217 mm — The five journals side by side at 1 mm = 1 px, from pocketable A6 to the tall A5 Slim.

Products compared

Product	Brand origin	Made in	Price range
Hobonichi Techo 2027, Original (A6) or Cousin (A5) bookHobonichi	Japan	Not stated^*	Price range: $$$
Moleskine 12-Month Planner 2027, Large (daily or weekly)Moleskine	Italy	China^*	Price range: $$$
Leuchtturm1917 2027 Weekly Planner & Notebook, Medium (A5)Leuchtturm1917	Germany	Not stated^*	Price range: $$$
Midori MD Diary 2027, 1 Day 1 Page (A6, A5 or A5 Square)Midori	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$$
KOKUYO Jibun Techo DIARY 2027, A5 SlimKOKUYO	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$$

Notes on these facts

Hobonichi Techo 2027, Original (A6) or Cousin (A5) book: Made by Hobonichi Co., Ltd. (Tokyo). Country of manufacture not stated: Hobonichi's store listings for the 2027 English Original and Cousin books don't state a country of manufacture, and we found no retailer spec sheet that states it for the Original. Boston General Store files the 2027 Cousin in its Made in Japan collection. Check the back of the book. Price: example listing. Released: Hobonichi's history page gives October 5, 2001 as the release date of the first edition, the 2002 Techo. The 2027 lineup went on sale September 1, 2026.
Moleskine 12-Month Planner 2027, Large (daily or weekly): Made by Moleskine S.r.l. (D'Ieteren Group). Made in China: per John Lewis's spec tables for the 2027 12-month weekly and daily planners and the 2026–2027 18-month weekly diaries. Moleskine's own 2027 listings don't state it in the sources we found. Source. Price: example listing.
Leuchtturm1917 2027 Weekly Planner & Notebook, Medium (A5): Made by LEUCHTTURM1917 GmbH (Geesthacht, Germany). Country of manufacture not stated: Neither Leuchtturm1917's German product page, which names only the maker, LEUCHTTURM1917 GmbH in Geesthacht, nor the US and Australian retailer listings we read state where the 2027 planners are made. The Journal Shop lists a 2026 Medium softcover notebook (a different product) as made in Germany. Price: example listing.
Midori MD Diary 2027, 1 Day 1 Page (A6, A5 or A5 Square): Made by Designphil Inc. (Tokyo); the MD line is now sold as MD PRODUCT. Made in Japan: per retailer listings for the 2027 1 Day 1 Page diaries (Pulp Addiction and others). We did not find Midori's own product page in our searches. Source. Price: example listing.
KOKUYO Jibun Techo DIARY 2027, A5 Slim: Made by KOKUYO Co., Ltd.. Made in Japan: KOKUYO's global online store gives Country of Origin: Japan for the 2027 First Kit and the 2027 DIARY and Biz; The Journal Shop and Nomado also say Japan. Source. Price: example listing.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).

Key takeaways

The Hobonichi Techo 2027 lineup went on sale September 1, 2026; KOKUYO's store gives September 4, 2026 for the 2027 Jibun Techo.
Start months differ: Jibun Techo DIARY starts November 2026, Moleskine and Leuchtturm1917 sell 18-month books from July 2026, and Hobonichi's April editions go on sale each February 1.
Paper ranges from Moleskine's 70 g/m² and Leuchtturm1917's 80 g/m² to Midori's MD Paper and Hobonichi's thin Tomoe River.
Daily books run long: the Hobonichi Original has 464 pages, the Midori MD Diary A6 415 and the Leuchtturm1917 Daily Planner A5 464.
All five sit in our $$$ band ($20–75 per notebook) at US retail.

What is the best 2027 journal?

On published specs, the Hobonichi Techo 2027 Original is the best all-round 2027 journal, while the best pick for daily writing, weekly planning, a lower price or time-blocking is a different book. We chose from maker and retailer data; we haven’t yet tested the 2027 editions.

Best overall: Hobonichi Techo 2027 Original. A6, one page per day, 464 pages of Tomoe River paper in a 15 mm book.
Best for long daily writing: Midori MD Diary 1 Day 1 Page in A5, or the Hobonichi Cousin (A5) if you also want weekly pages.
Best weekly: Leuchtturm1917 Weekly Planner & Notebook, Medium. A week on the left, a ruled page on the right, on 80 g/m² paper.
Lower price: a Moleskine or Leuchtturm1917 weekly. They are still in our $$$ band, but they were the cheapest of the five in the listings we checked.
Best for time-blocking: KOKUYO Jibun Techo DIARY, with a 24-hour vertical week. Our Jibun Techo First Kit guide covers the set with the LIFE and IDEA books.

How do the five 2027 journals compare?

The table sets out the main 2027 edition of each journal; all five are in our $$$ band ($20–75 per notebook).

	Hobonichi Original / Cousin	Moleskine Large	Leuchtturm1917 Medium	Midori MD Diary	Jibun Techo DIARY
Size	A6 148 × 105 mm / A5 210 × 148 mm	210 × 130 mm	210 × 145 mm	A6 154 × 112 mm; also A5, A5 Square	A5 Slim 217 × 136 mm
Layout	Daily (Cousin adds weekly)	Daily, weekly notebook, weekly horizontal or vertical	Daily, weekly, weekly + notebook, monthly	1 day 1 page	Monthly, 24-hour weekly vertical, Gantt
Pages	464 / 544	Weekly 144; daily 400	Weekly + notebook 144; daily 464	A6 415	112 sheets (224 pages)
Paper	Tomoe River	70 g/m² ivory	80 g/m² ivory	MD Paper	THIN PAPER
Starts	Jan (Apr in Japanese)	Jan; July 2026 for 18-month	Jan; Nov or Dec 2026 for monthlies	Monthly pages from Dec 2026	Nov 2026 (Biz Dec, DAYs Jan)
Made in	Not stated (Cousin: Japan, per one retailer)	China	Not stated	Japan	Japan

Hobonichi figures, including the Cousin’s page count, are from its store; the Jibun Techo figures are from KOKUYO. The rest are from maker and retailer listings in the Sources. Hobonichi lists the Original at ¥2,860 (about US$18) and the Cousin at ¥4,620 (about US$29), tax included; US shops charge more.

When do 2027 journals go on sale?

The two big Japanese planners, Hobonichi and Jibun Techo, went on sale in early September 2026; Hobonichi’s April-start books follow on February 1.

Journal	2027 edition on sale
Hobonichi Techo	September 1, 2026, 11 a.m. Japan time; April editions every February 1
Jibun Techo	September 4, 2026, per KOKUYO’s store; KOKUYO’s August 7 press release says from mid-September
Leuchtturm1917	18-month A5 agenda listed for April 18, 2026, by Digitec; no date found for 12-month books
Moleskine	No official date found; on Moleskine’s US store by October 2026
Midori MD Diary	No Midori date found; one retailer took pre-orders to ship in September 2026

Popular Hobonichi covers sell out early, so order in September if you want a particular one.

Which start month should you choose?

Choose January for a calendar year, an early start to settle in before New Year, and April for a school or Japanese fiscal year.

November or December 2026: KOKUYO starts the DIARY and First Kit in November, and the Biz and Lite in December.
July 2026: Moleskine’s and Leuchtturm1917’s 18-month planners run to December 2027.
April 2027: Hobonichi sells April-start Original, Cousin and Weeks books in Japanese.
Monthly overlap: Hobonichi’s 2027 Original has monthly calendars from December 2026 to March 2028.

Which 2027 journal has the best paper for fountain pens?

The Midori MD Diary is the safest choice for fountain pens, because retailers describe its MD Paper as fountain-pen friendly. Hobonichi’s Tomoe River is a close second if you don’t mind writing showing through the thin pages.

The Leuchtturm1917’s 80 g/m² paper handled fine nibs well in Wirecutter’s tests, as our Leuchtturm1917 A5 guide notes. Reviewers report bleed-through on Moleskine’s 70 g/m² paper with wet inks; see our Moleskine Classic guide.

How much room do you get each day?

Every daily book here gives each day its own page, and the A5 versions (Hobonichi Cousin, Midori A5, Leuchtturm1917 Daily) give twice the area of A6. An A6 page is 105 × 148 mm; an A5 page is 148 × 210 mm.

The Midori MD Diary gives 385 daily pages, per retailers, with a timeline from 8:00 to 24:00 down one side. The Leuchtturm1917 Daily Planner has one line per hour from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. If you prefer undated pages, our Midori MD Notebook A5 guide covers the same paper without dates.

Can you use a refillable cover instead?

Yes: Hobonichi sells covers for its books, and ring-binder brands such as PLOTTER sell 2027 diary refills. Our notebook systems comparison explains rings vs elastic covers.

Where are 2027 journals made?

KOKUYO’s global store gives Japan for the 2027 Jibun Techo DIARY, retailers give Japan for the Midori MD Diary, and John Lewis gives China for the Moleskine planners. Hobonichi doesn’t state it for the 2027 Original (one US shop files the Cousin under Made in Japan), and Leuchtturm1917 doesn’t state it for its 2027 planners, so check the label.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best 2027 journal for daily journaling?

A page-a-day book: the Hobonichi Techo 2027 Original (A6) or Cousin (A5), or the Midori MD Diary 1 Day 1 Page. The Midori gives 385 free daily pages per retailers; the Hobonichi Original has 377 daily pages.

When does the Hobonichi Techo 2027 go on sale?

It went on sale September 1, 2026, at 11 a.m. Japan time. Hobonichi says its April-start editions go on sale every year on February 1.

Can I start a 2027 planner before January?

Yes. KOKUYO's Jibun Techo DIARY starts in November 2026 and the Biz and Lite in December 2026. Moleskine and Leuchtturm1917 also sell 18-month planners that run from July 2026 to December 2027.

Is Moleskine or Leuchtturm1917 better for a 2027 weekly planner?

Both make A5-height weekly planners with a week on the left and a notes page on the right. The Leuchtturm1917 is wider (145 vs 130 mm) and uses 80 g/m² paper against Moleskine's 70 g/m².

Which 2027 planner is best for fountain pens?

The Midori MD Diary, whose MD Paper retailers describe as fountain-pen friendly. Hobonichi's Tomoe River also takes ink well but is thin, so writing shows through. We haven't tested the 2027 books ourselves.

What size is the Hobonichi Techo Cousin 2027?

The Hobonichi Techo Cousin 2027 is A5, 210 × 148 × 18 mm, per Hobonichi's store. Hobonichi lists 544 pages, including 377 daily pages and 106 weekly pages.

What is the difference between Jibun Techo DIARY and Biz?

The DIARY starts in November and uses KOKUYO's THIN PAPER with a 24-hour weekly vertical layout. The Biz starts in December, per KOKUYO, and uses the slightly thicker MIO PAPER.

Sources (30)

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