---
title: "Hobonichi Techo Lineup: Original vs Cousin vs Weeks Sizes"
canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/hobonichi-techo-lineup-explained/"
description: "Hobonichi Techo lineup: the A6 Original (105 × 148 mm) and A5 Cousin give each day a page; the 95 × 186 mm Weeks has a week per spread. Plus 5-Year, day-free."
category: "Notebooks"
type: "Planner"
published: 2026-10-21
updated: 2026-10-26
author: "Ellis Penhale"
publisher: "Stationery Times"
sources: 10
products:
  - name: "Hobonichi Techo Original Book, A6, 2027 (English or Japanese; January or April start)"
    brand: "Hobonichi"
    brand_origin: "Japan"
    made_in: "Not stated"
    material: "Tomoe River paper (Tomoe River S since the 2024 edition), thread-sewn binding"
    released: "2001-10-05"
    price_band: "$$$ ($20–75 per notebook, typical US retail, October 2026)"
    manufacturer: "Hobonichi Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)"
    url: "https://www.1101.com/store/techo/ja/2027/pc/detail_cover/ob27_jan_en/"
    guide: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/hobonichi-techo-original/"
  - name: "Hobonichi Techo Cousin Book 2027, A5, English, January start"
    brand: "Hobonichi"
    brand_origin: "Japan"
    made_in: "Japan"
    material: "Tomoe River S paper, thread-sewn binding"
    price_band: "$$$ ($20–75 per notebook, typical US retail, October 2026)"
    manufacturer: "Hobonichi Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)"
    model: "Cousin Book 2027, English, January start (cb27_jan_en)"
    url: "https://www.1101.com/store/techo/ja/2027/pc/detail_cover/cb27_jan_en/"
    guide: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/hobonichi-cousin/"
  - name: "Hobonichi Techo Weeks 2027, English, January start (White Line: Black and other covers)"
    brand: "Hobonichi"
    brand_origin: "Japan"
    made_in: "Japan"
    material: "Tomoe River S paper, thread-sewn; soft PVC cover (White Line: Black)"
    price_band: "$$$ ($20–75 per notebook, typical US retail, October 2026)"
    manufacturer: "Hobonichi Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)"
    model: "Weeks 2027, White Line: Black (wb27_whitelinebk)"
    url: "https://www.1101.com/store/techo/ja/2027/pc/detail_cover/wb27_whitelinebk/"
    guide: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/hobonichi-weeks/"
  - name: "Hobonichi 5-Year Techo, A6, 2027–2031 (Japanese, January start)"
    brand: "Hobonichi"
    brand_origin: "Japan"
    made_in: "Japan"
    material: "PVC cover; Tomoe River paper, thread-sewn"
    released: "2017"
    price_band: "$$$ ($20–75 per notebook, typical US retail, October 2026)"
    manufacturer: "Hobonichi Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)"
    model: "5-Year Techo A6, 2027–2031, January start (fb27_s_jan)"
    url: "https://www.1101.com/store/techo/en/2027/pc/detail_cover/fb27_s_jan/"
    guide: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/hobonichi-5-year-techo/"
  - name: "Hobonichi Techo day-free 2027, A6 and A5 (Japanese, January start)"
    brand: "Hobonichi"
    brand_origin: "Japan"
    made_in: "Not stated"
    material: "Tomoe River paper, thread-sewn binding"
    price_band: "$$$ ($20–75 per notebook, typical US retail, October 2026)"
    manufacturer: "Hobonichi Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)"
    model: "day-free A6 (ob27_df) and A5 (cb27_df), 2027"
    url: "https://www.1101.com/store/techo/ja/2027/pc/detail_cover/ob27_df/"
---

# Hobonichi Techo Lineup: Original vs Cousin vs Weeks Sizes

> Hobonichi's planners share Tomoe River paper and a 3.7 mm grid but differ in size and layout. The A6 Original and A5 Cousin give each day a page; the slim Weeks shows a week per spread; the 5-Year Techo stacks five years on one date; and the 8 mm day-free pairs monthly calendars with 171 undated grid pages.

- URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/hobonichi-techo-lineup-explained/
- Category: Notebooks
- Author: Ellis Penhale
- Published: 2026-10-21
- Updated: 2026-10-26

![Six Hobonichi books closed and drawn to scale, from the Weeks to the day-free A5](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/hobonichi-techo-lineup-explained-16x9.png)

*Six Hobonichi books to one scale (1 mm = 0.8 px), from Hobonichi's 2027 comparison table.* Original drawing (SVG): <https://stationerytimes.com/images/hobonichi-techo-lineup-explained-cover.svg>. Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

## Product facts

| Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobonichi Techo Original Book, A6, 2027 (English or Japanese; January or April start) | Hobonichi (by Hobonichi Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)) | Japan | Not stated | Tomoe River paper (Tomoe River S since the 2024 edition), thread-sewn binding | 2001-10-05 | $$$: $20–75 per notebook |
| Hobonichi Techo Cousin Book 2027, A5, English, January start | Hobonichi (by Hobonichi Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)) | Japan | Japan | Tomoe River S paper, thread-sewn binding | – | $$$: $20–75 per notebook |
| Hobonichi Techo Weeks 2027, English, January start (White Line: Black and other covers) | Hobonichi (by Hobonichi Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)) | Japan | Japan | Tomoe River S paper, thread-sewn; soft PVC cover (White Line: Black) | – | $$$: $20–75 per notebook |
| Hobonichi 5-Year Techo, A6, 2027–2031 (Japanese, January start) | Hobonichi (by Hobonichi Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)) | Japan | Japan | PVC cover; Tomoe River paper, thread-sewn | 2017 | $$$: $20–75 per notebook |
| Hobonichi Techo day-free 2027, A6 and A5 (Japanese, January start) | Hobonichi (by Hobonichi Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)) | Japan | Not stated | Tomoe River paper, thread-sewn binding | – | $$$: $20–75 per notebook |

- Made in (Hobonichi Techo Original Book, A6, 2027 (English or Japanese; January or April start)): Not stated. Hobonichi's Japanese store listing for the 2027 English Original gives size, weight, pages and paper but no country of manufacture (it names one only for a free charm, made in China), and we found no retailer spec sheet that states it for the Original Book. Hunter Paper Co. says its Original Avec book is made in Japan by Hobonichi, but that is a different product. Check the back of the book.
- Made in (Hobonichi Techo Cousin Book 2027, A5, English, January start): Japan. Per Boston General Store's 2027 Cousin listing, which files it in its Made in Japan collection. Hobonichi's Japanese store page for the 2027 English Cousin gives size, weight, pages and paper but no country of manufacture (it names one only for a free charm, made in China). Source: https://www.bostongeneralstore.com/collections/made-in-japan/products/hobonichi-techo-book-cousin-a5
- Made in (Hobonichi Techo Weeks 2027, English, January start (White Line: Black and other covers)): Japan. Per retailer spec sheets for the 2027 Weeks (Sortdays and Milligram). Hobonichi's Japanese store page for White Line: Black gives size, weight, pages and materials but no country of manufacture. Source: https://sortdays.com/products/hobonichi-techo-2027-weeks-planner-white-line-ivory
- Made in (Hobonichi 5-Year Techo, A6, 2027–2031 (Japanese, January start)): Japan. Per Hunter Paper Co.'s listing (Made in Japan) and The Journal Shop's (Country of Origin: Japan). Hobonichi's own product page doesn't state the country of manufacture. Source: https://hunterpaperco.com/products/hobonichi-5-year-techo-japanese-book-2026-2031-a6-size
- Made in (Hobonichi Techo day-free 2027, A6 and A5 (Japanese, January start)): Not stated. Hobonichi's Japanese store pages for the 2027 day-free A6 and A5 give contents and paper but no country of manufacture, and the US retailer listings we read (Hunter Paper Co., Jenni Bick) don't state one either. Check the back of the book.

## Key takeaways

- Hobonichi's 2027 table lists the Original at 105 × 148 × 15 mm and 195 g, and the Cousin at 148 × 210 × 18 mm and 445 g.
- The Weeks is 95 × 186 × 11 mm and about 133 g in its White Line cover (94 × 188 mm in most others), with the week on the left page and grid paper on the right.
- The day-free is 8 mm thick in both A6 (about 110 g) and A5 (about 220 g), with 171 numbered pages of 3.7 mm grid.
- The A6 5-Year Techo has 752 pages for 2027 to 2031 at 113 × 153 × 25 mm and about 330 g.
- Only the Original, Cousin and Weeks come in English; the day-free and 5-Year Techo are Japanese editions.

## What are the Hobonichi Techo types?

**Hobonichi sells its planner in four layouts: one page per day (Original, Cousin), a week on the left (Weeks), monthly calendars plus notes (day-free) and five years on one date (5-Year Techo).** All five use thin Tomoe River paper and thread-sewn binding. The Original also comes split into two half-year books as the [Original avec](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/hobonichi-techo-original-avec-2027/), and the English-only [Hobonichi Planner](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/hobonichi-techo-planner-2027/) is an A6 daily book with a 4 mm grid.

The figures below are from Hobonichi's 2027 type guide and comparison table, which we read and translated from its Japanese store. We haven't written in all five 2027 books yet.

## How do the sizes compare?

**The Original and the A6 day-free share one page size, the Cousin and A5 day-free another, and the Weeks is narrower but taller than both A6 books.**

| | Size | Thickness | Weight | Pages | Languages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Original](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/hobonichi-techo-original/) | A6, 105 × 148 mm (4.1 × 5.8 in) | 15 mm | About 195 g | 464 | Japanese, English |
| [Cousin](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/hobonichi-cousin/) | A5, 148 × 210 mm (5.8 × 8.3 in) | 18 mm | About 445 g | 544 | Japanese, English |
| [Weeks](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/hobonichi-weeks/) | 95 × 186 mm (3.7 × 7.3 in) in White Line; 94 × 188 mm in most other covers | 10–11 mm | About 131–140 g | 240 | Japanese, English |
| [5-Year Techo](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/hobonichi-5-year-techo/) A6 | 113 × 153 mm (4.4 × 6.0 in) | 25 mm | About 330 g | 752 | Japanese |
| day-free A6 | 105 × 148 mm (4.1 × 5.8 in) | 8 mm | About 110 g | 240 (Hunter Paper Co.) | Japanese |
| day-free A5 | 148 × 210 mm (5.8 × 8.3 in) | 8 mm | About 220 g | 171 grid pages + calendars | Japanese |

Hobonichi notes that sizes vary slightly from book to book. We found no total page count for the A5 day-free.

![Front faces of six Hobonichi books to scale with their size, thickness, weight and page count](https://stationerytimes.com/images/hobonichi-techo-lineup-explained-sizes.svg)

*Page sizes to one scale, with thickness, weight and pages.*

## What is on the pages of each type?

**Each type is built around one main page: a day, a week, a month plus free grid, or a date across five years.**

| | Main layout | Calendars | Grid | Cover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Original | One page per day, January 1 to December 31 | Monthly, yearly | 3.7 mm | Sold separately |
| Cousin | One page per day plus vertical weekly pages | Monthly, yearly | 3.7 mm | Sold separately |
| Weeks | Week on the left, grid notes on the right | Monthly, yearly | 3.55 mm | Built in |
| 5-Year Techo | A spread per date, five year blocks | Five yearly calendars | 3.7 mm | Brown PVC, built in |
| day-free | Monthly calendars, then undated notes | Monthly, yearly index | 3.7 mm | Fits Original or Cousin covers |

The Cousin's vertical weekly pages put seven day columns side by side, which suits time-blocking. The Weeks also comes as the Weeks MEGA, 15 mm and about 180 g in most covers, which Hobonichi says holds about three times the grid notes.


## What is the Hobonichi day-free?

**It is a notebook-style Hobonichi: monthly calendars from December 2026 to March 2028, then 171 numbered pages of 3.7 mm grid that you fill whenever you like.** Hobonichi's Japanese guide calls it a planner you can use without worrying about dates.

Hobonichi says the day-free is about half as thick as the Original or Cousin, at 8 mm. Each grid page has a page number, a faint vertical line for splitting the page and a quote at the foot, and the yearly index shows four months per spread in A6 and six in A5.

It comes only in a Japanese edition with a January start. Hobonichi lists the A6 at ¥2,420 (about US$15) and the A5 at ¥3,520 (about US$22), including tax; US shops sell it in our $$$ band.

## Does the paper differ between types?

**No: every type uses Tomoe River paper with thread-sewn binding that lets the book open flat.** Hobonichi has used Sanzen's Tomoe River S since the 2024 edition and says it bleeds through less and dries faster than the old paper; see our [Tomoe River paper](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/tomoe-river-paper/) guide.

The paper is thin, so writing shows from the other side. Hobonichi's [Pencil Board](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/hobonichi-pencil-board/) gives a firm surface under the page you're on.

## Which Hobonichi suits you?

**Choose by how often you write and how much you carry.** Hobonichi's own guide makes the same split:

- **Daily diary or a page a day for a hobby:** the Original. Hobonichi lists it at ¥2,860 (about US$18).
- **Lots of writing, pasting and decorating:** the Cousin, at ¥4,620 (about US$29), with twice the page area.
- **Work schedules and weekly planning:** the Weeks, from ¥2,860 (about US$18) to ¥2,970 (about US$19) with its cover.
- **Irregular journaling or scrapbooking:** the day-free, because no dated page goes to waste.
- **A few lines a day, read back each year:** the 5-Year Techo, ¥4,620 (about US$29) for the A6.

All five sell in our $$$ band ($20–75) at US shops. For other dated books, see [the best 2027 journals](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-2027-journals/). For calendars, including Hobonichi's whiteboard one, see [the best 2027 desk and wall calendars](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-2027-desk-calendars/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Which Hobonichi Techo should I buy first?

If you want to write a little every day, start with the A6 Original. If you plan by the week and want something thin to carry, choose the Weeks; if you write irregularly, the day-free has no dated daily pages to leave blank.

### Is the Hobonichi Cousin twice the size of the Original?

Yes. The Cousin is A5 (148 × 210 mm) and the Original A6 (105 × 148 mm), so a Cousin page has twice the area. It also adds vertical weekly pages and weighs about 445 g to the Original's 195 g.

### What is the Hobonichi 5-Year Techo?

An A6 book that gives each date a spread split into five year blocks, covering 2027 to 2031 in 752 pages. It is about 25 mm thick, weighs about 330 g, has a built-in brown PVC cover and comes only in Japanese.

### Do Hobonichi Original covers fit the day-free?

Yes. Hobonichi says the A6 day-free is the same size as the Original and takes the same covers, and the A5 fits Cousin covers. Hobonichi also sells a slim BS Lite cover made for the day-free.

### Is the Hobonichi Weeks good for work?

Hobonichi calls its week-on-the-left layout easy to use for work. Each spread shows seven days beside a page of grid notes, and at 11 mm it slips into a jacket pocket.

### Which Hobonichi planners are in English?

The Original, Cousin and Weeks come in English and Japanese editions, and the A6 Planner is all English. The day-free and 5-Year Techo are sold only in Japanese, though dates are in numerals.

### What paper do Hobonichi planners use?

Tomoe River, a thin, light paper; Hobonichi has used Tomoe River S since the 2024 edition. It takes ink well, but writing shows through from the other side.

## Sources

- [ほぼ日手帳 2027: 手帳タイプ別ガイド, まとめて比較表 (Hobonichi Japan, 2027 type guide and comparison table: sizes, thickness, weights, date ranges, languages for every type; read in full)](https://www.1101.com/store/techo/ja/2027/all_about/)
- [ほぼ日手帳 2027: day-free 手帳タイプ別ガイド (Hobonichi Japan: monthly calendar plus notes, 171 grid pages in A6 and A5, yearly index, fits Original and Cousin covers; read in full)](https://www.1101.com/store/techo/ja/2027/all_about/dayfree/)
- [ほぼ日手帳 2027: 手帳本体 day-free ［A6/月間＋ノート/1月/月曜はじまり］ (Hobonichi Japan: about half the Original's thickness, ¥2,420; read in full)](https://www.1101.com/store/techo/ja/2027/pc/detail_cover/ob27_df/)
- [ほぼ日手帳 2027: 手帳本体 day-free ［A5/月間＋ノート/1月/月曜はじまり］ (Hobonichi Japan: ¥3,520, Cousin covers fit; read in full)](https://www.1101.com/store/techo/ja/2027/pc/detail_cover/cb27_df/)
- [Hobonichi: Japanese Day-Free Book A6, 2027 (English store page; read in full)](https://www.1101.com/store/techo/en/2027/pc/detail_cover/ob27_df/)
- [ほぼ日手帳 2027: 手帳本体オリジナル 英語版 (Hobonichi Japan: 464 pages, ¥2,860)](https://www.1101.com/store/techo/ja/2027/pc/detail_cover/ob27_jan_en/)
- [ほぼ日手帳 2027: 手帳本体カズン 英語版 (Hobonichi Japan: 544 pages, 106 weekly pages, ¥4,620)](https://www.1101.com/store/techo/ja/2027/pc/detail_cover/cb27_jan_en/)
- [ほぼ日手帳 2027: weeks ホワイトライン ブラック (Hobonichi Japan: 240 pages, 3.55 mm grid)](https://www.1101.com/store/techo/ja/2027/pc/detail_cover/wb27_whitelinebk/)
- [ほぼ日手帳 2027: ほぼ日５年手帳（2027-2031）A6 (Hobonichi Japan: 752 pages, ¥4,620)](https://www.1101.com/store/techo/ja/2027/pc/detail_cover/fb27_s_jan/)
- [Hunter Paper Co.: Hobonichi Techo 2027 Japanese Day-Free Book A6 (148 × 105 × 8 mm, 240 pages; read in full)](https://hunterpaperco.com/products/hobonichi-techo-2027-japanese-day-free-book-a6-size)