Hobonichi Techo Lineup: Original vs Cousin vs Weeks Sizes

Six Hobonichi books closed and drawn to scale, from the Weeks to the day-free A5 — Six Hobonichi books to one scale (1 mm = 0.8 px), from Hobonichi's 2027 comparison table.

Products compared

Product	Brand origin	Made in	Price range
Hobonichi Techo Original Book, A6, 2027 (English or Japanese; January or April start)Hobonichi	Japan	Not stated^*	Price range: $$$$20–75 per notebook
Hobonichi Techo Cousin Book 2027, A5, English, January startHobonichi	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$$$20–75 per notebook
Hobonichi Techo Weeks 2027, English, January start (White Line: Black and other covers)Hobonichi	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$$$20–75 per notebook
Hobonichi 5-Year Techo, A6, 2027–2031 (Japanese, January start)Hobonichi	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$$$20–75 per notebook
Hobonichi Techo day-free 2027, A6 and A5 (Japanese, January start)Hobonichi	Japan	Not stated^*	Price range: $$$$20–75 per notebook

Notes on these facts

Hobonichi Techo Original Book, A6, 2027 (English or Japanese; January or April start): Made by Hobonichi Co., Ltd. (Tokyo). Country of manufacture 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. Price: example listing. Released: Hobonichi's history page gives October 5, 2001 as the release date of the first edition, the 2002 Techo.
Hobonichi Techo Cousin Book 2027, A5, English, January start: Made by Hobonichi Co., Ltd. (Tokyo). Made in 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. Price: example listing.
Hobonichi Techo Weeks 2027, English, January start (White Line: Black and other covers): Made by Hobonichi Co., Ltd. (Tokyo). Made in 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. Price: example listing.
Hobonichi 5-Year Techo, A6, 2027–2031 (Japanese, January start): Made by Hobonichi Co., Ltd. (Tokyo). Made in 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. Price: example listing. Released: Hobonichi announced the first 5-Year Techo (2018–2022) on August 27, 2017, with sales planned for December 2017.
Hobonichi Techo day-free 2027, A6 and A5 (Japanese, January start): Made by Hobonichi Co., Ltd. (Tokyo). Country of manufacture 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. 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 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).

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, and the English-only Hobonichi Planner 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	A6, 105 × 148 mm (4.1 × 5.8 in)	15 mm	About 195 g	464	Japanese, English
Cousin	A5, 148 × 210 mm (5.8 × 8.3 in)	18 mm	About 445 g	544	Japanese, English
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 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 — 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 guide.

The paper is thin, so writing shows from the other side. Hobonichi’s 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. For calendars, including Hobonichi’s whiteboard one, see the best 2027 desk and wall 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 (10)

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