Hobonichi Techo System Guide: Books, Covers & Extras

Six Hobonichi Techo covers drawn to scale and closed: A6 Colors, A6 printed, A5 printed, Weeks nylon, day-free BS Lite and the cowhide 5-Year Techo cover — Drawn to scale · 1 mm = 0.8 px · covers closed, widths halved from Hobonichi's open-flat figures

Products compared

Product	Brand origin	Made in	Price range
Hobonichi Techo Original Book, A6, 2027Hobonichi	Japan	Not stated^*	Price range: $$$$20–75 for the cover or binder with its starter insert
Hobonichi Techo Cousin Book 2027, A5Hobonichi	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$$$20–75 for the cover or binder with its starter insert
Hobonichi Techo Weeks 2027 (White Line: Black and other covers)Hobonichi	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$$$20–75 for the cover or binder with its starter insert
Hobonichi 5-Year Techo, A6, 2027–2031Hobonichi	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$$$20–75 for the cover or binder with its starter insert
Hobonichi Techo Colors cover, A6 (Black × Clear Blue, Blue Parasol and others)Hobonichi	Japan	Not stated^*	Price range: $$$$20–75 for the cover or binder with its starter insert
Hobonichi Pencil Board (A6, A5, Weeks)Hobonichi	Japan	Japan^*	Price range: $$$5–20 for the cover or binder with its starter insert
Hobonichi Graph Notebook (A6 / A5)Hobonichi	Japan	Not stated^*	Price range: $$$5–20 for the cover or binder with its starter insert

Notes on these facts

Hobonichi Techo Original Book, A6, 2027: 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: 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 (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: 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 Colors cover, A6 (Black × Clear Blue, Blue Parasol and others): Made by Hobonichi Co., Ltd. (Tokyo). Country of manufacture not stated: Hobonichi's Japanese and English product pages for the 2027 Colors covers give size, weight and materials but no country of manufacture, and we found no retailer spec sheet that states one. Check the label inside the cover. Price: example listing.
Hobonichi Pencil Board (A6, A5, Weeks): Made by Hobonichi Co., Ltd. (Tokyo). Made in Japan: Luiban lists the Gray × Yellow A6 board as made in Japan, and Minimaru gives Japan as the country of manufacture for an artist-designed A6 board. Hobonichi's Japanese and English store pages don't state the country. Source. Price: example listing.
Hobonichi Graph Notebook (A6 / A5): Made by Hobonichi Co., Ltd. (Tokyo). Country of manufacture not stated: Hobonichi's Japanese and English store pages give size, weight, page count and paper but no country of manufacture, and we found no retailer spec sheet that states one. Check the back of the book. Price: example listing. Released: Hobonichi says it introduced the notebook in 2019 as the Hobonichi Plain Notebook and renamed it the Hobonichi Graph Notebook from the 2025 edition.
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 Japanese store listed 268 books and covers for 2027 on October 23, 2026: 82 A6 covers, 81 A5 covers and 39 Weeks designs among them.
The Original costs ¥2,860 (about US$18), the Cousin ¥4,620 (about US$29), the Weeks ¥2,860 (about US$18) to ¥2,970 (about US$19) and the HON A6 ¥3,300 (about US$21) to ¥3,850 (about US$24).
A6 covers fit the Original, avec, Planner and A6 day-free; A5 covers fit the Cousin, Cousin avec and A5 day-free; the HON and Weeks come with covers built in.
Every edition since 2008 has gone on sale on September 1; the 2027 edition launched September 1, 2026, with a free acorn charm or 3-color pen at Hobonichi's own stores.
The 2019 edition was the first with more than 100 items (103); the 2027 lineup runs to six licensed series, from Moomin to ONE PIECE magazine.

What is in the Hobonichi Techo system?

Seven book types, covers sorted by size, six licensed series, a stationery range built around the books, and a release every September 1. Hobonichi designs the Techo in Tokyo and prints it on Tomoe River paper; the first edition went on sale October 5, 2001, and the company’s own history traces it from one item to a lineup of hundreds. This page maps the 2027 system from Hobonichi’s Japanese store, read October 23, 2026, with yen prices including tax at 158 yen to the dollar.

For how the books differ inside, see our lineup guide. The sections below cover prices, covers, series, stationery and timing.

Books and prices
Covers
Series and collaborations
Stationery
Release dates and bonuses

Which books are there and what do they cost?

Twelve books across seven types, from ¥2,420 (about US$15) for the A6 day-free to ¥6,600 (about US$42) for the large 5-Year Techo. All use thread-sewn Tomoe River paper with a 3.7 mm grid. Price ranges cover the Japanese and English editions of one listing.

Book	Size and weight	Pages	¥ / about US$	Languages
Original	A6, 148 × 105 × 15 mm, 195 g	464	2,860 / 18	JP, EN
Original avec, 2 half-year books	A6, 8 mm and 110 g each	2 × 240	3,080 / 19 (pair)	JP
Planner	A6, 15 mm, 190 g	464	2,860 / 18	EN only
Cousin	A5, 210 × 148 × 18 mm, 445 g	544	4,620 / 29	JP, EN
Cousin avec, 2 half-year books	A5, 10 mm and 260 g each	2 × 272	5,170 / 33 (pair)	JP
HON A6, hardcover built in	156 × 110 × 16 mm, 202 g	464	3,300–3,850 / 21–24	JP, EN
HON A5	214 × 152 × 20 mm, 482 g	544	5,280–5,830 / 33–37	JP, EN
Weeks	186 × 95 × 11 mm, 133 g (White Line); 188 × 94 × 10–11 mm in most other covers	240	2,860–2,970 / 18–19	JP, EN
Weeks MEGA, 3× memo pages	188 × 94 × 15 mm, 180 g (most covers)	384	3,300–3,410 / 21–22	JP, EN
day-free A6	148 × 105 × 8 mm, 110 g	240	2,420 / 15	JP
day-free A5	210 × 148 × 8 mm, 220 g	240	3,520 / 22	JP
5-Year Techo A6	153 × 113 × 25 mm, 330 g	752	4,620 / 29	JP
Large 5-Year Techo A5	214 × 156 × 25 mm, 670 g	752	6,600 / 42	JP

The HON and Weeks come with a cover built in, which is why each is sold in several designs: five HON designs per size and 39 Weeks designs in the Japanese store. Every book carries the same bonus pages, with five new ones for 2027 including a Kanda and Jimbocho map and a sandwich guide.

Which covers fit which books?

Covers are sold by size, not by book: an A6 cover takes any A6 book, an A5 cover any A5 book, and the Weeks, day-free and 5-Year Techo have ranges of their own. Hobonichi’s cover guide names seven styles: the classic butterfly stopper, whose two pen loops hold the cover shut, plus zipper, band, slim and three trifold types.

Cover range	Fits	Designs listed	Examples (¥ / about US$, cover only)
A6 covers	Original, Original avec, Planner, day-free A6	82	Colors 2,750 / 17 · Kitagishi print 4,290 / 27 · leather and brand covers to around US$300
A5 covers	Cousin, Cousin avec, day-free A5	81	Same makers at higher prices; Colors A5 is 228 × 337 mm open
Weeks covers	Weeks, Weeks MEGA	26	tragen nylon 5,940 / 38, magnet trifold with pen hook
day-free covers	day-free A6 or A5 only	2 per size	BS Lite polyester 1,320 / 8.40 (A6), 1,760 / 11 (A5)
5-Year Techo covers	5-Year Techo A6 or A5	5 per size	Cowhide red 6,600 / 42; haconiwa gift set with embroidered linen cover 15,400 / 97
Clear covers	HON A6 and A5, Weeks	1 per size	PVC 660–770 / 4.20–4.90
Cover on Cover	Over a Colors or printed A6 or A5 cover	1 per size	PVC 550 / 3.50 (A6), 770 / 4.90 (A5)

Design counts are listings in the Japanese store on October 23, 2026, including some earlier years’ covers still on sale. A Colors cover sold with a book runs ¥5,170 (about US$33) to ¥6,160 (about US$39). Hobonichi says the Cover on Cover and clear covers do not suit leather, PU or thick fabric, and a pencil board slips into any of them.

What are the 2027 series and collaborations?

Hobonichi groups the 2027 covers into six licensed series, Moomin, Yumi Kitagishi, Hello Kitty, minä perhonen, MOTHER and ONE PIECE magazine, beside its own Colors line. Among the 268 listings, minä perhonen fabric covers number 20, ONE PIECE magazine 16, Moomin 10, MOTHER 9, and the Colors line 24 across A6, A5 and Weeks.

The rest of the lineup comes from artists and brands Hobonichi names on its lineup page: illustrators Hiroko Kubota, Akiko Miyakoshi, Yoshie Watanabe, Keiko Shibata and Leo Lionni; the V&A Series with the Victoria and Albert Museum; and fabric or leather makers including Liberty Fabrics, tragen, aileron, POTR, Arts&Science and Hollywood Ranch Market. Detective Conan, 101 Dalmatians and The Little House appear as single covers. Weeks also exists as a Custom Edition made for other companies and not sold by Hobonichi.

Which stationery is made for the Techo?

Hobonichi’s stationery shop listed 356 items on October 23, 2026, led by stickers (41), storage (37), sticky notes (27), notebooks and memo pads (26), stamps (23) and pencil boards (21). The items made to the books’ own sizes are the useful core.

Item	Sizes	¥ / about US$
Hobonichi Pencil Board	A6, A5, Weeks	380–600 / 2.40–3.80
Cover on Cover	A6, A5	550–770 / 3.50–4.90
Clear Cover	HON A6, HON A5, Weeks	660–770 / 4.20–4.90
Graph Notebook	A6, A5	990–1,320 / 6.30–8.40
Memo Pad Set	A6, Weeks	660 / 4.20
Frame Stickers for dates	one size	432–660 / 2.70–4.20
TSUKI no IRO sticker and sticky-note series	matched to the 12 book-body colors	from 550 / 3.50

Hobonichi also sells the Drawer Pouch line of fabric cases in nine sizes, pens, inks and stamps from other makers, and free printable pages on its Download City page.

When does each edition come out and what is free?

Every edition since 2008 has launched on September 1, so the 2027 Techo went on sale September 1, 2026, with April-start books in a spring release. Buyers at Hobonichi’s own store and shops get a Plain Old Acorn Charm and a 3-color Jetstream pen with the Original, Cousin, HON and Planner; the pen alone with Weeks and day-free; and the charm alone with the 5-Year Techo. The January-start bonus had sold out online by September 29, 2026.

Growth has come in steps: the Cousin arrived with the 2009 edition, Weeks with 2011, the English Planner with 2013, avec with 2015, the 5-Year Techo and Weeks MEGA with 2018, day-free with 2020 and HON with 2023. The 2019 edition was the first to pass 100 items, at 103.

Frequently asked questions

Which Hobonichi cover fits which book?

A6 covers fit the Original, Original avec, Planner and A6 day-free. A5 covers fit the Cousin, Cousin avec and A5 day-free. The Weeks and 5-Year Techo have covers of their own, and the HON needs none, though a clear cover is sold for it.

How much does a Hobonichi Techo cost in Japan?

For 2027, the Original is ¥2,860 (about US$18), the Cousin ¥4,620 (about US$29), the Weeks from ¥2,860 (about US$18), the HON A6 from ¥3,300 (about US$21) and the 5-Year Techo ¥4,620 (about US$29). Covers are extra, from ¥1,320 (about US$8.40) for a BS Lite to several hundred dollars for leather.

When does the new Hobonichi Techo come out?

On September 1 each year since the 2008 edition, per Hobonichi's history page. The 2027 edition went on sale September 1, 2026, and April-start books follow in a spring lineup.

What does Hobonichi give away with a Techo?

At its own stores, a Plain Old Acorn Charm and a 3-color Jetstream ballpoint with the Original, Cousin, HON and Planner, the pen alone with Weeks and day-free, and the charm alone with the 5-Year Techo, while supplies last. The January-start bonus had run out online by late September 2026.

What is the Hobonichi Cover on Cover?

A clear PVC sleeve that goes over a Colors or printed A6 or A5 cover to protect it and hold photos. It costs ¥550 (about US$3.50) for A6 and ¥770 (about US$4.90) for A5, and Hobonichi says it won't fit leather, PU or thick fabric covers.

Which Hobonichi series come back every year?

For 2027 Hobonichi groups covers into Moomin, Yumi Kitagishi, Hello Kitty, minä perhonen, MOTHER and ONE PIECE magazine series, plus its own Colors line. Designs change each year, and some previous years' covers stay on sale.

Are all Hobonichi Techo books in English?

No. The Original, Cousin, Weeks, Weeks MEGA and HON come in English and Japanese, the Planner is English only, and the day-free and 5-Year Techo are Japanese only. Hobonichi released the English Planner with the 2013 edition and the English Original with the 2024 edition.

Sources (20)

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