KOKUYO Jibun Techo First Kit: A5 Slim 3-Book Planner

Drawing of the KOKUYO Jibun Techo First Kit 2027 to scale: the slim LIFE and IDEA booklets, the closed kit 218 mm tall in its clear vinyl cover, and the DIARY open on a weekly vertical spread with a 24-hour timeline — The LIFE and IDEA booklets, the closed kit and the DIARY's weekly spread (1 mm = 1 px).

Product facts

Product: KOKUYO Jibun Techo First Kit 2027 (DIARY + LIFE + IDEA), A5 Slim
Brand: KOKUYO
Brand origin: Japan
Made in: Japan^*
Material: Clear matte PVC cover with pen holder; KOKUYO THIN PAPER (DIARY, IDEA) and MIO PAPER (LIFE)
Released: 2013^*
Price range: $$$$20–75 per notebook

Notes on these facts

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. KOKUYO's Japanese product page doesn't list the field. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Impress Watch (July 2019) says the Jibun Techo has been sold since 2013; other Japanese articles give 2011 or 2012 for its first appearance. The 2027 edition went on sale from mid-September 2026, per KOKUYO's August 7, 2026 press release.
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

KOKUYO's Japanese site lists the 2027 First Kit at 217 × 136 mm (A5 Slim), with a 112-sheet DIARY on KOKUYO's THIN PAPER.
KOKUYO's Japanese list price is ¥5,000 (about US$32) before tax for White and Pink, and ¥5,600 (about US$35) for the limited sheep covers by illustrator Seiji Matsumoto.
The IDEA notebook holds 40 sheets of 3 mm grid paper at 210 × 125 mm; the LIFE booklet uses KOKUYO's MIO PAPER.
The January-start 2027 DIARY has monthly pages from November 2026 to March 2028 and weekly pages from November 2026 into January 2028.
KOKUYO's global store gives Japan as the country of origin for the 2027 First Kit.

What is the Jibun Techo First Kit?

The First Kit is KOKUYO’s complete Jibun Techo set: three books (DIARY, LIFE and IDEA) held together in one clear PVC cover. “Jibun techo” means “my own planner” in Japanese, and KOKUYO pitches the system as a planner you can use for life: the DIARY covers the year, while LIFE and IDEA carry over into the next one.

KOKUYO’s Japanese product page lists the set as the 2027 DIARY, an instruction booklet, LIFE, IDEA and a ruler with an elastic band. The cover is clear matte PVC with a wide pen holder and pockets and slits for cards; Tokyo Pen Shop adds a front slip pocket and two ribbon bookmarks.

Jibun Techo First Kit 2027 specs

Spec	Value
Size	A5 Slim, 217 × 136 mm (8.5 × 5.4 in)
DIARY	112 sheets, KOKUYO THIN PAPER
Layouts	Weekly vertical with a 24-hour timeline, monthly block calendar, 2-month project schedule
Dates (January start)	Monthly November 2026 to March 2028; weekly November 2026 to the 2nd week of January 2028
LIFE	Life-log booklet on MIO PAPER: life plan, 365-day anniversary list, family tree, emergency contacts
IDEA	40 sheets, 3 mm grid, THIN PAPER, 210 × 125 mm
Cover	Clear matte PVC with pen holder
2027 colors	White, Pink; limited sheep covers by Seiji Matsumoto in Orange and Blue
Japanese list price (before tax)	¥5,000 (about US$32); ¥5,600 (about US$35) for the sheep covers
Model, White	ニ-JF1W-27 (JAN 4901480443713)
Made in	Japan (KOKUYO global store)
Price band	$$$ ($20–75 per notebook)

All figures are from KOKUYO’s Japanese product pages, except the country of origin, which comes from KOKUYO’s global store. The sheep-cover kits are ニ-JF1L1-27 (Orange) and, per Nomado and JetPens, NI-JF1L2-27 (Blue); KOKUYO’s global store calls the design “Fluffy Sheep Gathering”. KOKUYO also makes a smaller B6 Slim First Kit (Jibun Techo mini) at ¥4,700 (about US$30).

To-scale drawing of the Jibun Techo A5 Slim DIARY, 136 × 218 mm with a 3 mm grid, overlaid with the 125 × 210 mm IDEA booklet and a standard A5 page of 148 × 210 mm — A5 Slim against the IDEA booklet and standard A5, at 1 mm = 1.3 px.

What is A5 Slim?

A5 Slim is KOKUYO’s narrow A5: 136 mm wide and 217 mm tall, so 12 mm narrower than standard A5 and a little taller. The slimmer shape keeps a thick planner easy to hold in one hand.

It also means standard A5 covers won’t fit. Buy a cover made for the Jibun Techo or for A5 Slim.

How do the weekly pages work?

Each weekly spread has seven vertical day columns crossed by a 24-hour timeline, so you plan by time of day. KOKUYO’s 2027 press release describes the DIARY as recording plans and logs along a 24-hour axis, and its product page lists weekly vertical pages, a block monthly calendar and a two-month project schedule.

The full day lets you log sleep, work and exercise as blocks of time. Nomado notes that the 6:00 to 7:00 hour gets two rows and that the tab color changes each month. Tokyo Pen Shop lists extras such as My Dream 2027, a money plan, book and movie lists and a look back at the year.

For an English-language weekly planned in half-hour blocks instead, see the Passion Planner.

What are the LIFE and IDEA books for?

LIFE is for records that carry over from year to year, and IDEA is a 3 mm grid notebook. KOKUYO lists LIFE’s pages as a life plan, a 365-day anniversary book, a family tree and an emergency contact list, so you keep it when you start a new DIARY.

IDEA holds 40 sheets of THIN PAPER and is sold separately as a two-pack refill (ニ-JCA3N) at ¥780 (about US$4.90) before tax; LIFE refills are ¥890 (about US$5.60). When IDEA fills up, you swap in a new one without replacing the planner.

What is THIN PAPER?

THIN PAPER is KOKUYO’s own planner paper, developed for the Jibun Techo to be thin and light but strong. KOKUYO says it resists ink show-through and doesn’t cockle when you rub out erasable ink. MIO PAPER, used in LIFE and the Biz, is a little thicker and smoother and dries quickly. KOKUYO doesn’t publish a paper weight for either.

How does it compare with the Hobonichi and STALOGY?

The Jibun Techo is the time-blocking planner of the three; the others are page-a-day books.

	Jibun Techo First Kit	Hobonichi Techo Original	STALOGY 365Days A5
Size	217 × 136 mm (A5 Slim)	148 × 105 mm (A6)	148 × 210 mm (A5)
Main layout	Weekly vertical, 24 hours	One page a day	One page a day, undated
Paper	KOKUYO THIN PAPER	Tomoe River	52 g/m²
Books	3	1	1

Choose the Jibun Techo if you plan by the hour across a week. Choose a page-a-day book for journaling, or compare more planners in our best 2027 journals.

When was the Jibun Techo created?

Impress Watch reported in 2019 that KOKUYO has sold the Jibun Techo since 2013; it was designed by Hideaki Sakuma, a creator at a major advertising agency. KOKUYO’s Japanese site says Sakuma developed the format on his own over many years, and that it won a Good Design Award in 2014. Some Japanese articles date its first appearance to 2011 or 2012.

KOKUYO’s August 7, 2026 press release put the 2027 range on sale from mid-September 2026, with list prices from ¥3,000 (about US$19) to ¥5,600 (about US$35) before tax. The range also includes the Biz, a 217 × 138 mm planner on MIO PAPER with 104 sheets, and the page-a-day DAYs.

How much does it cost, and where is it made?

The First Kit sits in our $$$ band ($20–75), and limited editions can cost more abroad. KOKUYO’s Japanese list price is ¥5,000 (about US$32) before tax for White and Pink and ¥5,600 (about US$35) for the sheep covers; the DIARY alone is ¥3,800 (about US$24). Stilo e Stile lists all four A5 Slim kits at €59 (about US$66).

KOKUYO’s global store gives Japan as the country of origin for the 2027 First Kit, and The Journal Shop and Nomado also say Japan.

Frequently asked questions

What comes in the Jibun Techo First Kit?

KOKUYO lists the 2027 DIARY, an instruction booklet, the LIFE booklet, the IDEA notebook and a ruler with an elastic band, all in one clear matte PVC cover with a pen holder.

What size is the Jibun Techo?

It is A5 Slim. KOKUYO gives 217 × 136 mm, about 8.5 × 5.4 in. That is 12 mm narrower and 7 mm taller than standard A5 (148 × 210 mm).

What is the difference between the First Kit and the Jibun Techo DIARY?

The First Kit adds the LIFE and IDEA booklets and the ruler to the DIARY. The DIARY on its own has the same 112 sheets and lists at ¥3,800 (about US$24) before tax for 2027.

What paper does the Jibun Techo use?

KOKUYO says the DIARY and IDEA use its own THIN PAPER, made to resist show-through and to stay flat when you rub out erasable ink, and the LIFE booklet uses its smoother MIO PAPER. KOKUYO doesn't publish a paper weight.

When does the 2027 Jibun Techo start?

It is sold as a January start, but KOKUYO says the monthly pages run from November 2026 to March 2028 and the weekly pages from November 2026 to the second week of January 2028.

How much does the Jibun Techo First Kit cost?

KOKUYO's Japanese list price for 2027 is ¥5,000 (about US$32) before tax, or ¥5,600 (about US$35) for the limited sheep covers. Abroad it costs more: Stilo e Stile lists €59 (about US$66), which puts it in our $$$ band.

Where is the Jibun Techo made?

In Japan. KOKUYO's global online store gives Japan as the country of origin for the 2027 First Kit, DIARY and Biz.

Sources (17)

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