---
title: "Midori 5-Year Diary Gate: MD Paper, Size & Sleeve"
canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/midori-5-year-diary/"
description: "Midori 5-Year Diary Gate explained: 366 pages of MD Paper ruled at 6 mm, a 117 × 185 mm cloth hardcover, the monthly gate pages, the Mini and its price."
category: "Notebooks"
type: "Journal"
published: 2026-10-21
updated: 2026-10-21
author: "Ellis Penhale"
publisher: "Stationery Times"
sources: 8
products:
  - name: "Midori 5-Year Diary Gate (standard size, black cloth)"
    brand: "Midori"
    brand_origin: "Japan"
    made_in: "Japan"
    material: "Cloth cover with gold foil stamping; MD Paper (cream), thread-sewn"
    released: "2012"
    price_band: "$$$ ($20–75 per notebook, typical US retail, October 2026)"
    manufacturer: "Designphil Inc. (Tokyo)"
    model: "5-Year Diary Gate, Black (日記 5年連用 扉 黒)"
    mpn: "12396006"
    gtin: "4902805123969"
    url: "https://www.midori-store.net/SHOP/12396006.html"
---

# Midori 5-Year Diary Gate: MD Paper, Size & Sleeve

> The Midori 5-Year Diary Gate is a Japanese five-year diary with one page per date and five entries per page. Midori lists 366 pages of cream MD Paper ruled at 6 mm, thread-sewn into a 117 × 185 × 25 mm cloth hardcover with two bookmark strings and a sleeve. Its Japanese store sells it at ¥3,410 (about US$22).

- URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/midori-5-year-diary/
- Category: Notebooks
- Author: Ellis Penhale
- Published: 2026-10-21
- Updated: 2026-10-21

![Drawing of the Midori 5-Year Diary Gate to scale: a brown sleeve 192 mm tall, the black cloth diary 185 × 117 mm with a gold arched double door, and the diary open on the July gate page and the July 7 page split into five years](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/midori-5-year-diary-16x9.png)

*The 5-Year Diary Gate with its sleeve, and open on a monthly gate page (1 mm = 1 px).* Original drawing (SVG): https://stationerytimes.com/images/midori-5-year-diary-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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midori 5-Year Diary Gate (standard size, black cloth) | Midori (by Designphil Inc. (Tokyo)) | Japan | Japan | Cloth cover with gold foil stamping; MD Paper (cream), thread-sewn | 2012 | $$$: $20–75 per notebook |

- Made in (Midori 5-Year Diary Gate (standard size, black cloth)): Japan. Per Papeterie Makkura's listing for the black 5-Year Diary (Origin: Made in Japan). Midori's Japanese store page and its English Multi-Year Diary Gate page give sizes and materials but no country of manufacture. Source: https://papeterie-makkura.fr/en/diaries/5473-midori-5-year-diary-black-12396006-4902805123969.html

## Key takeaways

- Midori lists the diary at H185 × W117 × D25 mm (7.3 × 4.6 × 1 in) and its sleeve at H192 × W120 × D30 mm.
- It has 366 diary pages of cream MD Paper ruled at 6 mm, plus 3 appendix pages, thread-sewn, with 2 bookmark strings.
- Midori's Japanese store lists the black 5-Year Diary Gate (12396006) at ¥3,410 (about US$22) including tax; US shops sell it in our $$$ band ($20–75).
- The Gate Mini is 117 × 154 × 24 mm with 7 mm ruling, and Midori also makes 3-year and 10-year Gate diaries.
- Papeterie Makkura lists the black 5-Year Diary as made in Japan.

## What is the Midori 5-Year Diary?

**The Midori 5-Year Diary Gate is a Japanese five-year diary: each page is one date, with five short sections for the same day across five years.** Midori calls it a diary that lets you meet last year's self (去年の自分に会える日記).

It belongs to Midori's Gate (扉) line of multi-year diaries, made in 3-year, 5-year and 10-year versions. Serai reported that Midori marked the line's 10th anniversary on December 11, 2022. Midori is a brand of Designphil Inc. in Tokyo.

## Midori 5-Year Diary specs

| Spec | 5-Year Diary Gate (standard size) |
|---|---|
| Diary size | H185 × W117 × D25 mm (7.3 × 4.6 × 1 in) |
| Sleeve size | H192 × W120 × D30 mm |
| Pages | 366 diary pages + 3 appendix pages |
| Paper | MD Paper, cream |
| Ruling | 6 mm horizontal lines |
| Binding | Thread-sewn (糸かがり綴じ) |
| Cover | Cloth, gold foil stamping |
| Bookmarks | 2 strings |
| Colors | Black (12396006) or Red (12851006) |
| JAN (black) | 4902805123969 |
| Price in Japan | ¥3,410 (about US$22) including tax |

The figures come from Midori's Japanese store page for the black Gate, and its English Multi-Year Diary Gate page gives the same sizes, paper and ruling. Well-Appointed Desk measured its copy at around 13 oz (about 370 g) and lists 7 mm ruling; we use Midori's 6 mm.

![To-scale drawing of the Midori 5-Year Diary Gate, 117 × 185 mm, against the Gate Mini at 117 × 154 mm and the sleeve at 120 × 192 mm](https://stationerytimes.com/images/midori-5-year-diary-sizes.svg)

*The standard Gate, the Gate Mini and the standard sleeve, at the sizes Midori lists.*

## How does a Midori 5-Year Diary page work?

**Each page carries a date such as 7/7 at the top and five ruled sections, each starting 20 . . so you fill in the year and date.** Midori's photos show this layout, with the caption 5年分を1ページに記入します (write five years on one page).

Each month opens with its own page and a different gate (door) illustration, which also marks the month at the page edge. With 366 pages, there is room for February 29.


## Is the Midori 5-Year Diary good for fountain pens?

**Reviewers say yes: its pages are Midori's MD Paper, and it is the fountain-pen pick in our five-year roundup.** Well-Appointed Desk chose it over the Hobonichi 5-Year Techo because Tomoe River felt too thin for a book written on both sides for five years, and found the MD Paper handled its fountain pens and inks well.

Midori's own store adds a floral blotter sheet to online orders while stocks last, for drying fountain-pen ink. We haven't tested the paper ourselves yet.

## How does the Midori 5-Year Diary compare to other five-year journals?

**The Midori sits between the pocket-size US books and the A5 Leuchtturm1917, with the best-known paper of the group.**

| | Midori 5-Year Gate | Hobonichi 5-Year A6 | One Line a Day | Some Lines a Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Size | 117 × 185 × 25 mm | 113 × 153 × 25 mm | 102 × 165 × 34 mm | 145 × 210 mm |
| Pages | 366 + 3 | 752 | 372 | 365 |
| Paper | MD Paper, 6 mm lines | Tomoe River, grid | Not stated | 80 g/m² |
| Years | Write in (20 . .) | Printed 2027–2031 | Write in | Write in (20__) |
| Price band | $$$ | $$$ | $$ | $$$ |

The [Hobonichi 5-Year Techo](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/hobonichi-5-year-techo/) adds a free grid page facing every date but prints the years, so it starts on January 1. [One Line a Day](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/chronicle-one-line-a-day/) is the cheaper US original. Our [best 5-year journals](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-5-year-journals/) roundup ranks all five; for the same paper in a plain notebook, see the [Midori MD Notebook A5](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/midori-md-notebook-a5/).

## Which Midori multi-year diary should you choose?

**Choose the standard 5-Year Gate for writing room, the Gate Mini to carry, and the 3-year or 10-year Gate for a shorter or longer span.**

- **5-Year Gate:** 117 × 185 mm, 6 mm lines, black or red.
- **5-Year Gate Mini:** 117 × 154 mm, 7 mm lines, so fewer lines per year; Midori's store lists it at ¥3,080 (about US$19).
- **3-Year and 10-Year Gate:** Midori's English page lists the 3-Year Gate at the same 117 × 185 mm size with 7 mm ruling.
- Midori's Japanese store also sells embroidered, recycled-leather and classic 5-year designs; not all are sold in the US.

## Where is the Midori 5-Year Diary made?

**Papeterie Makkura lists the black 5-Year Diary as made in Japan.** Midori's Japanese and English pages don't state a country of manufacture.

## Frequently asked questions

### What size is the Midori 5-Year Diary?

Midori lists the standard 5-Year Diary Gate at 185 mm tall, 117 mm wide and 25 mm thick (7.3 × 4.6 × 1 in). The Gate Mini is 154 mm tall and 24 mm thick at the same width.

### Does the Midori 5-Year Diary have a page for February 29?

Midori lists 366 diary pages, one more than the days in a common year, which matches one page per date including February 29. Its product page doesn't spell it out, so check the February pages in a shop.

### Is the Midori 5-Year Diary dated?

Only by day and month. Midori's product photos show each section starting 20 . . for you to write the year and date, so you can start on any day.

### Is the Midori 5-Year Diary good for fountain pens?

Its pages are Midori's MD Paper, and Well-Appointed Desk found it handled several fountain pens and inks well. Midori's Japanese store even includes a blotter sheet for fountain-pen ink with online orders. We haven't tested it ourselves.

### What is the difference between the 5-Year Diary Gate and the Gate Mini?

The Mini is 31 mm shorter, 117 × 154 mm against 117 × 185 mm, with 7 mm ruling instead of 6 mm, per Midori. Both have 366 pages of MD Paper, thread binding and two bookmark strings.

### What does Gate mean in Midori's diary name?

It translates 扉, door. Midori says each month opens with a page showing a different gate illustration, and the cover is foil-stamped with an arched double door.

### How much does the Midori 5-Year Diary cost?

Midori's Japanese store lists the black Gate at ¥3,410 (about US$22) including tax. Papeterie Makkura sells it at €49 (about US$55), and US shops sell it in our $$$ band ($20–75).

### Where is the Midori 5-Year Diary made?

Papeterie Makkura lists it as made in Japan. Midori, a brand of Tokyo-based Designphil, doesn't state the country on its own pages.

## Sources

- [ミドリオンラインストア: 日記 5年連用 扉 黒（12396006）(本文 MD用紙 クリーム 366ページ 横罫 罫幅6mm、付録3ページ、しおりひも2本、表紙 布貼り・金箔押し、糸かがり綴じ、本体 H185 × W117 × D25 mm、ケース H192 × W120 × D30 mm、3,410円 税込)](https://www.midori-store.net/SHOP/12396006.html)
- [MIDORI (English): Multi-Year Diary Gate (3-, 5- and 10-year lineup; 5-Year Gate and Gate Mini sizes, ruling, pages; monthly gate pages; gold foil; sleeve)](https://www.midori-japan.co.jp/english/products/multi-year-diary-gate/)
- [ミドリオンラインストア: 5年連用日記 一覧 (扉ミニ 3,080円 ほか)](https://www.midori-store.net/smp/list.php?type=class&scat=193509)
- [Serai: ミドリ「連用日記 扉」発売10周年「日記のきっかけ展」(December 11, 2022; 3-, 5- and 10-year Gate diaries)](https://serai.jp/kajin/1104054)
- [Papeterie Makkura: Midori 5-Year Diary, Black (12396006, EAN 4902805123969, €49, Made in Japan)](https://papeterie-makkura.fr/en/diaries/5473-midori-5-year-diary-black-12396006-4902805123969.html)
- [Well-Appointed Desk: Planner review, Midori MD 5-Year Diaries (January 3, 2023; about 13 oz, fountain pens)](https://www.wellappointeddesk.com/2023/01/planner-review-midori-md-5-year-diaries/)
- [JetPens: Midori 5-Year Diary Gate, Red (US listing)](https://www.jetpens.com/Midori-5-Year-Diary-Gate-Red/pd/21949)
- [Hunter Paper Co.: Midori 5 Year Diary Gate Mini, Light Green (US listing)](https://hunterpaperco.com/products/midori-5-year-diary-gate-mini-light-green)