It's not supposed to be an obligation. But guaranteed if you invest in it, it will be a rewarding experience. If you don't, well, there are a lot worse things to waste money on.
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2017 Hobonichi Techo ITOI
- Thread starter CheesecakeRecipe
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It's not supposed to be an obligation. But guaranteed if you invest in it, it will be a rewarding experience. If you don't, well, there are a lot worse things to waste money on.
Aarglefarg
Member
Yeah, I understand. I just have this idea that I'm going to love it and use it for all kinds of stuff but that just might not end up happening
Awesome!
I will now resist buying two for easy alternate colors.
Any thoughts on fine point or medium point? I was thinking fine but I dunno if one's considered better than the other.
One of each, obviously!
Most of my Pilots have M nibs. Japanese M is a comfortable size for me. If you have really small or tight handwriting, you'll almost certainly want an F nib. Smaller nibs also tend to be scratchier or give more feedback from the paper, just by nature of being smaller and sharper. If any of those reasons nudge you one way or another, go with whichever sounds a little better. Kakunos are cheap and fairly easy to find, so you can always switch it up later!
Funyarinpa
Member
I never knew I wanted this, but I doooooooo
So here's a basic format I use a lot when jotting down a daily entry. I wrote larger than I usually do in my Hobonichi and spaced things out more so you could more easily read it. This is pretty much what I would have written for today.
(click to blow that up to (larger than) readable size!)
So I put a small header by the date saying where I am writing from. I'll have the city and the specific location, at a minimum. I might include the time, too. It all helps me think back to where I was throughout the year.
I open with a general statement or summary of what I did that date. I often comment on my sleep because I am struggling with it and I want to see if any changes I make help.
Any bigger news or unusual or noteworthy stuff from the day comes next, but I was mainly hanging out with the kiddos today.
When I first started keeping a daily journal, I used flimsy pocket notebooks because I wanted pages I could easily fill, I didn't want to worry about "ruining" a nicer notebook, and I worried about losing them, so I wanted something that could be lost and only put me out $.50. My general entries have not changed much in 10 years of doing this. I like to comment on what I am reading, watching, playing, listening to, etc. Those entries are actually FASCINATING to come back to! In 2008 I was listening to whaaaaaat? They actually say a lot about what you are thinking about and feeling, and you don't need to muster a ton of mental energy to say, "I am playing Wow, doing x, y, and z, in whatever zone." You'll find strings of books/podcasts/movies about some topic, and that will either take you back, or make you go "why was I so into submarines then???" Entries about music can be especially instructive, as they can be very revealing about your mental state.
I'll finish with some kind of artwork, generally a calligraphic capital. I slammed these out for demonstration purposes, so they look like crap. Dedicating space to a daily doodle, stickers, etc. can make a huge difference in how your pages look!
It's a very basic format for a brief daily entry - I usually do one right when I get to work. Whatever I am working on that day usually gets a mention, too. I am going back to the Cousin so I have room to jump off from a brief daily entry into longer thoughts, more artwork, space for photos, etc. However, being constrained in space can be helpful too. You can fill pages without too much work and, for a huge overthinker like me, it forces me to just go "this happened," without going into a huge thing about what it all means. I have other journals to use if I want to really dig deep into what is going on.
Honestly, looking back at old journals, you'd be surprised how much info you can gather from a simple account of where you were and the books/TV/movies/music you were into that day. It will tell you more than you'd think!
More ambitious entries are easily slotted in - every once in a while I just want to write a few paragraphs on some thing at work, or a trip, or something that is bothering me. I'm not a slave to any format with my Hobonichi. I just have a basic one that I use as a default. I'll drop it entirely for a day if I want to talk about something else. It's my life book; I can do what I want.
Having a basic format helps get past that "I will ruin this with my terrible art and writing" thing we all go through to a greater or lesser extent. Remember that the Hobonichi is a planner designed for that specific year. There will always be another March 4th. This one is one of a kind and whatever you do with that page means nothing more than what you did with that page. You don't have to record the most mind-blowing tribute to March 4, or record the most intense personal insights. There's always another day for that! Get in the habit of writing something down, making a little art, and it becomes more and more second nature. The kinds of entries you envision making - beautiful drawings, deep personal insights - come about more naturally if you are using a journal anyway. Trying to sit in front of a page and will yourself to make stellar entries is not really how it works.
For writers who want more space to go long-form, or to work on fiction, I'd suggest the Cousin over the Planner. Taking half a page for a brief "what I am up to" entry and then using the other half for an ongoing story is a really cool idea!
The other thing I do, with both my Cousin and my Planner, is to tuck in notebooks for longer form writing, things like addresses or email addresses - anything that doesn't really belong on any one dated page.
I tuck one notebook in the back cover....
...and the other goes in the back pocket...
With the Cousin, you are getting A5 notebooks, which is a great size to work with. Even the A6 notebooks that fit in the Planner can offer a nice amount of space for a writing session. If you get the avec version of either Hobonichi, you will have room in the case for a substantial notebook. With the non-avec, normal versions, the notepads the Hobonichi store sells are ideal. They are the same Tomoe River Paper, so they feel great to write on and they can fit more pages into a very slim notebook.
Sorry for the double post, but I wanted to make sure this did not just get tacked on to a longer post about other stuff.
I got an incredible PM today from...I'm not sure he wants me to say? It's easy to figure out who it was, but I don't want to embarrass him if he wants to keep it more low key. So I'll just say "a member of our pen&paper community on GAF" and leave it up to him if he wants to be known for his incredible generosity - who knows way more about fountain pens and paper than I do, and has been a great friend and mentor as these various threads have gone up. He saw that I had casually mentioned that a Pilot Falcon is my next dream pen, so he messaged me to say that he'd send me his mint condition Falcon. That's an incredible gesture and I was completely blown away. He asked for nothing in return - "Free-of-charge - 'payed-forward' I think's the term." I was touched and inspired by that.
So it's my turn to pay it forward! I'll send along a Hobonichi planner to one lucky person from this community. It will be the planner + a basic case (for the US, it will be from Jetpens, so look at what they offer, or possible just the planner (the UK reseller does not offer cases ). I can't promise anything outside of the US, because I do not know what shipping fees will be like. I'll do my best to get you a case and planner anywhere in the world, though! I imagine it might be purchased from Jetpens and mailed by me. If shipping proves exorbitant, we'll come up with something else.
Here's what I ask - we have lots of questions about how to go about using a Hobonichi - what to put in it, how to keep up with it, what things to use to write in or decorate it. I'd love to see more ideas and more comments on what people have done or will do! If you are interested in me sending you a planner, just say something about how you use or would use your Hobonichi, or even how someone else might use it to fit their hobbies and lifestyle. Or, if it is a gift, what your idea is for the recipient. Make the post and send me a PM linking to it so I can keep it all straight. I really want to see some creative ideas to inspire the community!
If you already have one, I hope you'll enter FOR somebody you know, instead of going crazy and dual-wielding Hobonichis. The whole idea is to get one to someone who is on the fence, or wants one but cannot afford it - to spread the Hobonichi love, in other words.
I have loved being part of this community and seeing people get really excited for these incredible pen/paper/ink/pencil things that bring me so much joy. This is a small thank you for all of your kind words, for your suggestions to me when I have questions, and for being generally lovely to one another! I have the best time sharing these interests with all of you!
Make sure to PM me after you post to let me know you want in. One entry per person. I should be purchasing the planner early in October, so you have plenty of time. I'll make a post then with all of the entrants so you can make sure I got you. I'll scramble the list and have another GAFfer pick the random number that will determine the winner.
Happy Hobonichi-ing and thanks for making this such a great community!
I got an incredible PM today from...I'm not sure he wants me to say? It's easy to figure out who it was, but I don't want to embarrass him if he wants to keep it more low key. So I'll just say "a member of our pen&paper community on GAF" and leave it up to him if he wants to be known for his incredible generosity - who knows way more about fountain pens and paper than I do, and has been a great friend and mentor as these various threads have gone up. He saw that I had casually mentioned that a Pilot Falcon is my next dream pen, so he messaged me to say that he'd send me his mint condition Falcon. That's an incredible gesture and I was completely blown away. He asked for nothing in return - "Free-of-charge - 'payed-forward' I think's the term." I was touched and inspired by that.
So it's my turn to pay it forward! I'll send along a Hobonichi planner to one lucky person from this community. It will be the planner + a basic case (for the US, it will be from Jetpens, so look at what they offer, or possible just the planner (the UK reseller does not offer cases ). I can't promise anything outside of the US, because I do not know what shipping fees will be like. I'll do my best to get you a case and planner anywhere in the world, though! I imagine it might be purchased from Jetpens and mailed by me. If shipping proves exorbitant, we'll come up with something else.
Here's what I ask - we have lots of questions about how to go about using a Hobonichi - what to put in it, how to keep up with it, what things to use to write in or decorate it. I'd love to see more ideas and more comments on what people have done or will do! If you are interested in me sending you a planner, just say something about how you use or would use your Hobonichi, or even how someone else might use it to fit their hobbies and lifestyle. Or, if it is a gift, what your idea is for the recipient. Make the post and send me a PM linking to it so I can keep it all straight. I really want to see some creative ideas to inspire the community!
If you already have one, I hope you'll enter FOR somebody you know, instead of going crazy and dual-wielding Hobonichis. The whole idea is to get one to someone who is on the fence, or wants one but cannot afford it - to spread the Hobonichi love, in other words.
I have loved being part of this community and seeing people get really excited for these incredible pen/paper/ink/pencil things that bring me so much joy. This is a small thank you for all of your kind words, for your suggestions to me when I have questions, and for being generally lovely to one another! I have the best time sharing these interests with all of you!
Make sure to PM me after you post to let me know you want in. One entry per person. I should be purchasing the planner early in October, so you have plenty of time. I'll make a post then with all of the entrants so you can make sure I got you. I'll scramble the list and have another GAFfer pick the random number that will determine the winner.
Happy Hobonichi-ing and thanks for making this such a great community!
CheesecakeRecipe
Stormy Grey
On that note - I will likely be grabbing some community examples to add to the OP as the thread goes on. Bagels can't hog all of the spotlight, so, show us your creative side!
You made the right choice.
You made the right choice.
I will fight you for that spotlight.
It's ok if things don't end up going the way you anticipated. I was lukewarm to the idea when I started and just had pages of to-do lists and things I ate for a while.
Then one day I decided to do some sketching and found it to be super relaxing and enjoyable. Then another day I started using the grids in the front section to track my freelance hours and activity time. Then this year I came across an amazing scientist's field journal and decided to dabble in watercolours (Her journals inspired me to write a piece on them - I pay tribute to the Hobonichi in the coda).
It's all been really enjoyable, and not in the way I expected going in. I guess what I'm trying to say is, you never know if you don't try, and you might surprise yourself!
That's... not a bad idea, actually, since as I hinted I was already thinking of getting 2!
I did buy those notebooks they sell as accessories since I wanted to try doing entries before next year starts (though now that I think about it more- one of the Friends pads is probably better fit for that, so these might end up being used for extra paper throughout the year instead). So I'll have some time to mess around and figure out which I actually want to write with going forward; I'll just use the other for an alternate color after that.
TheSporkWithin
Member
I'm currently waffling on whether to pick up a new cover this year. I got the Mother 2 Cast last year, and I've kind of cooled on it over the course of the year - it's very high contrast with the red and white, and it feels really "loud" to me. I like the softer colors of the Mother 2 Memories cover this year, though I'm also considering just buying the blue/green cover from last year (it's still available in the JP archive shop) - it's cheaper, and there's nothing gaudy or loud about it.
I don't know how much longer either of those options will be available - I know the Mother 2 covers tend to go in and out of stock, and I assume the archive shop is a limited stock situation...
I don't know how much longer either of those options will be available - I know the Mother 2 covers tend to go in and out of stock, and I assume the archive shop is a limited stock situation...
Splash Wave
Member
Thank you so much for this post! It was, as always, a pleasure to read.
I think I'm sold on the Cousin (my small Techo is so essential to logging work-related tasks that I can't spare any more space), but is it not available in English?
The Cousin only comes in Japanese. You really only miss out on the quotes on each page, however. The months and days are marked with the same numbers you already know and love!
(The quotes are pretty great, though)
Japanmanx3
Member
Prepped for next year.
This year was hit or miss. Will try to work hard at getting into a better routine before the year is out.
This year was hit or miss. Will try to work hard at getting into a better routine before the year is out.
Auron_Kale
Member
My Hobonichi has been delivered at my house! Can't wait to flip through it and get some ideas for when I start using it in 2017.
Aarglefarg
Member
Mine was delivered too. I don't get it properly until Christmas though.
Auron_Kale
Member
Whoooooo!
Couldn't decide in the end lol, so got both:
Close-up:
Bonus:
My favorite thing oddly is that they basically put the package in a shopping bag, slapped the EMS shipping info on it and called it a day. It's right up there with King-of-Games including a local newspaper from Kyoto. For the reference, King-of-Games sells high quality Nintendo licensed apparel, thus a copy of the local Kyoto newspaper.
Couldn't decide in the end lol, so got both:
Close-up:
Bonus:
My favorite thing oddly is that they basically put the package in a shopping bag, slapped the EMS shipping info on it and called it a day. It's right up there with King-of-Games including a local newspaper from Kyoto. For the reference, King-of-Games sells high quality Nintendo licensed apparel, thus a copy of the local Kyoto newspaper.
CheesecakeRecipe
Stormy Grey
Great pictures! <3 I love looking at everything in the little box. Seeing the shopping bag sitting on my porch one day introduced me to the uniqueness of the Hobonichi way, and I'm glad they're still doing that. I've kept the bag and box from my 2015 planner so I can stash them away. After I've had them for a few years, I'll have a nice little stack of boxes I can reopen with the book, cover and the online store extras in each.
Auron_Kale
Member
Thanks and though I still need to decide which book I'll be using, I have decided that I'm actually going to cut a piece of the bag and place it in the book to commemorate me having bought my first book.
Hopefully it'll be the start of a new yearly tradition for me.
Megalosaro
Banned
My 2017 techo is in the mail.
Today at work, I spilled a full water bottle all over my 2016 techo. I thought it was for sure done for. It tried off within minutes, none the worse for wear.
This tomoe river paper is somethign else
Today at work, I spilled a full water bottle all over my 2016 techo. I thought it was for sure done for. It tried off within minutes, none the worse for wear.
This tomoe river paper is somethign else
I would really like a Hobonichi Techo... it's caught my eye for about a year now. I'm a grad student in science, and before that I was a busy undergrad. I have always used planners as master task and schedulers, but the Hobonichi would allow me to have a separate space for chronicling my life outside work in a compact space. I know they term it a lift book, but I would use it for positive things, more like a "victory book"
Lostconfused
Member
Was it you that spilled coffee all over theirs as well?
I went to two more LoFts yesterday (and got Kakunos, as expected) but still can't find covers that aren't bundled, which is frustrating.
I really don't want to have to pay for EMS shipping just to get a cover. That being said, buying a Planner bundle and having whoever buys the unbundled Planner from me on eBay eat the cost is probably cheaper considering the bundled discount, and I'd get the bonuses... hmm.
EDIT: Actually, hmm. If I get it from Jetpens, that's only $47 instead of $55+. I'll lose out on the bonus but that's not worth $8.
So if anyone wants a $25 Planner (+ shipping within US) without a cover, let me know and I can ship it when I get back to the US in a few weeks. Otherwise, eBay it is.
I really don't want to have to pay for EMS shipping just to get a cover. That being said, buying a Planner bundle and having whoever buys the unbundled Planner from me on eBay eat the cost is probably cheaper considering the bundled discount, and I'd get the bonuses... hmm.
EDIT: Actually, hmm. If I get it from Jetpens, that's only $47 instead of $55+. I'll lose out on the bonus but that's not worth $8.
So if anyone wants a $25 Planner (+ shipping within US) without a cover, let me know and I can ship it when I get back to the US in a few weeks. Otherwise, eBay it is.
Megalosaro
Banned
Yes. This was worse in terms of the amount of fluid though.
Duane Cunningham
Member
orthodoxy1095
Banned
Ordered mine from Jetpens yesterday. So excited 
This years haul;
And a closer look as the Masuda cover - big fan of his work, especially after meeting him a few years ago!
Some pics from my 2016 Hobonichi
And a closer look as the Masuda cover - big fan of his work, especially after meeting him a few years ago!
Some pics from my 2016 Hobonichi
MilkLizard
Member
Love this thread and mine should be here on Monday. I'll make sure to post some pictures.
Petit Melon
Member
I can't buy one until next paycheck (which is good because I can't decide between Girl's Checkered or Thank You All) but I am loving all the GETS photos. That's such beautiful packaging straight out of the box, even!
perfect free
Member
Mine came today! I just...
I knew it was going to be small, but I still went "it's so small!!" when I opened up the package. The inner and outer covers definitely add some more heft, though. And the paper is... wow. I've never written on Tomoe River paper before, but I'm definitely not going to stop here.
I also have to keep myself from sitting here and reading the whole year's worth of quotes in one sitting. They're so cute. ._.
I knew it was going to be small, but I still went "it's so small!!" when I opened up the package. The inner and outer covers definitely add some more heft, though. And the paper is... wow. I've never written on Tomoe River paper before, but I'm definitely not going to stop here.
I also have to keep myself from sitting here and reading the whole year's worth of quotes in one sitting. They're so cute. ._.
CheesecakeRecipe
Stormy Grey
This years haul;
And a closer look as the Masuda cover - big fan of his work, especially after meeting him a few years ago!
Some pics from my 2016 Hobonichi
Washi! Love the playful colors on everything you ordered. I'll be adding this one to the OP later!
My poor Rhodia pads have been sitting unused since I began writing on Tomoe River paper a few years ago. It brings out the shading, sheen and sparkle of every ink like no other fountain pen friendly paper can, while still being extremely lightweight and glassy smooth to write on! There's still yet some papers I need to try (Midori Cotton evades me, but one day...), but, my go-to is Tomoe River. I use a Nanami Seven Seas notebook for whenever I require extensive thought-scribbling space. They can be a bit tricky to get your hands on, but if you love the feel of Hobonichi and want that experience in a more general-purpose book, they're worth the wait.
Aarglefarg
Member
I found it started to seem just the right size very quickly.
TheGoddamn
Member
Hang on, there are no more April start books?
Aarglefarg
Member
Apparently. I can't see them either.
CheesecakeRecipe
Stormy Grey
They don't start selling April Start planners until the store refresh just after the holidays. Last year's Spring launch page shows a release date of February 1st. There's also usually one or two new covers for both the Original and Cousin sizes to accompany the Spring planner, too!
Aarglefarg
Member
Ah, that makes sense. I thought I remembered them being available at the same time for 2016 but that was probably just the Sunday and Monday variations.
CheesecakeRecipe
Stormy Grey
You could ignore dates if you wanted to and treat the book like a sketchbook or notebook if you wanted to! There's no hard and fast rules that force you to use the Hobonichi a certain way, and the pages are mostly an open grid to let you choose how to get the most out of it. If you're really sure that you want just a notebook with Tomoe River paper, there's always the Nanami Paper Seven Seas notebooks! They come in three styles-
- Writer, featuring lined paper.
- Standard, with blank pages.
- Crossfield, which uses a hybrid dot-grid/line grid style, seen below:
I have a second or third generation "Writer" notebook, which was the perfect companion to my Hobonichi. Since they're printed and cut into the A5 paper size, you could always buy a Hobonichi Cousin cover to add a little flavor to it, which is what I did! Nanami Paper's store is closed for another few weeks, but they have some Crossfield and Standard editions for sale through Amazon, if you don't want to keep waiting.
MilkLizard
Member
It's finally here. Customs took forever.
I got the Mother 2 cover, the english planner and the japanese avec planner which splits the year in two books. Haven't decided yet which one I will actually use but probably both in the end
I love the sticker.
I got the Mother 2 cover, the english planner and the japanese avec planner which splits the year in two books. Haven't decided yet which one I will actually use but probably both in the end
I love the sticker.
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