Hobonichi Techo Cousin

Book cover
The front of the planner book is made of strong card stock with a soft ivory hue, and includes the label “HOBONICHI TECHO 2019 cousin” printed in gray letters. The April-start version also lists the label “spring.”

A5 size is largest in lineup
The Cousin is the largest planner in the Hobonichi Techo lineup. At 48 mm x 210 mm (5.8" x 8.3"), the A5 size is twice the size of its A6 Original counterpart, so there’s plenty of room to use the Cousin for both business and pleasure.

Perfect planner paper
The thin, light paper, called Tomoe River paper, is strong, resistant to bleeding, and allows ink to dispense smoothly across the paper, an ideal choice for a planner.

180-degree lay-flat binding
Special stitch-binding allows the planner to lay completely flat without having to hold it down.

Rounded corners
The page corners are rounded to minimize creasing and damage to the edges when carried around or stored in a bag.

Serial number
Serial numbers on the inside back cover give each planner a unique identity and make your planner your very own special book.

Cousin-exclusive weekly page
The weekly page is a special section only available in the Cousin edition. It contains one week per two-page spread, with 24-hour timetables labeled 0:00 to 24:00.

New in 2019
We’ve made the following changes in the 2019-edition:
-Changed “Remember This” pages at the start of each month from lined paper to blank paper and added monthly quotes pulled from literary works and poetry.
-Changed over to new informational pages in the back:

Added:
-Words to Remember
-Tips on Living Life in a Good Mood
-Breakfast around the World
-Introduction to Reading Classical Literature

Removed:
-My 100
-Local Japanese Foods
-Hobonichi’s TK Stretch
-Chatting with People around the World
-Also removed Japanese era name listings due to the upcoming era name change.

Yearly calendar
A convenient double-page spread shows the yearly calendars for 2018, 2019 and 2020 at a glance for a useful reference when planning ahead.

Yearly index
Each 2-page spread contains 6 months, with a total of 16 months in the yearly index. The top of each monthly column includes 3 checkboxes for writing goals and to-do lists, and the bottom of the page has extra space for note-taking. 

The yearly index spans the following dates:
January-start: January - December 2019
April-start: April 2019 - March 2020

Monthly calendar
The monthly calendar is ideal for managing schedules. The graph paper design is lightly printed to make it easier to write in your plans and take notes in an even line. The blue gray and red print both allow for high visibility when writing in the calendar.

The monthly calendar spans the following dates:
January-start: December 2018 - March 2020
April-start: February 2019 - May 2020

Monthly data
Each header includes the year, numerical month, the traditional Japanese name of the month, and the English name of the month.

Daily boxes
Each box is lightly printed with a graph design to make it easy to fill in a full day’s worth of plans. You can also take full advantage of the graph design by drawing out sections to allocate plans or entries visually.

Week number
The monthly calendars include the number of the week. The formula we use begins counting with the first week in January that includes a Thursday.

Free space
The calendars include free space below and to the left for taking notes, making plans or decorating the calendars with stickers and washi tape.

Moon phase
The calendars include icons depicting new moons (●) and full moons (○). (While the moon phase is the same across the world, the exact dates the moon phases land on are listed in Japan time.)

Rokuyo (Traditional Japanese calendar)
The monthly calendar days are labeled with rokuyo, a cycle of six days said to predict good or bad fortune that day. The labels are commonly found on Japanese calendars and used to plan weddings and funerals.

Labeling 2020
The monthly pages for 2020 have the year in large numbers in the background to easily differentiate them from the 2019 pages.

Weekly pages
The Cousin contains weekly calendars that are useful for managing detailed schedules for the week. The timeline covers a full day from 5 AM to 4 AM the following day, allowing users to record any and all plans.

The weekly calendar spans the following dates:
January-start: Dec. 31, 2018 - Jan. 5, 2020
April-start: Apr. 1, 2019 - Apr. 5 2020

Monthly data
Each header includes the numerical month, the year, the traditional Japanese name of the month, and the English name of the month.

The calendar also includes the number of the week.

Free space
Both the monthly and weekly calendars include free space for taking notes, making plans or decorating the calendars with stickers and washi tape.

Moon phase

The calendars include icons depicting new moons (●) and full moons (○). (While the moon phase is the same across the world, the exact dates the moon phases land on are listed in Japan time.)



Time line
The weekly calendar contains a time line that begins at 5 AM and ends at 4 AM the next day. Each hour consists of two lines on the grid, making it easy to write in intervals of 30 minutes.

One day per page
The planner features a format with a page devoted to each day. There’s lots of open space to plan the day ahead and enjoy recording your memories and activities. Think of the pages as containers for random ideas, with a clear record of the date. Paste magazine clippings, ticket stubs and photos to make the techo something completely unique ― your imagination is the only limit.

Moon phase and day of the year
An illustration of the current moon phase is paired with the day of the year. The new moon (●) and full moon (○) symbols are surrounded by stars at their peak. (While the moon phase is the same across the world, the exact dates the moon phases land on are listed in Japan time.)

Old Japanese lunisolar calendar
The date of the old Japanese lunisolar calendar is also included under the day’s date. This calendar was used in Japan until 1873, when Japan adopted the universal Gregorian calendar. Some days in this lunisolar calendar are specified as standard days signifying the changing of the seasons. We’ve also included solar terms based on this ancient calendar.

To-do list
The to-do list is located at the top of the page with checkboxes for keeping track of your goals for the day.

24-hour timetable
Work and personal plans take place at different times of the day, so the planner uses a full 24-hour timetable to accommodate all schedules. Each hour is labeled with a dot, and every 30-minute mark is labeled with a line.

The “Secret Line”
There’s also something we call the “Secret Line”: a vertical line that runs parallel along the right of the timetable. This separates the schedule on the left from the open memo pad on the right. We’ve printed it lightly enough that you can ignore it when using the page as a whole.

3.7 millimeter graph paper
The Japanese planners have slightly smaller graph paper than the English version. The 3.7 millimeter graph paper was the result of extensive tests for an ideal size for writing in Japanese, although the size also allows comfortable writing in any language. Feel free to write along the lines of a single line or two ― or just ignore the lines altogether.

Japanese holidays
Japanese holidays are labeled in large letters on the page background and printed in a light ink to make it easy to write over them.

Daily quotes
From the heartfelt to the humorous to the whimsical, each page of the planner features a quote in Japanese, specially selected from the planner’s parent site, Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun. Currently, the quotes for the Cousin version are only in Japanese. If you would like the quotes in English, please buy the A6 Hobonichi Techo Planner.

12-color tabs
Similar to a dictionary, each month is labeled with a different colored tab on the edge of the page for easy reference, even when the book is closed. It is easy to flip ahead to write future plans, or flip back to read old pages.

Mini calendar
The daily page also includes a mini monthly calendar at the bottom right of every two-page spread. The dates of the current pages are outlined.

Turning the page
This warming-up page helps you get ready for the new year. It’s a great  place to write your reflections on the past year, list your goals for the year ahead, copy down important information from last year’s planner, or do anything else you need to feel prepared. The left and right corners of the page contain calendars for the two months surrounding the book’s initial start date.

Remember This
We’ve included a page at the beginning of each month for highlighting important dates, making to-do lists, and writing other notes to help in planning ahead.

This section has been changed in 2019 to remove the writing lines and add a Japanese-language quote from literature and poetry.

Memo pages
The book includes blank pages in the back for capturing random thoughts, sketching or storing items of interest that aren’t time-sensitive. These pages are made with the same 3.7 millimeter graph paper design used in the daily pages.

Number of memo pages:
Full year (January start): 6 pages
Full year (April start): 4 pages
Avec 2-Book Set (Jan-Jun): 10 pages
Avec 2-Book Set (Jul-Dec): 4 pages

Time Table
The book includes two timetables for writing in a recurring hourly schedule for each day of the week. These are useful, say, for filling in the broadcast times of favorite television shows, or splitting up house chores.

Graph Paper
The graph paper is convenient for recording your daily weight or other changes when you have a certain target in mind. The horizontal X-axis along the bottom contains 31 boxes to easily cover a one-month span, with extra space at the bottom for additional notes.

Favorites
The Favorites page is a great place to list rankings for movies, books, music, restaurants, plays, games and much more — on a sliding scale of 5 stars.

Words to Remember
This page contains space to record memorable phrases you don’t want to forget. There’s also a lightly printed area for adding a date and citing a source. You can also tape in small photographs to create an album of sorts.

Tips on Living Life in a Good Mood (Japanese)
This collection of Japanese quotes gathered from Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun articles are great advice when you need a pick-me-up or words of encouragement.

Breakfast around the World (Japanese)
This article is by World Breakfast Allday, a shop that services breakfast foods from all over the world. Here are some examples of breakfast foods from 12 countries and regions.

Introduction to Reading Classical Literature (Japanese)
This list of 20 classical literature litles was compiled by the Hobonichi School president Michikazu Kohno to offer some suggestions of where to start.

Solar Terms (Japanese)
This section explains the names and origins of solar terms that make up the 24 points in traditional East Asian lunisolar calendars. These include well-known days such as the start of spring and the winter solstice.

Emergency Preparedness (Japanese)
This page contains a checklist of items to have ready in case of an emergency. There is also a space to list nearby evacuation zones (common in Japan),  emergency contact information and topics discussed between family and friends.

Gifts
Record the presents you’ve given or received in the Gifts page so you don’t forget who gave what to who and when. This is also helpful for thank-you cards. There are spaces for 20 entries.

Age Table
This table lists the year people were born, and their age in  2019 at a quick  glance. The number to the left of the year is the corresponding year based on the traditional Japanese Imperial Era calendar, and to the right of their age is the character for the Chinese Zodiac. Highlighted years have the same Chinese Zodiac as 2019 (Year of the Boar).

Useful Links (Japanese)
Useful sites for daily life. Also contains a link to a list of Japanese articles the quotes are selected from.

Addresses for 8 people
The address book allows you to write in the contact information for up to 8 people, such as family and close friends.