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 2020 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 148 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.

Yearly calendar

A convenient double-page spread shows the yearly calendars for 2019, 2020 and 2021 at a glance for a useful reference when planning ahead.

Yearly index

Each 2-page spread contains 6 months, with a total of 12 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　January - December 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 December 2019 - March 2021

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. The page includes 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: 5 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.

My 100

This popular 100-item list from the 2018-edition Hobonichi Techo has made its comeback. You can make a list for anything you want: things to accomplish this year, books you’ve read, movies you’ve seen, snacks you’ve tried, shops you want to visit — it’s up to you!