Hobonichi 101: A Basic Guide to the Original, Cousin, Weeks, Avec, Day-Free, 5-Year, and HON!

Hi everyone! Ashley here with a basic guide and breakdown to all of Hobonichi's planners. Whether you're new to Hobonichi or just need a refresher, in this video, we'll take a look at what makes each planner different from each other - plus why you might want one type over another. At the end, we'll go over some quick changes for this year and things to be aware of if you plan on ordering Hobonichi this year. Follow along with the timestamps in the video player! I hope this will set straight some of the confusion between each type of Hobonichi planner, and help you choose one that is right for you!
0:01:27 Original A6
0:02:58 English Original Available Nov 1st
0:03:05 Techo Planner A6
0:03:44 Differences between Original and Planner
0:05:17 Cousin A5
0:07:07 Cousin & Avec Comparison
0:07:34 Wallet Size Weeks
0:08:46 Differences between weeks and other planner books
0:09:33 Day-Free
0:10:18 5-Year Diary
0:11:11 Hobonichi HON
0:13:11 Purchasing Info & Dates
0:14:09 Old Tomoe River Paper vs. Tomoe River Paper S
Hobonichi's "How to Pick a Planner" Guide!
www.1101.com/store/techo/en/a...
2024 Hobonichi Planners at Yoseka Stationery
yosekastationery.com/collecti...
►Website: yosekastationery.com/
►Instagram: / yoseka.stationery
►Facebook: / yoseka.stationery
►Twitter: / yosekabox​
►Email: [e-mail]

[@lead-dog]

Excellent presentation Ashley. My wife and I both watched this on the big screen TV in our living room. We knew nothing about the Hobonichi world at all. Now we have an excellent overview of the Hobonichi Planner World which is exactly what you wanted to accomplish with this video. So Mission Accomplished for you and Yoseka. My wife has used several brands of "Planners" over our 40 plus years together. But after watching this I think you may have a new "convert" to the Hobonichi World! Really a fantastic presentation Ashley. Thank you.

[@katkat6678]

How big your TV?

[@beingamultifandomstanisnteasy]

I would say the day free is good for people who don't plan everyday like me lol. So instead of leaving blank pages I can easily plan on the next page without worrying about skipping a day or two. Also thanks for the video 😊

[@AndyZaturno]

Loved the video, very instructive. I am purchasing Cousin soft cover + cover (separate).

[@Yoseka]

Ashley here, thank you so much for watching! I want to highlight that if you like charts and graphs like me, Hobonichi has a really great resource where they cross compare the specs of each planner to each other. You can find it here: www.1101.com/store/techo/en/all_about/ Another note of important dates and times: August 31st, 9pm EDT - Live Q&A on the @yoseka.stationery Instagram August 31st, 10pm EDT - Hobonichi sales start on our website October 1st - One Piece Available November 1st - A6 English HON Available, A6 Original English Edition Available

[@nancysharp3933]

Thank you! So, so helpful!! I wish the cousin had a horizontal weekly layout. Wondering if I could adjust to the vertical columns.

[@kathycullenstern9652]

Thanks for the info. I’m a retired math teacher so charts and graphs make me happy.

[@fossilimprint2954]

Thank you very much for this guide, you cleared up so much of the confusion. Thank you, thank you!

[@reneesanchez3648]

Best video explaining the differences. Thank you!! 😊

[@DaedalusGage]

I admit that I needed a Techo Touch-Up before Hobonichi purchasing season, and this hit the spot! Thanks for making this video, Ashley!

[@nancysharp3933]

Excellent job explaining all of those options!!

[@user-gl5ld9vm7i]

Thank you for your wonderful presentation on the Hobonichi line😊

[@juuree_]

Amazing video to breakdown each style of book!

[@KathyLop1956]

Fabulous , as always… It will help with my “ planning “ for 2024!🎉

[@lokakat1903]

Maravilliso vídeo. Corto, claro y conciso, ¡bravo!

[@asexualatheist3504]

Thanks for the breakdown. I appreciate the info. I discovered Hobonichi this year. I love their products.

[@anna7276]

Thank you! I finally get it!!! The clearest video out there!!!

[@pila22d]

This was incredibly well-done and so helpful. Thank you! I wasn’t sure which Hobonichi to purchase for my first time. Now I know I need the weeks and the HON since I love hardcovers!

[@kathycullenstern9652]

Thanks Ashley. I’m considering jumping into the hobo world and this has been an excellent explanation of the different ones. Thank you.

[@blktauna]

Thank you for the clear explainations. Much appreciated.

[@mindyleone7037]

Thank you!!! This is exactly the video I needed!

[@stewartobrien7447]

the best Yoseka video yet! Very Helpful. thanks.

[@The1andOnlyValyA]

I love this channel it was my first intro to hobonichi and planning in general and a video with Ashley as well about a whole year ago now. It’s become a routine hobby for me since cx I have Ashley to thank for my well loved techo planner and Yoseka team for the ideas and community intro

[@Retroberto]

Thank you for making this video! I am very new to Japanese stationery and have often been confused about the different product lines whenever Hobonichi was mentioned.

[@Blove0130]

Loved the video!!! I’ve been a Hobonichi user for 5 years and look forward to purchasing every year. I love that they don’t change up the planner , just add to the line up. I use an a6 English, weeks, and 5 year. Last year I started using an a6 day free for hours worked for several clients. Thanks Ashley🙂

[@melanieannplans2666]

I am *so* excited that this video popped up in my Recommendations feed! I just started using a Hobonichi Techo Original in the middle of August, and while I've seen the different sizes used across the planning community, this is the first time I've had a full breakdown of the names for each side and how each is meant to function. I'm really intrigued by the HON! Thank you for the excellent video.

[@susanpilchard5417]

very helpful Ashley! Thank you!

[@gyrlgeorge]

This was SO helpful. Thank you!

[@TheCraftyBookshop]

Thank you, that was very informative. I'm new to Hobonichi, and still not sure which one I should try.

[@wingedstarz]

I’ve been using the hobonichi since 2020 and I had no idea that there’s an original and I was using the techo from arts and science! 😅 this was very helpful, Ty so much!

[@Almina98]

I have gotten the Weeks Mega for 2024 as I really enjoy the minimal weekly layout but I can use all the extra pages at the end to draw out my own weekly spread! That way I can keep a small planner but use it like I did my Hobonichi Cousin

[@edzl7206]

Very helpful. Thank you. ❤

[@TVXQsam]

Okay, I don't know how to express this but I'm so in love with the Cousin. However, I wasn't able to get one for myself this year as I'm in a budget moment. But next year, I'm aiming to get myself a Cousin again and I found a good shop online where I can buy it in pre-order. Since I can't stopped myself getting a new one, I immediately bought it hours ago with a nice price. 😘😘😘

[@lexi9040]

Wonderful video, thank you! Still can’t decide which I want but this puts things into perspective. I’d really like the original, but I don’t know if I could do an A6 because that’s so tiny! But the cousin is almost $30 more and I really don’t need the extra spread in it. Decisions, decisions…

[@francestenn7330]

Thanks for the tutorial

[@popularpatty]

Great video thanks!

Oh thank you! This was a clear explanation. I love the Japanese versions over the English ones, but I was very confused about what was what 😅 I have a Hobonichi Weeks I bought in a sale this year (from a local store), and I like it thought I didn't really appreciate its value until I started attending some courses in college and I found myself writing my notes on it. Somehow they come out tidier! I'm still thinking what I'm going to get bc I don't know yet if I'll need more space (daily/monthly) or less space (weekly). I definitely want the final pages, I write recipes there :-P Now a question: What's the difference between the old Tomoe Paper and the new one? Is it noticeable? Again, thank you so much! I love your videos, they're always so interesting & easy going 😊❤🌻

[@joannerubenstein4101]

I had no interest in the 5 year because I thought it was just five years stuck together in a very thick book. Now that I see you circle back to the same page ever year, I am definitely intrigued. Thank you!

[@msdebruin.]

This year I am going for the techo a6 planner. The black one 🎉 very excited. I have a bit of a late start. But the planner will last till march 2025 so no worries. 😇

[@TheUndeclaredNation]

best overview thank you

[@nikkiphillips9236]

Great video 😁

[@Teachmond]

Thank you for clarifying things. Newbie here.

[@HeidiRaatz]

Ashley, thanks so much for the overview!! I was considering the A6 avec for next year (my A6 techo planners get seriously chonki) but it feels as though the avec will likely be next in line to get an English language version. 🤞 Question about the Weeks planners, specifically the hardcover ones: do you know if the Weeks clear cover will fit? The covers are all so beautiful and deserving of a little TLC to keep them that way. 😊

[@run-a-milekyle3835]

I’ll be giving the Weeks a try for 2024.

[@nadineF]

Super helpful

[@jyi456]

Great explainer video! What types of writing ink work best with Hobonichi planners?

[@pattyh6391]

Awesome info! thank you! quick question...does the HON A5 (cousin) English edition have the 12-color tabs?

[@KathyLop1956]

I was going to get the Cousin and the planner and the mega weeks…. No new covers…..but, when I saw the covers……well, maybe I’ll go for new covers……..

[@yvettecasey-hunter1504]

Thank you for this tutorial on Hobonichi 2024. Be blessed. So when are the Hobonichi going to be available at Yoseka?

[@xTeeak]

I am strictly BuJo in Leuchtturm girl (8 years going strong) .. but .. the Hobonichi Weeks beckons me with vicious intensity for 2024 .. my only luck is that it cannot be obtained where I live, but I plan (pun intended) to use the inspiration in my BuJo soon :D .. this breakdown is gold and I will for sure keep my eyes open for oportunities to get Hobonichi somewhere - the Tomoe paper is a huge lure :)

[@Yoseka]

Not sure if this helps (since I don't know where you're located), but we do ship internationally to most countries :) Hope you find the planner of your dreams soon! -Ashley

[@briannadriskill7992]

I do have a question just before I buy I really want the A5 hon, is it just like the normal A5 cousin in the inside, the month pages and does it have the time table weekly over view?

[@bumblebee9335]

Sorry if I missed it, but for the 2023 and 2024 what what is the yearly index for the monthly part?

[@Akaawol]

Do the cousins start with the Sunday or Monday or is that a choice?

[@emimaruhashi8956]

Is it possible to use the Hon a5 with the soft covers available also? Or do those only fit the more flexible paperback covers?

[@marilyngardner4269]

Can you clarify which products allow buyers to choose between a Sunday start and a Monday start? Please list all. I'm still confused on this point. Thank you!

[@Yoseka]

Only the Japanese Original (A6) has a Sunday Start version. None of the other planners have that option. Hope that helps! :) -Ashley

[@eva_fr]

I wanted, the first time in my life to try a hobonichi planner. I planned to have a hobonichi cousin, because the wertical weekly session, but I couldn't find a Sunday start on the website. I am quite disappointed that I cannot be part of the hobonichi party. 😭 They have such cute and practical designs, and I love the paper they use.

[@KathyLop1956]

The original is a Sunday start.The Japanese version, that is.

[@Yoseka]

We're crossing our fingers for a Sunday start Cousin one day! Thanks for watching anyways :) -Ashley

[@keneesha]

Does the Hon A5 have the Weekly pages or is that still only the Cousin?

[@luverly0ne]

Thank you for the Hobonichi 101. Are the quotes the same for the different versions?

[@Yoseka]

All English versions across the Cousin, Weeks, Techo Planner, and HON, have the same quotes. But these quotes are different form the Japanese versions! :) -Ashley

[@lavinder11]

Dang. I need more space for journaling, but I don't like that the Cousin includes weekly section. The A6 planner is perfect to carry in a bag too. 😢

[@memyselfandi1516]

I Clicked sooo fast 😅

[@cynajoy433]

Does the Techo or Weeks come with a Sunday start to the week?

[@Epicaricacy666]

This will be my first Hobonichi and I'm caught between two choices. I think I'll end up buying the Sunday start Original with a Black leather cover. It's that or the Cousin with the same cover, just bigger and English version, so maybe I'll change my mind. I'm just a bit uncertain if I want the bigger size or not. Also, I was unaware of the 5 year diary and maybe I'll pick one of those up eventually. I was wondering, since pre-orders for some do go up soon, do they end up selling out?

[@sherrycohen1824]

It's your choice. Some people hate a Monday start, but I like my weekend days together. It makes more sense to me.

[@Yoseka]

Great question! We put all of our Hobonichi on sale on our website on August 31st at 10pm (eastern time), and don't do a pre-order for them, so some popular styles have historically sold out within the first 24 hours. We're hoping we got enough this year so that doesn't happen, but we can never be sure. Hope that helps! -Ashley

[@SouLovelyRoses]

I thought the Hon A6 didn’t have the weeks? And is the English grid in the Hon the same as in the original black English (so slightly larger than the Japanese version) and can the Hon fit in the covers?

[@Yoseka]

Correct! The A6 HON does not have a weeks layout (as the Original A6 does not have a weeks layout). Only the A5 HON has a weeks layout (like the Cousin). All HONs have the smaller 3.7mm grid. The HON can fit in the covers though it is quite a tight fit. Hope that helps! -Ashley

[@MissMarilynDarling]

In the back of the books do they still have the time table, graph paper, favorites, my 100, and my favorite things ? Thanks Have a great week

[@Yoseka]

Yes, they do have all those different fun pages in the back of each one again this year. The English versions have a 365 day counter page which the Japanese versions do not have :) -Ashley

[@MissMarilynDarling]

@@Yoseka thank you Ashley

[@arguchik]

One thing a lot of people seem to be confused about is the difference between the Hobonichi Papers, the Plain Notebooks, and the Memo Pad Sets. The Hobonichi papers are not made with Tomoe River Paper, and never have been. They are glue bound, and the pages are designed to tear out. Both the Plain Notebooks and Memo Pad sets *are* made with Tomoe River Paper, and both are stitch bound. The Memo Pad sheets can be torn out because they are perforated, but the Plain Notebook sheets are not designed to be torn out.

[@carolinavoss5967]

I have a question… do the HON fits in the Covers? I want to buy the Berry cover.. to use it with a HON! Fits inside? Thank you ❤

[@Yoseka]

For the ones we've tested, they do! But it is a tight fit. I would think about how much you plan to paste into your HON and how much it might expand throughout the year :) -Ashley

[@Deb_BG]

Does anyone know if the English Techo comes with a Sunday start? How about the Day Free? Thank you.

[@Yoseka]

For now, they do not! Only the Japanese Original A6 has the Sunday start version available :) -Ashley

[@sharkirasiggal1826]

Will the Avec have an English version in November?

[@Yoseka]

Unfortunately not! Fingers crossed for more English releases in future years -Ashley

[@dlmarsh1916]

Do you know if the A5 Hon clear cover will fit the A5 Cousin?

[@Yoseka]

We don't know for sure (we don't have any to test with right now), but according to the specs on Hobonichi's website, the HON cover is about a quarter inch taller than the Cousin. So, it might be a slightly loose fit with some gapping is my best guess. -Ashley

[@dlmarsh1916]

@@Yoseka thank you for checking for me.

[@plan4life]

A good guide, though I was a little confused over the word techo, because they are all (mostly?) techos. And the cousin avec - is that a cousin or an avec or a techo? The names need a little more explaining And the avec has weekly pages? I need one with weekly pages (but not the weeks) and ideally in A6 format. Another question.. what is the difference between the A5 cousin and the A5 hon? Sorry if you already said.. it is all so confusing.

[@pamelabatchelor9204]

Why should I order from Yoseka Stationary rather than Hobonichi directly?? Or rather stated as is there an advantage to placing my order with Yoseka rather than Hobonichi? I wish I lived near a beautiful stationary store like yours.

[@neb-03]

I believe there is an international shipping fee when ordering directly from Hobonichi (and possibly customs duties?). On the other hand, they do offer some freebies that other stores selling Hobonichi don’t.

[@pamelabatchelor9204]

I ended up ordering from Hobonichi directly. I spent just over $300 and shipping was free. I really wanted the gift pens and small bags. I wish I could order from Yoseka I really like the whole group vibe there. They have lots of other stuff I can order from them so I’m sure I will soon. Thank you for your reply, very kind.

[@tragicallycanadian8317]

I wish my life wasn’t boring and uneventful so I could use one of these.

[@pickleeggs3340]

do men use these aswell?

[@JogieGlenMait16]

No one: My mind: A hobo niche. 😢

[@theyxaj]

Niche Neesh, nitch, whatever you wish. If only niche wasn't so niche So you could tell how it sounded Without being a witch If you only read it, it could be a Nietzsche. It could be a n-ichi. It could be a nick. It could be nigh-shh. Wouldn't it be nigh-shh if you could know? But we only see niche, it makes our brain itchy. Could it be nigh-chay, a cousin to nightshade? Could you wear it like Nike, the checkmark shoe? But don't put it on your knee, 'kay? That's not where shoes go. We'll never know, how to say niche, but thank goodness gracious That we're here while it's spoken Rather than long ago.

[@das_ein]

13:09 "if you're looking for information about how to purchase hobonichi this year for the 2024 calendar year... the other date to be aware of is October first..."" It seems like the ordering date you were about to say for the regular lineup was cut off and you only highlighted the date for the OnePiece collection. You might consider adding important dates/times to the description box or a pinned comment and include the timezone (e.g. I think 7pm Pacific is when Hobonichi will allow their ordering, will it be the same for Yoseka?) TY

[@Yoseka]

That's a great idea, thanks! The official ordering time is 10pm EDT on August 31st - the same time as Hobonichi will make them live in Japan -Ashley

[@mageksena2002]

super helpful! i really appreciate having comparisons of these different models in just one video 🩵