We visit Hobonichi HQ in Tokyo to give you the highlights and our must-buy recommendations for next year’s range.

Japan’s globally beloved Hobonichi Techo is back for another year, and the 2027 collection is bigger than ever, with more than 280 new planners and stationery products joining the lineup.

First launched in 2001, Hobonichi Techo – Hobonichi means “almost every day”, while “techo” comes from the Japanese word for planner or diary – has grown from a small collection of planners to include a wide range of scheduling notebooks and related accessories.

▼ The brand’s “Life の Book” (“Book of Life”) tagline captures the ethos of the brand’s products, which can be used for scheduling and crafty journalling.

Image: Press release

Hobonichi products are now an international phenomenon, with English-language versions joining the lineup and fans from over 100 countries and regions full of praise for the user-friendly layouts and beautiful designs.

While the 2027 collection is set to be released from 11 a.m. on 1 September, a press event held last week gave us an early look at the new products, allowing us to get all the details on the new collaborations and stationery items in the range.

Image: Press release

Here are the highlights, along with the items you won’t want to miss when the collection drops, starting with some of the most popular characters.

▼ Puppet Sunsun

This blue six-year-old puppet boy character shot to worldwide fame a few years after it was created in Japan, when it became the “Screaming Blue Thing” meme. He’s now so popular that he’s even getting his first-ever Hobonichi range, appearing on an Original size cover (above), and a larger “Cousin” size (below).

▼ Puppet Sun Sun’s love for bread is depicted in the handy bookmark that slots into the pocket on the front of the cover.

▼ The puppet also graces a series of writing underlays and stickers.

▼ One Piece

Yes, yes, yes to all of these new items, which include plenty of original illustrations and famous lines from the series.

▼ Yes to the covers.

▼ Yes to the hardcover techos.

▼ Yes to the underlays.

▼ Yes to the files.

▼ And yes to the stickers.

▼ Moomin

This is the second year for Moomin to appear in the lineup, and fans of the series will love the sweet mood of the covers, techos, and stationery.

▼ V & A

One of the biggest surprises is the collaboration with London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, which brings the museum’s collection and design heritage to Hobonichi planners and stationery in a beautiful way.

Hobonichi is also teaming up with a number of fashion and lifestyle brands for 2027, with Natal Design making its debut…

… alongside Tanaka Daisuke, who reimagined his jewelled lace-on-velvet handbag design as a techo cover, the largest of which costs 36,300 yen (US$227.82).

Those who want to keep five years worth of appointments and memories in one place can opt for the beautifully packaged Hobonichi 5-Year Planner Gift Set.

▼ The set includes a 5-year diary, stationery items and a beautiful cover for 15,400 yen.

▼ Leather Covers to protect your 5-Year diary are another option.

▼ Some of the most beautiful slimline “Weeks” diaries feature Pickles the Frog, Monchichi, and Kanahei’s Pisuke and Usagi.

▼ Chibi Maruko Chan, and Fujiko・F・Fujio Museum with a design based on “Doraemon Long Stories: Nobita and the Animal Planet“

▼ Sometimes simple is best, and for that we have Colours covers, which feel silky smooth to touch.

Illustrators feature heavily every year, and this year we have Japanese picture-book artist Akiko Miyakoshi joining the lineup for the first time, alongside collaborations with illustrators Yumi Kitagishi and Hiroko Kubota.

▼ Akiko Miyakoshi

▼ Yumi Kitagishi

▼ Hiroko Kubota

▼ Artwork from Leo Lionni’s beloved picture book Frederick adorns a trio of covers in the collection.

▼ Classic Pooh is another top choice for picture book lovers.

▼ After appearing in last year’s lineup, Mother is getting two new designs for 2027.

▼ Some of the most sought-after products in the entire collection feature Suica’s Penguin.

These are very exclusive items as you can only purchase them at Hobonichi’s Tokyo Station store, which is opening in Gransta Tokyo on 16 September.

The penguin will soon be ending its tenure as Suica’s character mascot, so now’s the time to grab these items while you can.

The covers are made with a thick and sturdy canvas material and feature gorgeous nods to the cute penguin on the outside…

▼ …and the inside.

 

▼ If you buy nothing else from the range, we highly recommend this Mini Keychain Hobonichi Techo.

▼ New this year, these keychains are miniature versions of the real thing, being one-tenth the size.

Images: Press release

▼ Priced at 1,320 yen each, there are four 40-page mini notebooks to choose from.

▼ While they’re cute on their own, they become insanely cute when clipped onto a larger cover.


Images: Press release

▼ Rounding out our top selections is a brand new range from Hello Kitty, in her Hobonichi debut.

▼ The covers and notebooks are gorgeous…

▼… as are the files…

▼ …the underlays…

▼ … the “Stappo” standing pouch…

▼ … and the pen case, stickers, sticky notes and stamp.

The “Pochitto 6” stamps are one of our favourite products, as they come with push buttons, allowing you to easily add one inked art, or six, to the pages of your techo.

Another product you should look out for is the Deco Rush, a decorative tape that’s fun to use as you won’t really know what images will appear until you slide the tape along the paper.

▼ Other highlights among the stationery offerings include clever stickers in the “Collect & Collage” collection.

▼ These stickers look beautiful and are practical as well, as they’re designed to hold paper mementos in place.

▼ Simply slot your precious photos, tickets and other paraphernalia into the sticky-backed triangular notches and they’ll be beautifully displayed.

▼ Another clever concept is the “Tsuki no Iro” (“Colour of the Month”) collection.

▼ You may have never noticed, but each month in a Hobonichi techo is coloured differently.

Images: Press release

The Tsuki no Iro collection consists of items that align with these colours, so you can match them to each month with inks, stickers, and handy pockets.

And finally, if you’re like us and love Japanese railways as much you love your Hobonichi Techo, these Railway Maps are a must-buy.

If you made it to the end, congratulations! You are a bona fide Hobonichi Techo fan, and we love you for it. With so many items in the collection, it can be difficult to navigate through it all so we hope we helped you find your favourites. The Hobonichi Techo 2027 range will be available through the official Hobonichi online store, which ships internationally, as well as selected overseas retailers, such as stationery shops and bookstores.

Photos ©SoraNews24 unless otherwise stated
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