Hobonichi Weeks Japanese Edition April 2024 Start [Keiko Shibata: Fluffy Floating Kittens]

Keiko Shibata’s unique artwork has now become a Hobonichi Techo Weeks cover. “Fluffy floating kittens” is one of the works drawn in 2022 on the theme of “wind.”

The wind blowing in the field was so strong that the kittens accidentally started floating. The indescribably cute expressions on their faces are so charming. The rough cloth used on the cover is designed to resemble a canvas. The warm touch of the oil pastel drawings is vividly expressed.

The front cover and book spine are foil-printed with the year 2024 in black, for a nice and simple look.

The back cover features the image of Shibata’s signature.

The cover has been constructed as a light hardcover book with some give to it so it still bends.

When you order this Hobonichi Techo Weeks, you’ll receive a clear, adhesive corner pocket you can stick anywhere you like.

The book uses thin and light yet durable Tomoe River S paper. The paper has supported the Hobonichi Techo for over 20 years with its special characteristics, but it’ll be undergoing an overhaul starting with the 2024 edition techos. The paper is more resistant to bleed through, lighter despite being the same thickness, and has a smoother surface by adjusting the fibers of the paper.

The April-start Weeks book has space for writing in plans or journal entries, and it also has 73 pages of grid paper memo pages in the back. The back of the book contains informational pages, including An Interview with Myself and Seasonal Sweets to Make at Home.

If you’d like storage space or a way to change up the look of your Weeks book, you can customise your book by pairing it with a Weeks cover.

There are many more items for our collaboration with Keiko Shibata! The techo covers are the A6 size ‘Bread floating in the wind’, the A5 size ‘Gentle breeze in a dandelion field’, and the Weeks size ‘Fluffy floating kittens’ designs. The Hobonichi Pencil Board comes in three sizes: the A6 size “Upwind alpacas,” the A5 size “Swaying tulips,” and the Weeks size “Wind gust during a Stay command” designs. The Hobonichi Plain Notebook comes in two sizes, A6 and A5, in the “Who is it?” design. All the items are unique and charming enough to experience the world of Keiko Shibata.

 

What is the Weeks Book?

This weekly-edition Hobonichi Techo is a compact book that’s easy to carry everywhere. Measuring 18.6cm tall and just 9.5cm wide, the book is slim and roughly the size of a long wallet, making it easy to fit into a bag or suit pocket. The main layout of the book consists of a weekly calendar on the left page and blank graph paper on the right page. Each weekly spread also contains the characteristic Hobonichi quotes on the bottom of the page. Although slim at first glance, the book holds 75 graph-ruled memo pages* for note-taking at the end of the book. The Weeks is available with a variety of different cover designs on the book itself and does not require an additional cover purchased separately. 

The Weeks book has space for writing in plans or journal entries, and it also has 69 pages of grid paper memo pages in the back (73 pages in the English edition Weeks). The back of the book contains informational pages, including An Interview with Myself and Seasonal Sweets to Make at Home.

Specifics of the Weeks Book

1. Slim and lightweight
   Even at 240 pages, the Weeks is incredibly compact. It’s 9 mm thick and weighs under 140 g, making it effortless to keep on hand. The Weeks Mega is 384 pages, 13 mm thick and weighs 190 g. *As the Weeks does not lay completely flat by itself, you will need to hold it down gently with your hand, or use a clip, whilst you write.

2. Wallet sized
   The Weeks is about the size of a standard wallet. It may look slim, but the surface area of a page is actually nearly the same as the A6 Planner and Original. The book fits perfectly into a suit pocket or bag. 

3. Perfect planner paper
   The thin, light paper, called Tomoe River paper, is strong and resistant to bleeding ― an ideal choice for a planner. The Weeks contains a cream-coloured paper variant that’s easy on the eyes especially when used outdoors.
   

Good to know

• Measurements W: 94 x H: 188 x T: 10 mm
• The front cover of each Weeks planner is embossed with the current year in a way that complements the colour scheme of each design
• The spine of the Weeks book is embossed with 2024 for easy reference when storing the planner in a bookshelf (a small selection of covers is not embossed.)
• The Weeks has the logo embossed on the back cover
• The endpaper is designed with the letters from Hobonichi’s logo — shortened to HOBO — arranged in a chic design
• The Weeks includes two bookmarks you can use to hold your place in commonly-used pages
• The Weeks has a clear pocket which makes it easy to carry around loose notes or sticker sheets. It comes unattached, so you can peel it off the back paper and stick it on the back (or front) endpaper if you’d like to use it
• The serial number on the inside back cover gives each planner a unique identity, and makes your planner your very own special book

Specifications

Size	H: 188 x W: 94 x T: 10 mm / H: 7.4″ x W: 3.7″ x T: 0.4″ *Specifications may vary slightly
Weight	Approx. 140 g
Main material	Rayon / Paper

Weeks Book (Japanese / April Start)

Language	Japanese
Pages	240 pages
Paper Type / Binding	Thin, light Tomoe River S paper resistant to bleeding and designed for planners / Stitch-binding
Graph Paper Size	3.55 mm
Start of Week	Monday-start week
Yearly Calendar	2023, 2024, 2025
Yearly Index	Apr. 2024 – Mar. 2025 (2 pages)
Monthly Calendar	Mar. 2024 – Apr. 2025 (28 pages)
Daily Quotes	One per week (Japanese)
Weekly Pages	Feb. 26, 2024 – Apr. 6, 2025 (116 pages) *All weekly pages include quotes.
Graph Paper	73 pages
Bonus Pages	Shorthand Note-Taking / Using Common Items to Measure Size / My 100 / An Interview with Myself / Seasonal Sweets to Make at Home / Solar Terms / Emergency Preparedness / Age Table / Conversion Chart / Getting the most of Hobonichi / Contact List / Personal Notes
Listed Information	Week of the year / Rokuyo (traditional Japanese calendar) / Solar terms / Japanese holidays / Moon phase (weekly pages include every phase, monthly calendars only include full and new moon)
Other	See the Exploring Each Type page for more details