I have been a loyal Hobonichi user for years now, whether it be the Hobonichi Techo or the Hobonichi Cousin. Today I want to take a closer look at the Hobonichi Cousin, some important information about it including the Hobonichi Techo Cousin review, and of course, my favorite daily layout for the Hobonichi Cousin.
There are so many ways you can make use of all of the Hobonichi cousin’s real estate! Today I want to take look at how I use mine, because it is very versatile and can be used so many ways.
In This Guide
Hobonichi Techo Cousin Review
I love love love planners! About five years ago I discovered the Hobonichi Techo, which is a monthly and daily layout in the A6 size, which is 4.1”x 5.8. It is a Japanese planner, but the Hobonichi Techo does come in an English version as well.
At the end of the day, the A6 size just wasn’t big enough for me, and I also wanted to use a weekly layout. For several years I used a combination of the Hobonichi Techo and Passion Planner.
Then I realized the Hobonichi Cousin existed!
Hobonichi Techo A5
The Hobonichi Cousin is a A5 size, which is 5.8″× 8.3″. In addition to a daily page for every day, the Hobonichi Cousin also has the weekly layout I was missing so much.
Because it is a A5 Hobonichi, it is also big enough for me to write just about everything I need to in it, whether it be for work or home. It has become my single source go to planner.
Is the Hobonichi Techo Cousin in English?
The question everyone asks is the Hobonichi Techo Cousin in English?
The answer? Sort of. It has enough English for you to us it, such as for days of the weeks and months, but the quotes at the bottom of the daily pages and the other information is in Japanese.
Don’t worry, the Google Translate app can fix this for you. Be sure to switch to camera, and watch your Hobonichi translate to English in real time.
Hobonichi Cousin Features
Let’s get the features down one more time:
- Daily, Weekly and Monthly Pages (Yearly overview page too!)
- Hobonichi Cousin is A5 size
- The Hobonichi Cousin English is enough to get by, even if you don’t speak japansese.
- Smooth as silk Tomoe River Paper.
What makes the Hobonichi cousin my favorite thing ever is the smooth as silk Tomoe River Paper. It is thin, yet durable, and amazing to write on. While people may be afraid of this thin paper at first, don’t worry, because I have all of the best pens for Hobonichi planners for you!
Hobonichi Cousin Daily Layout
There are so many different ways to use a Hobonichi planner, which is what makes them so wonderful. Some days I just use it to brain storm, but most days I follow a specific format.
Here is my one of my favorite Hobonichi Cousin daily layout.
As you can see, I have subdivided my Hobonichi page into a number of sections.
These sections are as follows:
- Techo Timeline
- Techo To Do
- Techo Tracker
- Daily Notes
- Lists or Brainstorming
- Techo Gratitude
Let’s take a closer look at each of these sections and how I use them.
Techo Timeline
This is a daily view of your schedule, with numbers every three hours, unlike the Hobonichi Techo original which doesn’t have numbers like this. I use this to block out important time periods in my day.
Techo To Do
This is my daily to do list. As you can see it comes with 5 checkboxes but if you count over to the 11th square you can also use that as a checkbox to make your to do list go up to 10 tasks.
The Techo Timelien and Techo To Do lists are pretty standard. When it comes to the Techo timeline, I divide it after the 12th square to make the other sections.
Daily Notes
These are notes I take throughout the day, usually for work during meetings. Sometimes they turn into to do items as well!
Lists or Brainstorming
This spot is good for lists like grocery lists, and brainstorming. On a very busy day it is easy to expand your daily notes into this space with the way I block everything out.
Techo Tracker
This is where I track things, whether it is progress on a project or how much water I have drank that day. I use lots of my custom planner stickers I have created in this space.
This is also a great place to track statistics for things like blogs and social media accounts. I like to use the same spot for tracking things daily, so it is easy to flip through the pages and visually see my progress!
Techo Gratitude
Every day, I like to take a couple of minutes in the morning and write down three things I am grateful for. This is a great way to start your day in the right mindset, and let go of any stress, and reset your focus for the day.
I use one of my custom planner stickers here too.
The Best Hobonichi Cousin Layout
This is my favorite way to divde and layout my Hobonichi cousin because it is so versatile. The things I do every single day have dedicated space, and I have enough flexible space to handle whatever comes my way that day, or whatever inspires me!
Do I follow this method every single day? Of course not! Some days my Hobonichi is a to do list and just brainstorming or notes for the day!
I hope this layout helps inspire you with a new way to use your Hobonichi Techo Cousin daily layout.