Don’t worry, this post has nothing to do with Christmas. It’s way too early in the year to be thinking of such things! It is, however, the time of year when the 2017 Hobonichi Techo is unleashed on the world.
I’ve used one as a work diary and planner for the last 2 years and decided to repeat the experience for 2017. The big difference for me this year was that I ordered mine direct from Hobonichi in Japan, instead of from a UK stockist. Supplies to the UK tend to be limited, so it can be a challenge to get hold of one if you’re not quick off the mark.
The Techo itself looks much the same as previous incarnations – A6 format (the only option in English) with a smart, understated black card cover. Buying from Japan meant I could choose from a range of outer covers not available in the UK. It also meant that I could buy some notebooks to accompany the Techo, as well as receiving some free goodies.
One of the goodies is straightforward (4 colour pen) and one is, ahem, unusual. By unusual I mean a small melamine plate made to look like a slice of toast with some butter melting into it. No, I don’t know why either, but it certainly catches your attention!

2017 Hobonichi Techo

Slightly less subtle than my old brown leather cover

Hobonichi pocket notebooks featuring Tomoe River paper (yum!)

Hobonichi goodies!
I’m thinking of getting one for myself too! Been eyeing this particular cover for aaaaages, but was initially torn between a Midori and a Hobonichi.
Out of curiosity, roughly how much did you pay (including customs, handling fee, vat etc.), to have this delivered to the UK using the official hobonichi store?
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Hi,
Good luck in making the choice! I’m too wedded to the Hobonichi to give you an unbiased viewpoint (buy the Hobonichi!).
Cost-wise I ended up paying roughly £55 for the Hobonichi and cover ( I also ordered a couple of sets of memo pads, which pushed my costs up a bit).
Shipping took about a week once the order had been confirmed. It was below the threshold for customs duty so there was only (!) VAT and a handling fee to pay – another £25 or so.
Not the cheapest way to do it, but I did get a toast-shaped melamine plate out of the deal!
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