The Best Japanese Planners (2026): Hobonichi Techo, Kokuyo Jibun Techo
Looking to get more organized in the new year? A planner is a great place to start, and Japanese planners might have caught your eye. Once you start looking into paper planners, it won’t take long to start seeing recommendations of cult favorites like the Hobonichi Techo.
What’s Different About Japanese Planners?
There are a few key differences between popular Japanese planners and popular American ones. A primary difference is paper quality, as Japanese planners use thinner, smoother paper that’s still strong enough to keep ink leakage between pages at bay, while American planners have thicker paper.
Paper Quality
The biggest difference is one you’ll feel right away: the paper. While popular Japanese planner makers each have their own signature paper, there’s a similar experience in writing on some of the most popular planners and notebooks. Compared to American planners, Japanese planners like the Hobonichi and Kokuyo Jibun have much thinner, smoother paper, but both papers are still plenty durable and won’t let ink leak through to the other side.
Design Focus
Japanese planners have a much more minimalist design style compared to American ones. Especially when you compare the colorful, youthful designs of American planners like Happy Planner and Ban.do to one like the Hobonichi—the Hobonichi feels very minimalist and plain.
Customization Approach
Granular customization is a popular feature in some American planners. Brands like the Erin Condren LifePlanner are beloved for their ability to allow a user to fully customize what will be printed on each page. This isn’t something you’ll see in Japanese planners.
Which Ones Are Worth Buying?
I’ve tried a few different Japanese planners this past year. Here are the ones I’ll keep using in 2026. The Hobonichi Techo and Techo Cousin are great options, with the Techo Cousin adding a weekly spread at the front of the planner.
Kokuyo Jibun Techo
The Kokuyo Jibun Techo is another great option, with three notebooks built into it: Diary, Life, and Ideas. The Diary is the true planner part with monthly and weekly spreads, plus other pages like a book list, money tracker, and project tracker.
Overall, Japanese planners offer a unique combination of minimalist design, high-quality paper, and customization options that make them stand out from their American counterparts.
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