Meet Hobonichi Friend Series: Anna
At Nishura East, we love hearing how our customers bring their Hobonichi planners to life. As the second volume of our Hobonichi Stories 2026 series, we asked Anna (on Instagram) to share her experiences, tips, and favourite ways to use the Hobonichi Techo.
Q1. How long have you been using a Hobonichi?
2026 will be my third year of using the Hobonich Techo system
Q2. What are your favourite features of the Hobonichi?
The paper and layout, it gives me the needed variety to combine work and personal appointments / diary
Q3. What pens do you usually use in your Hobonichi?
All kinds. Mostly fountain pens, tombow fude and some brush pens to highlight or decorate with colour
Q4. Do you have any personal rules or habits when using your Hobonichi?
I try to journal on a daily basis and plan my weeks/months along the way. I also use Hohonichi to remind myself of important anniversaries and birthdays etc and to plan holidays/travel
Q5. Do you have any tips or tricks to share with other Hobonichi users?
Sometimes you can find yourself based in by the formality of a traditional calendar/diary. With Hohonichi it really helped me to sometimes draw (with pens or watercolour) instead of using words on my daily pages. It's a way of slowing down and freeing yourself, which I really enjoy.
Q6. Which Hobonichi format(s) do you prefer and why?
I've used both the A5 Cousin and HON. I find the HON a little easier due to its durability. I love the A5 format because it gives me more space to write and plan, plus it’s more comfortable to use on a daily basis.
Note from the Team
We’re always impressed by Anna’s creativity and artwork. We love how she inspires us to think differently about journaling: expressing thoughts through drawings rather than words can be such a freeing and mindful experience. After all, journaling is deeply personal — there’s no single “right” way to do it.
Special thanks to Anna for sharing her Hobonichi 2026 with us! We always love seeing how our customers use their Hobonichi planners. If you’d like to be part of this series, drop us a line at info@nishuraeast.com— we’d be delighted to hear from you.