This is not something you will see in Japanese editors. Instead, you are given a lot of free space to write in your things like daily habit trackers or daily schedule, rather than having those sections pre-made for you. You can also build an organizer with different workbooks, like the Jipin Techo Starter Kit, which is reminiscent of Filofax-style refillable systems but with a much cooler aesthetic.
Being used to using Japanese editors, I found that I actually prefer the open customization. If my goals change during the year, I’m not locked into the idea I cooked up in January—it gives me a real fresh start for each month, week, and day.
Which Are Worth Buying?
I’ve tried a few Japanese editors this past year. Here are the ones I will continue to use in 2026.
Hobonichi
While Hobonichi’s favorite flagship is undoubtedly the OG Techo, I love my Techo Cousin. It adds a weekly spread to the front of the planner, and the A5 size is perfect for me to have enough space for my daily to-dos. This includes my to-do list, my to-do list, my habit tracker, and my daily schedule, and there’s still room for another playlist or playlist without needing to pull out another book.
Regular Techo is cheap as it skips the weekly spread part (which you don’t really need, as it’s in the front of the book, separate from the daily spread, and easy to forget). And it’s a little smaller—the size of A6 instead of A5. I really like the A5 size, but the standard Techo is a good and affordable place to start if you want to see what Japanese editors can do for you.
In it Jibun
As someone who already has a favorite weekly planner, I was surprised to find myself falling in love with Kokuyo Jibun Techo. I received the 2026 Starter Kit, which covers the last two months of 2025, so I’ve been able to start testing it in my daily life. It is a rarity among Japanese planners because it has three notebooks built into it: Diary, Life, and Ideas. The diary is part of the original monthly and weekly schedule, along with other pages like a book list, money tracker, and project tracker (which has become my habit tracker). The Life Book has many information pages, such as 100 Wishes and places to track information about your life, including a password manager and reminder list, and space to enter your life events between ages 0 and 99. Finally, the Ideas notebook on the back is just grid paper where you can jot down lists and ideas to your heart’s content.
All three books are bound together in the cover so they stay as one organizer, but you can take one out and refill it at any time. It’s a really useful system, especially as someone who will inevitably need to refill the Idea notebook before the year is out. I have the small B6 size, and it’s been a really nice size that fits on my desk.
Midori
Midori notebooks are popular—especially, those with MD paper. It’s described as versatile, and the paper feels versatile, but it also feels thicker and more like a regular notebook than the ultra-thin paper you’ll find in a Hobonichi or Kokuyo Jibun editor. It’s a little smoother to the touch than my American editors, although the paper weight feels the same.
I’m testing both the MD Diary and the Stand+ notebook, and I really like how the Stand+ is designed to stand alone; It makes for a very fun way to view my to-do list. There is a monthly calendar in the front and then grid paper pages later for free form notes and lists. The diary has the same feel and design, but instead of grid paper, it has lines. The lines are wide, which is great if you have large handwriting, but it doesn’t feel like enough space to me given how small the notebook is.
Are These Editors Only Available in Japanese?
If you’re worried that you won’t be able to read Japanese characters in Japanese, good news! Some of these editors have English translations or use English phrases. Hobonichi has English translations on Amazon, and Jipin Techo uses English titles on its pages. For Jibun, I still have to look at some translations since the descriptions under those titles are in Japanese, but I can infer how the page is used from the title and design. JetPens has an entire page dedicated to translating Jibun Techo here.
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