It’s almost September 1st, which can mean only one thing if you’re even remotely into planners and stationery: Hobonichi release day!
Every year I tell myself I’m just going to have a little look. And every year I spend far too much time looking at covers, Weeks designs and accessories that I definitely don’t need but suddenly feel are absolutely essential to my existence.
This year is going to be a little different, though.
After four years of using a Hobonichi Cousin, I’m saying goodbye to it as my main planner for 2027. Instead, I’m moving into an Aura Estelle B6 Daily Magnet Planner.
But am I leaving Hobonichi altogether? Of course not. That would be far too sensible.
Four Years in a Hobonichi Cousin
I’ve used a Hobonichi Cousin for the last four years and I genuinely love it.
For me, one of the big attractions has always been the combination of the monthly calendars, weekly pages and a full page for every day. The Cousin is A5, so there is plenty of room for writing, sticking things in, making lists and generally documenting life.
The weekly pages are particularly useful because you can see the entire week vertically, while still having all those daily pages for everything else. Plus I love using the weekly pages a bit more creatively. Which you can see in the examples.
And then there is the paper. If you know, you know. Tomoe River Paper is just the best!
There is something about a chunky, well-used planner filled with writing, stickers, washi, photos and random bits of paper that I absolutely love.
But after four years, I also felt like trying something new.
Why I’m switching to the Aura Estelle B6 Daily
For 2027 my main planner is going to be the Aura Estelle B6 Daily Magnet Planner.
The biggest change is obviously the size. B6 sits between A6 and A5 and I think it might be my perfect planner size: still enough room to write, but considerably more compact than the Cousin.
The Aura Estelle Daily has a really interesting layout too. Each month has a monthly calendar, trackers and blank grid pages, followed by a repeating weekly overview plus seven daily pages. There are also another 30 blank grid pages at the back. And – very importantly for me – it uses 52gsm Tomoe River/Sanzen paper.
So in many ways I’m not making a dramatic departure from the kind of planning I like. I still get my weekly overview. I still get my daily pages. I still get lovely thin paper.
It’s just all in a slightly smaller package. I’m ridiculously excited to start using it.
But then there is the Hobonichi 2027 release…
You would think that buying my main planner for 2027 would mean I could completely ignore the Hobonichi launch.
Ha.
No.
The Hobonichi 2027 collection launches on September 1st, and naturally I have been following all the previews. The official launch is September 1 at 11 AM Japan time.
And while I don’t need another main planner, there are two Hobonichis that I really want to use in 2027.
A Hobonichi Weeks and an A6 Hobonichi.
Hobonichi Weeks for 2027
I love the size of the Weeks. It’s slim, portable and much less intimidating than a full daily planner.
The basic layout has the week on the left and graph paper on the right, with more notebook pages at the back.
I haven’t completely decided what its job is going to be yet, which is possibly planner-person code for I want one and I will invent a reason later.
But I like the idea of having something small that I can carry around with me. My Aura Estelle can be my main (personal) planner and the Weeks can have a more specific purpose.
Maybe content planning. Maybe tracking projects. Maybe an everyday carry. Maybe a mixture of all three.
We’ll see.
And obviously I still need to decide which Weeks. That is the dangerous part of Hobonichi release day.
And then: the Hobonichi A6
This is the one I’m particularly excited about.
I’ve been completely inspired by Abbey Sy and the way she uses her A6. I love how playful and creative such a small book can become.
That is what I want from mine.
Not another planner that I have to keep up with. Not another place for endless to-do lists. I want the A6 to be somewhere to play.
Drawing. Writing. Stamps. Stickers. Little bits from the day. Tickets. Packaging. Random thoughts. Things I saw. Things I want to remember.
Basically: a tiny book of everyday life.
The A6 format is so much smaller than the Cousin I’ve been using for the last four years, and I think that is part of the attraction. Hobonichi describes its A6 as a compact size that fits comfortably in your hand, while the Cousin is the much roomier A5 format.
A whole A5 page can sometimes feel as if it needs to be filled. A6 feels much more manageable. One photo, a few scribbles and a sticker? Done.
My 2027 planner lineup
So unless I change my mind approximately seventeen times between now and January – which is entirely possible – my 2027 lineup will look like this:
- Aura Estelle B6 Daily Magnet Planner – my memory keeping journal, habit tracker and such
- Hobonichi Weeks – my portable planner/project book, although its exact purpose is still to be determined. I think it will be perfect for on the go and daily carry
- Hobonichi A6 – purely for creative journaling, documenting everyday life and having fun on paper.
What I actually really like about this setup is that the three books don’t have to compete with each other.
The Aura Estelle has a clear job. The Weeks will be small and practical. And the A6 gets to be creative.
At least, that’s the plan.
Ask me again in six months when I’ve somehow invented an urgent need for four additional notebooks.
Are you shopping the Hobonichi 2027 release?
The Hobonichi Techo 2027 collection goes on sale September 1st, so I’ll definitely be having a look.
I already know I want a Weeks and an A6, but choosing the actual designs is another matter entirely.
And honestly, choosing is at least half the fun.
So now I want to know: are you getting a Hobonichi for 2027? And if so, which one?
