This is August (already!), the month every Hobonichi fan knows well. It’s the season of Techo previews, where day by day new covers, formats, and collaborations are revealed. And I’m checking in almost daily, eager to see what’s coming next.

For the past eight months, I’ve been faithfully writing in two Hobonichi companions: the Weeks Mega and the A6 Grid Notebook. My A6 has been my trusty commonplace notebook, a place where I collect thoughts, quotes, and ideas without restraint. But when it comes to the Weeks Mega, I haven’t been entirely satisfied.

Even though Hobonichi never fails to surprise me with their beautiful collaborations (I believe this year will be no exception), I still find myself uncertain about which Techo type will truly suit me best moving forward.

What I’m Not Satisfied With in My Hobonichi Weeks Mega

As much as I adore the slim, portable format of the Weeks, I’ve realized the way it’s structured doesn’t fully align with how I journal and plan. Sometimes it feels overwhelming, while at the same time lacking space in areas I truly need.

Here’s how I’ve been using the sections:

• Yearly Calendar/Index → I track how each day went in a single word.
• Monthly Calendar →
  • Left: long-term planning, such as vacations or events in the city.
  • Right: a mood plot.
  • Bottom: “emerging” monthly tasks that need to get done.
• Weekly Pages + Memo Pages (side by side) →
  • Weekly: bullet-point summaries of what I did.
  • Memo: a recap of what I’m grateful for that week.
• Memo Pages at the back → daily journaling, written in more detail.
• 365 Days Check-off Sheet → color-coded mood tracking.

On paper, this sounds comprehensive. But in practice, several parts feel redundant or just not the right fit for me.

What Feels Redundant (or Missing)

• My monthly “emerging tasks” and long-term planning could easily be merged into one bigger monthly calendar. I often feel cramped for space here.
• Mood tracking is scattered across three places: the yearly index (words), monthly plots, and the 365 check-off sheet (colors). I’d prefer to combine all of these into one dedicated mood tracker.
• The weekly pages aren’t essential for me. Since I already do daily journaling in the back memo pages, the weekly summaries feel like double work. Even in the Mega version, I still run out of memo pages, so I’d rather have more free pages than weekly spreads.
• The “My 100” page doesn’t resonate with me. I simply don’t have a hundred goals to list in a year.
• On the other hand, I do enjoy the weekly memo space to list things I’m grateful for, and the Favorites page to capture discoveries throughout the year.

My Priorities for the Next Hobonichi

Based on this reflection, here’s what I truly need in my next Hobonichi:

• A larger monthly calendar with enough room to plan and jot down tasks.
• A consolidated mood tracker in one place.
• More space for daily journaling without restrictions.
• A section to record gratitude and joyful discoveries.

These are my top priorities, with journaling space and monthly layout being the most important.

I still love the portability of the Weeks shape, but I also enjoy the freedom of the A6 size. Both are compact enough to carry around, so either format could work for me, if only I can find the right balance of structure and space. That’s the hope I’m holding onto as Hobonichi rolls out this year’s lineup.