Updates
1/17/13: Important Announcement! In preparation for the release of the 2013 Hobonichi Techo spring edition planner (Japanese only), the Hobonichi online store will not be taking any planner orders from 1/23/2013 9PM EST until 1/31/2013 9PM EST. All products will go back on sale at 9PM EST on 1/31, but site traffic may be congested right after re-opening. Some new Japanese covers will also be announced, but shipping months will vary.
1/7/13: The response to this fanpage—and the English techo—has been unbelievable! Thanks to Earthbound Central and Tiny Cartridge for the coverage!
Based on the feedback I've gotten so far I've added some simpler ordering walkthroughs, including this video screencast. You can also try our simplified instructions (opens in a new window) if you don't think you'll want a cover, or scroll down for our full instructions.
BONUS: Check out some great examples of what people do with their techos and ask me any questions you might have about the book or the process at my new Hobonichi Love Tumblr. And as always, explore the planner's official website for everything you need to know about the product and its creators.
Techo ordering instructions!
What follows is my completely unofficial walkthrough for ordering the planner. There are other ways to do it, but these instructions will allow you to choose and order your planner and anything else you want.
Important note: If your session times out, you'll have to add everything to your shopping cart all over again. Once you start ordering, be ready to finish.
Ordering your Hobonichi Planner
First, visit the Hobonichi Planner main page. (That link opens in a new window, so you can follow along here.) Scroll down to "Hobonichi Planner Line-up," where you can see this:
Each photo is a link to the individual product page. The one labeled "Cover" is the planner itself.
The Planner is listed as shipping in October—this is October 2012.
STEP 1: Click on the planner you want
Clicking on any of the covers will take you to a page where you can order the planner and the cover as a set, or the planner individually. Your options will look something like this:
[A note for the adventurous: All the product pages are laid out about like this, and if you go a-hunting for covers or other products in the Japanese store your options will look about like this.]
STEP 2: Click "Add to Cart"
When you click Add to Cart, the following screen should pop up:
Congratulations! You're almost there! Kind of!
If you want just the planner, or the planner and one of the ARTS&SCIENCE covers, click through to my CHECKOUT INSTRUCTIONS section and skip this next step. But if you'd like to add a Japanese techo cover to your order, read on!
Sidequest: Ordering a Japanese Techo Cover
Scroll halfway down the Hobonichi Techo main page to reach the cover line-up. The solid covers near the top are offered every year, but the designer covers are limited edition—a new set is released every year. Most of them are done in collaboration with other design companies.
The buttons you'll need:
 |
Sold Out! |
 |
Sold Out! Will ship in [month]. (Months are written numerically, so the 11 here indicates a November shipping date.) |
 |
Available! (Click and select the bottom [cheapest] option to quick-add a cover to your Shopping Cart. |
As a rule, if a button lets you buy a product, it's available. If not, it's unavailable.
Choosing your cover
Click on a cover's image to go to its product page.
Note: Some items will have purple text in brackets, and starred red text underneath. That means they're not for sale—they were part of an annual "lottery sale," in which even-more-limited edition designs were only available to customers who both pre-ordered it and won a drawing that gave them the chance to purchase it.
On the right, you'll see a listing similar to the ones on the English Planner pages.
The top half is the Japanese Techo + Cover set; the bottom half is the cover itself. The item listed with the cover in this example is the "Cover-on-Cover," a protective plastic sleeve that fits over your cover. Not every cover comes with it; if yours does, you can slide your own pictures and paper into the Cover-on-Cover to customize your design. Hobonichi PDF templates, which include a MOTHER 3 design, can be found here.
An orange button means the product is available; a gray one means it's sold out.
What's my cover made of?
You can find the material your chosen cover is made from in the specification table on the bottom half of its product page. The material is typically the third item from the top, labeled "素材."
| ポリエステル | Polyester |
| ナイロン | Nylon |
| コットン | Cotton |
| ウール | Wool |
| 麻 | Linen |
| 牛革 | Leather |
Planners are sold in "sets," which include the planner and a cover, or individually (planner and cover sold separately.) Sets are priced the same as both items individually.
The English Planner set only includes the special leather tri-fold covers. All other covers will have to be added to the cart individually. But the Japanese and English techos are the same size, so covers are interchangeable.
Checking out of the Hobonichi Store
[Click any of these next images to see a larger one.]
STEP 3: Click "Check Out"
When you're finished shopping, click Check Out. If you're browsing the store and decide to check out when the blue screen is not up, click on the "View Cart" button (
) from anywhere in the store.
You'll be taken to a page summarizing your order.
STEP 4: Confirm order and press "OK!"
Click "OK" to proceed with your order. When you do, you'll be prompted for your Store Note account. "Store Note" is Hobonichi Store's check-out service. It's available only in Japanese, and it requires an account, so if this is your first order you'll have to sign up.
If you're a returning customer, please skip to Step 8.
STEP 5: Click on New Users
STEP 6: Click "Agree and Proceed to Order"
After that you'll need to enter your shipping and billing information.
STEP 7: Fill in your information and click "Create New Account."
Voila! You're now the proud owner of a Shop Note account.
STEP 8: Select your shipping address.
STEP 9: Select your payment method.
STEP 10: Confirm your order and shipping information and click "Proceed to Credit Card information."
STEP 11: Enter your credit card information and click "Submit." That will complete your purchase.
You'll be taken to a confirmation screen. (This info will also be sent to your e-mail address.
Checking on your Order
Congratulations! Your techo is now on its way; you'll get a confirmation e-mail once your order goes through. After your order ships, you'll get another e-mail with your tracking number. The tracking number is underneath your 9-digit order number and will end with the letters "JP." Click here to check on the status of your shipment.
All orders are shipped express.