Hiroko Kubota: Twinkle-shells A5 Cousin Size - Techo Lineup

Hiroko KubotaTwinkle-shellsA5 Cousin Size

A train runs along a track high in the gray sky. Look closely, and you'll see that the stars shining in the sky are in the shape of various seashells. A giraffe stands quietly on the ground, looking up at the sky. You can really feel the quietness of the scene.

This fantastic view, which looks to each person to have a different season, time, and place, was created by illustrator Hiroko Kubota. She brushed up a previous work of art in order to extend the story to the back of the cover as well.

The seashell-shaped stars all have their own appearances, as some have a soft glow while others are sparkling brightly.

On the back of the cover you can see a puddle where the moon has fallen, and animals playing jump rope nearby.

In order to portray the soft color scheme of the original illustration, we chose an extra-fine cover material that’s smoother to the touch than ever before. The Cousin allows users to enjoy this marvelous world on a larger scale.

The interior pockets are blue-gray, with seashell stars sparkling in a sky that’s been printed behind the pockets. The bookmark charms are also shaped like shells.

By keeping this quiet world by your side, you’ll find yourself able to calm down and self-reflect. It’s a good cover to spend the next year with.

Items that include illustrations by Kubota include techo covers, a Weeks book, and a pencil board.

About Hiroko Kubota

Born 1971. Illustrator. Uses acrylic gouache etc. to draw landscapes, people, and animals.

Instagram: @hiroko_kubota

Homepage: https://kuvotahiroko.jimdofree.com/

Cherishing tranquility

Hiroko Kubota’s illustrations often evoke sounds you can almost hear. This time, she illustrated a quiet, tranquil world. The Twinkle-shells techo cover brushes up a previous work of her art. I first pursued this design because I was fascinated with the colors of the original illustration. The colors of the train running across the gray sky, the seasell stars, and images across the pale yellow ground are unrealistic, and yet they work well in the artwork. This dreamlike mysteriousness felt perfect for a cover users would carry around on a daily basis. There’s a print of the night sky on the interior of the cover that hides behind the techo book once you fit the book into the cover. I liked how wonderful it was to know it’s still there even when you can’t see it anymore.

The Weeks has a quiet image as well. The black sky and the black sea both look so chic, I love it. You can’t tell at first, but this piece actually has a ton of layers of color to it.

It was important to us to portray this quiet world—which feels vaguely lonely yet contains a warm presence—the best that we could. We worked with Kubota very closely and tried all kinds of iterations in the details, including switching out the animals, changing the placement of things, and varying the brightness of the street lights or stars in the sky.

I love the way the sparklers actually sparkle in the light when holding the techo.

Obviously, there’s a great power to Kubota’s artwork, but I think the popularity of her cover designs also comes from the rich imagination of everyone choosing these designs. These people have a good feel for the world depicted in the artwork and have a good read on it. That’s why we tried to make sure we didn’t lose any sense of silence in this design. It has a front design that connects to the back design, and we hope you can really immerse yourself in this world.

Staff List

Photographer: Styled Images: Nobuki Kawaharazaki / Product Detail: Hiroyuki Oe
Stylist: Minami Nosaki

Hiroko KubotaTwinkle-shellsA5 Cousin Size

¥7,700 - ¥9,350 (incl. tax)
¥4,180 (incl. tax)

20 per item

Available

Normal

Specifications*Specifications may vary slightly

Cover

Size

H: 228 x W: 337 x T: 3 mm / H: 9.0" x W: 13.3" x T: 0.1"
*Excluding pen holders

Weight

Approx. 170 g

Main material

Exterior: Polyester / Interior: Polyester

Compatible Techo Books

Cousin (A5)
1 page per day
Cousin Avec (A5)
1 page per day 6-month book
Day-Free
Monthly notebook

Cousin | One-Page-Per-Day TypeJapanese / English

type	Monday Start (Japanese) Monday Start (English)
Size	A5 H: 210 x W: 148 x T: 18 mm / H: 8.3" x W: 5.8" x T: 0.7" *Specifications may vary slightly
Weight	Approx. 445 g
Dates	Jan 2026 - Dec 2026 (Jan start) Apr 2026 - Mar 2027 (Apr start)

A daily techo with lots of space to write

This A5-size techo provides ample space on each daily page. It’s great for keeping in one place at home or at work and you can use it to track your child’s growth or exchange with someone.

Daily pages
Yearly calendar
Yearly index
Monthly calendar
Weekly pages
Memo pages

View details on features and included content

Cousin Avec | One-Page-Per-Day Type (2-Book Set)Japanese

type	Monday Start (Japanese)
Size	A5 Each Book: H: 210 x W: 148 x T: 10 mm / H: 8.3" x W: 5.8" x T: 0.4" *Specifications may vary slightly
Weight	Each Book: Approx. 260 g
Dates	Book 1: Jan 2026 - June 2026 Book 2: July 2026 - Dec 2026

Each 6-month daily techo is thin and light for easy carry

This techo splits the year into two 6-month books, making it easy to carry while keeping the same page design and layout as the standard edition.

Daily pages
Yearly calendar
Yearly index
Monthly calendar
Weekly pages
Memo pages

View details on features and included content

Day-Free | Monthly Techo + NotebookJapanese

type	Monday Start (Japanese)
Size	A5 H: 210 x W: 148 x T: 8 mm / H: 8.3" x W: 5.8" x T: 0.3" *Specifications may vary slightly
Weight	Approx. 220 g
Dates	Dec 2025 - Mar 2027

A monthly notebook with undated pages to write freely

This techo starts with monthly calendars and ends with undated graph paper pages so you can write whenever you want, and as much as you want.

Monthly calendar
Yearly calendar
Yearly index
Graph paper notebook pages

View details on features and included content

Book (Cousin English Edition / English / January Start)

Size	A5 size H: 210 x W: 148 x T: 18 mm / H: 8.3" x W: 5.8" x T: 0.7" *Actual book size may vary slightly
Weight	Approx. 445 g
Language	English
Pages	544 pages
Paper Type / Binding	Thin, light Tomoe River paper that is smooth to write on and designed for planners / Stitch-binding
Graph Paper Size	3.7 mm
Start of Week	Monday-start week
Yearly Calendar	2025, 2026, 2027
Yearly Index	Jan. 2026 - Dec 2026 (4 pages)
Monthly Calendar	Dec. 2025 - Mar. 2027 (32 pages)
Daily Pages	Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2026 (377 pages) A page is included at the beginning of each month to help in planning ahead. Every two-page spread includes one daily quote. Includes a mini monthly calendar at the bottom right of every two-page spread (Monday-start). Additionally, a blank two-page spread is featured at the beginning to provide a free area when starting out the book.
Daily Quotes	One quote per two-page spread (English)
Weekly Pages	Dec 29, 2025 - Jan 3, 2027 (106 pages)
Memo Pages	6 pages
Bonus Pages	Time Table / Graph Paper / Favorites / My 100 / Memories 2026 / 12 Switches to Help You Focus / For a Comfortable Night’s Sleep / Words to Remember / 365 Days Check-Off Sheet / Getting the Most Out of Your Hobonichi Techo / Gifts / Addresses / Personal Notes
Listed Information	Day of the year / Week of the year (listed on monthly calendars and weekly pages) / Moon phase (daily pages include every phase, monthly calendars and weekly pages only include full and new moon)
Other	See the Exploring Each Type page for more details

Book (Cousin / Japanese / January Start)

Size	A5 size H: 210 x W: 148 x T: 18 mm / H: 8.3" x W: 5.8" x T: 0.7" *Actual book size may vary slightly
Weight	Approx. 445 g
Language	Japanese
Pages	544 pages
Paper Type / Binding	Thin, light Tomoe River paper that is smooth to write on and designed for planners / Stitch-binding
Graph Paper Size	3.7 mm
Start of Week	Monday-start week
Yearly Calendar	2025, 2026, 2027
Yearly Index	Jan. 2026 - Dec 2026 (4 pages)
Monthly Calendar	Dec. 2025 - Mar. 2027 (32 pages)
Daily Pages	Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2026 (377 pages) A page is included at the beginning of each month to help in planning ahead. All daily pages include daily quotes. Includes a mini monthly calendar at the bottom right of every two-page spread (Monday-start). Additionally, a blank two-page spread is featured at the beginning to provide a free area when starting out the book.
Daily Quotes	One per day (Japanese)
Weekly Pages	Dec 29, 2025 - Jan 3, 2027 (106 pages)
Memo Pages	6 pages
Bonus Pages	Time Table / Graph Paper / Favorites / My 100 / Memories 2026 / 12 Switches to Help You Focus / For a Comfortable Night’s Sleep / Solar Terms / Emergency Preparedness / Gifts / Age Table / Conversion Chart / Getting the most of Hobonichi / Addresses / Personal Notes
Listed Information	Day of the year / Week of the year (listed on monthly calendars and weekly pages) / Old lunar calendar / Rokuyo (traditional Japanese lunisolar calendar) (listed on monthly calendars) / Solar terms / Japanese holidays / Moon phase (daily pages include every phase, monthly calendars and weekly pages only include full and new moon)
Other	See the Exploring Each Type page for more details

Book (Cousin Avec / Japanese / January Start / 2-Book Set)

Size	A5 size x 2 books Each Book: H: 210 x W: 148 x T: 10 mm / H: 8.3" x W: 5.8" x T: 0.4" *Actual book size may vary slightly
Weight	Each Book: Approx. 260 g
Language	Japanese
Pages	Each Book: 288 pages
Paper Type / Binding	Thin, light Tomoe River paper that is smooth to write on and designed for planners / Stitch-binding
Start of Week	3.7 mm
Start of Week	Monday-start week
Yearly Calendar	2025, 2026, 2027
Yearly Index	Book 1: Jan. - Dec. 2026 (4 pages) Book 2: Jul. 2026 - Jun. 2027 (4 pages)
Monthly Calendar	Book 1: Dec. 2025 - Jul. 2026 (16 pages) Book 2: Jun. 2026 - Jan. 2027 (16 pages)
Daily Pages	Book 1: Jan. 1 - Jun. 30, 2026 (187 pages) Book 2: Jul. 1 - Dec. 31, 2026 (190 pages) A page is included at the beginning of each month to help in planning ahead. All daily pages include daily quotes. Includes a mini monthly calendar at the bottom right of every two-page spread (Monday-start). Additionally, a blank two-page spread (three pages for Book 2) is featured at the beginning to provide a free area when starting out the book.
Daily Quotes	One per day (Japanese)
Weekly Pages	Book 1: Dec. 29, 2025 - Jul. 5, 2026 (54 pages) Book 2: Jun. 29, 2026 - Jan. 3, 2027 (54 pages)
Memo Pages	Book 1: 8 pages Book 2: 4 pages
Bonus Pages	Time Table / Graph Paper / Favorites / My 100 / Memories 2026 / 12 Switches to Help You Focus / For a Comfortable Night’s Sleep / Solar Terms / Emergency Preparedness / Gifts / Age Table / Conversion Chart / Getting the most of Hobonichi / Addresses / Personal Notes
Listed Information	Day of the year / Week of the year (listed on monthly calendars and weekly pages) / Old lunar calendar / Rokuyo (traditional Japanese lunisolar calendar) (listed on monthly calendars) / Solar terms / Japanese holidays / Moon phase (daily pages include every phase, monthly calendars and weekly pages only include full and new moon)
Other	See the Exploring Each Type page for more details

Book (Day-Free A5 size / Japanese / Monthly)

Size	A5 size H: 210 x W: 148 x T: 8 mm / H: 8.3" x W: 5.8" x T: 0.3" *Actual book size may vary slightly
Weight	Approx. 220 g
Language	Japanese
Pages	224 pages
Paper Type / Binding	Thin, light Tomoe River paper that is smooth to write on and designed for planners / Stitch-binding
Graph Paper Size	3.7 mm
Start of Week	Monday-start week
Yearly Calendar	2025, 2026, 2027
Yearly Index	Jan. - Dec. 2025 (4 pages)
Monthly Calendar	Dec. 2025 - Mar. 2027 (32 pages)
Daily Quotes	Included (Japanese)
Graph Paper	171 pages
Bonus Pages	Time Table / Graph Paper / Favorites / My 100 / Memories 2026 / 12 Switches to Help You Focus / For a Comfortable Night’s Sleep / Solar Terms / Emergency Preparedness / Gifts / Age Table / Conversion Chart / Getting the most of Hobonichi / Addresses / Personal Notes
Listed Information	Day of the year / Week of the year (listed on monthly calendars) / Old lunar calendar / Rokuyo (traditional Japanese lunisolar calendar) (listed on monthly calendars) / Solar terms / Japanese holidays / Moon phase (Full and new moon listed on monthly calendars)
Other	See the Exploring Each Type page for more details

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Please Read Before You Buy

We’ve compiled a list of warnings, potential issues, and tips to keep in mind for this particular product. Additionally, the color of the product may be slightly different in actuality than compared to how it appeared on a computer or smartphone screen.

Cover may contain variations in stitching or loose lining: Due to the structure of the cover that opens flat 180 degrees, exterior stitching areas may appear puckered and lining material may be loose.

Pen holder fits pens up to 13.5 mm wide: The pen holder is designed to fit the 12.2 mm (0.48") diameter Jetstream pen offered as a free Hobonichi Store Exclusive Bonus. Pens with certain shapes and materials may be difficult to pull through the holder. The holder can fit pens up to 13.5 mm (0.53") in diameter.

Color and print may vary slightly: The cover's color and print pattern are created by dyeing or printing onto white fabric. While we take care to ensure consistency during production, slight variations in color or pattern may occur between individual items. This may also happen across a single cover, such as a pocket compared to the rest of the cover. Minor print blurring or uneven coloring may also be present. In addition, on rare occasions, there may be small black or white dots visible on the print. This is an unavoidable aspect of the manufacturing process.