Tokyo National Museum: Hasegawa Tohaku - Pine Forest A5 Cousin Size - Techo Lineup

Tokyo National MuseumHasegawa Tohaku - Pine ForestA5 Cousin Size

In this work, the artist avoids the prominent outlines typical of ink painting, using only delicate gradations to depict a windswept pine forest with hazy light seeping through the mist. Off in the distance are snow-capped mountains, filling the image with humid, cold air.

Pine Forest is a work of art that was painted by Hasegawa Tohaku nearly 420 years ago during the Azuchi–Momoyama period. The painting currently resides in the Tokyo National Museum as a national treasure and is considered a masterpiece in early modern ink painting.

This popular national treasure, which has stolen people’s hearts with its enigmatic charm, is now available on a Hobonichi Techo cover.

The A5 Cousin size cover focuses on the left-hand screen of the original Pine Forest painting. Whether the techo cover is open or closed, you can enjoy the beauty and serenity of this national treasure.

One of the butterfly stoppers is illustrated with the snow-capped mountain from the left-hand screen of the original Pine Forest painting, which gives the overall piece a feeling of depth.

The bookmarks are thin, elegant ribbons as not to detract from the serene beauty of the artwork on the cover.

The cover interior is a light blue faux leather that evokes the image of thawing snow. When you open your techo, you’ll be soothed by the fresh, cool color scheme and matte texture. The left-hand pocket is pressed with the Tokyo National Museum logo.

The cover comes with an informational card that gives an overall view of the entire original Pine Forest painting, which stretches across a left- and right-hand screen. You can bend the card and stand it up to have a miniature version of the original.

Hasegawa Tohaku was born in 1539 in Nanao, Noto Peninsula, Ishikawa Prefecture. He painted Buddhist pictures in his hometown of Nanao as a painter until his early 30s, after which he was discovered by Sen no Rikyu and moved to Kyoto. He was believed to be in his 50’s when he painted Pine Forest. Some believe that Tohaku, who lost his son at a young age, may have painted this image from memory while imagining the coast of his hometown where he walked with his son.

Looking at this artwork can put your mind at ease, provide a sense of comfort, and remind you of your own hometown or memorable place. Pine Forest has an almost magical charm to it in the way the scenery transcends time and place to resonate with all viewers. We hope this techo will bring comfort to those who carry it on them.

*A portion of proceeds from this product will be donated to the Japan Red Cross in support of recovery and reconstruction after the Noto Peninsula Earthquake Disaster of 2024 and the Noto Peninsula Heavy Rain Disaster of September 2024.

What does Pine Forest make us feel?

Hasegawa Tohaku’s Pine Forest has a wide-reaching appeal. How can such a quiet painting leave such a strong impression? I’d been sitting on the idea for a while to find a way to convey through a techo cover what makes the artwork so great.

Then, I read in a newspaper article that Pine Forest artist Hasegawa Tohaku was from Nanao, Ishikawa Prefecture. I was also impressed by a theory that Tohaku, who had lost his son at a young age, painted this scene while thinking about the coast of his hometown, where he had walked with his son.

This artwork holds a mysterious charm to it that has the power to calm us down, comfort us, and lure us into our own mind’s eye. It’s a sensation that I think would apply to people of all generations and nationalities.

We will also donate a portion of the proceeds from these techo sales to the Noto Peninsula Earthquake Recovery Fund, as Noto is Tohaku’s hometown. We hope that we can be of some help in some small way.

It was extremely important to preserve what makes Pine Forest so special when turning it into a techo cover design. The original Pine Forest painting stretches across left and right screens that perfectly balance the images of trees. We paid careful attention to the design when depicting it onto techo covers for the A6 Original cover, A5 Cousin cover, and Weeks book cover so that the balance would always work out nicely regardless of whether the cover is open or closed. Each techo cover was carefully balanced with the artwork in a way that suited its proportions.

I also worked with a theme of melting snow for this product. It evokes the image of a cold, harsh winter thawing out, which seemed to match well with a Hobonichi Techo 2025 Spring product—everyone’s looking forward to the warm season ahead. I think the lightly painted image of a snow-capped mountain on one of the butterfly stoppers also helps support that image.

And finally, I wanted people to be able to see this artwork and have it feel fresh and new all over again. Pine Forest is a national treasure with plenty of history and weight to it, but the painting also evokes a novelty that’s still relevant today. In making this techo cover, I wanted to give the artwork a fresh, modern feel, which is why I paired it with a chilly, light blue interior for the Original and Cousin covers. The back cover of the Weeks book is also white with a faint blue tint to evoke the image of melting snow.

Introduction to the Tokyo National Museum series products

(Hobonichi Techo 2025 spring lineup)

Staff List

Photographer: Styled Images: Masaki Miyashita（hannah) / Product Detail: Hiroyuki Oe
Stylist: Haruka Kimura

Tokyo National MuseumHasegawa Tohaku - Pine ForestA5 Cousin Size

¥8,910 - ¥10,560 (incl. tax)
¥5,390 (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" x W: 13.3" x T: 0.1"
*Excluding pen holders

Weight

Approx. 170 g

Main material

Exterior: Polyester / Interior: PU

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

User recommendations

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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.