Hobonichi Notebook squared - Akiko Miyakoshi: I Dream of a Journey (Landscape)

The Hobonichi grid notebook in landscape format features an illustration from Akiko Miyakoshi's picture book "I Dream of a Journey" – a quiet, dreamlike story about wanderlust and the beauty of the familiar. The front cover shows a scene from the picture book, while the spine displays a serene sunrise panorama over clouds, which serves as endpaper in the original. The soft, matte cover is embossed with the text "Unforgettable Moments." in aurora-coloured foil stamping. Inside: Tomoe River paper in a 3.7 mm grid, landscape format in B6 size.

Features

• Tomoe River paper, thin and resilient: This characteristically lightweight paper is ink-fast and displays pronounced shading and shimmer effects with fountain pen inks – even with fine nibs without show-through on the reverse side.
• 3.7 mm grid: The fine-mesh grid – identical to that used in Japanese-language Hobonichi Techo planners – provides enough structure for clean layouts without constraining free writing or drawing.
• Landscape format: The B6 landscape format is particularly well-suited for wide sketches, two-column notes, mind maps or weekly overviews that benefit from horizontal space.
• Lay-flat binding: The notebook opens completely flat – both pages of a spread lie flat on the table without resistance at the spine.
• Matte, soft cover: The surface feels silky-dry and comfortable to hold. The aurora foil stamping gives the cover a shimmering colour shift depending on the light.
• Back cover design: The sunrise panorama over clouds – used as endpaper in the picture book – makes the notebook a complete work of art from the outside as well.

Use & Tips

• Fountain pens with fine to medium nibs: Tomoe River paper displays ink shading and sheening particularly beautifully. Inks with vibrant colour gradients look especially striking here. Drying times are slightly longer in landscape format – allow a moment to dry, especially after broad strokes.
• Quick-drying inks and gel rollers: For those who write quickly or turn pages frequently, oil-based ballpoint refills or quick-drying gel rollers are ideal – they keep the Tomoe River surface unaffected.
• Travel journal and sketchbook: The landscape format invites you to record panoramas, city views or map sections across double spreads. Fitting the picture book theme: travel memories, route sketches, travel diaries.
• Bullet journalling and layouts: The 3.7 mm grid allows for precise columns, tables and trackers. Those who build modules horizontally benefit from the wide landscape format.
• Coloured grid sections for organisation: The grid colour changes every 60 pages (red, blue, green, purple) – allowing thematic division without additional dividers or tabs.

For Paper Enthusiasts

The Tomoe River paper in Hobonichi notebooks is produced from 2025 as Tomoe River S by Sanzen – a successor to the original Tomoegawa paper with comparable properties: extremely low weight whilst maintaining high ink-fastness and pronounced sheening behaviour. Those who collect fountain pen inks with shimmer or shading effects will find this paper one of the finest surfaces to test the full colour spectrum. White fountain pen inks or heavily pigmented inks may take longer to dry on the smooth surface – a brief pause before turning the page is recommended.

Technical Specifications