Best Tomoe River Paper Planners for 2024
Best Tomoe River Paper Planners for 2024 | Hobonichi
One of the best times of the year is PLANNER SEASON.
Unofficially from September through January, this is the time when creatives, planner girlies, writers, crafters, journal-lovers, and the notebook-crazed stationeryholics™ come out of the woodwork and obsess, I mean OBSESS, over which planner (or five) they will be using for the coming year!
And just to make sure you’re on top of the lingo, what you create during this time is called your Planner Lineup. It’s essentially a book TBR pile if you will, but for planner girls who have a personal waitlist of planners “on trial” they will be testing out to see if they make the final cut or not. This lineup might be the full list they plan to use for various purposes. Sometimes they sit around as backups, or sometimes they get sold/gifted if the owner decides to cut any from the lineup.
I’ve seen the pile go from 6 down to 2 ish since many users want various sizes and types of planners for various purposes.
If you haven’t been introduced to this fun, fanatic community yet, I invite you to check out the various planner girl videos across YouTube and Tiktok.
Prepare to be dragged into the planner void and never released.
AND the favorite planners right now go into two buckets based on their paper type. Disclaimer as always, this is all my opinion, so don’t @ me with your gripes lol.
Thick Paper Planners (such as Erin Condren)
Tomoe River Paper (TRP) Planners
Today let’s walk through on of the best TRP options out there - starting with the Hobonichi Planners. I will be comparing it to my Haven Planner which features similar spreads on Tomoe River Paper as well 😊 ⬇️✨📒
Just a heads up – this blog is sprinkled with affiliate links. What does that mean? Well, when you click on these links and make a purchase, I might earn a teeny-tiny commission. Your trust means the world to me, so I promise to only recommend products or services that I genuinely love and use myself. Your support through these links helps keep this blog alive and kicking, so a massive THANK YOU for being awesome!
The Benefits of Tomoe River Paper for Notebooks and Planners
Skip to the next section if you’re already familiar with TRP. In the world of notebooks and planners, one particular gem has caught the attention of enthusiasts: Tomoe River paper. Originating from Japan, this lightweight yet high-quality paper has become a favorite among the community for various compelling reasons.
Thin and Lightweight
Tomoe (“Toh-moh-eh”) River paper stands out for its remarkable thinness. Some people can’t stand this at first (like me), but it’s shocking how strong it is despite the thinness. The ghosting personally didn’t bother me and doesn’t really happen with the Cross Rose Gold ballpoint pen I use. Despite its delicate appearance, this feature allows notebook and planner users to enjoy more pages without sacrificing portability. Let's delve into the key benefits that make Tomoe River paper a go-to choice.
Smooth as Silk
The silky texture of Tomoe River paper transforms the act of writing into a truly enjoyable experience. Its smooth surface minimizes friction, providing a consistent flow for various writing instruments, especially favored by fountain pen enthusiasts.
Exceptional Opacity
Surprisingly opaque for its thinness, Tomoe River paper ensures that ink rarely bleeds through to the other side. This quality is invaluable for those who prefer utilizing both sides of the paper without compromising the clarity and neatness of their notes.
Enhancing Inks: Sheen and Shading
Tomoe River paper isn't just about practicality; it's a canvas that enhances the beauty of inks. With a propensity to showcase sheen and shading, especially with fountain pens, this paper adds an artistic dimension to your writing.
Durability in Delicacy
Despite its thin nature, Tomoe River paper boasts impressive durability. Resisting feathering and bleed-through, it maintains a clean appearance, contributing to the longevity of your notes and writings.
Aesthetics and Elegance
Beyond functionality, Tomoe River paper brings an aesthetic appeal to your notebooks and planners. The cream-colored tone adds warmth, making it a popular choice for those seeking an elegant and high-quality feel.
Archival Quality
For those who want to save their planners and memories kept in them, the longevity of TRP is a huge benefit! Tomoe River paper is said to have acid-free properties, ensuring archival quality. This pH neutrality means your writings are less likely to yellow or deteriorate over time.
Now let’s finally hop into the best TRP planners out there!
Hobonichi – The OG TRP Planners
The OG, the motherplanner, the Japanese standard that fueled the TRP obsession itself – Hobonichi planners are where most start when it comes to TRP paper planner options out there.
It’s fun, it’s cheap, has a very set structure, and it’s thiccc with multiple Cs. It’s a safe option for newbies, but beware, there are a few surprises you might want to be aware of.
Hobonichi Japanese vs. English Versions
The Original Hobo Techo Planner is in Japanese and is in the A6 size. The word Techo means notebook and is pronounced like “tetch-ōh” with accent on the “oh.”
This is important because you’ll see a lot of quotes, Japanese holidays, and words of the month/weeks/days in Japanese, which might confuse some new buyers if they don’t do their research.
Hobonichi Cousin, English A5 Version
The Hobo Techo Cousin was created as an English version of the Techo (its “cousin”) and it’s in an A5 size, which is twice as large as the A6.
The A5 is my favorite size for any kind of planner. It’s not too large, not too small, and provides the perfect room to plan and journal with plenty of stickers. Any smaller, and I feel like I have to write so small my eyes can’t read any of it.
Some Cons: Hobonichi Colors
One aspect of these planners is seen by many as a negative, and that is the colors. You’ll see various pale and dark colors across the planner to differentiate between months and sections.
Not only that, however, there are extremely dark greys and reds even on the weekly pages as seen here. As someone who prefers to add my own favorite colors to my weekly and daily spreads, I prefer a minimalist planner design that keeps the core structure of the Hobonichi (see other planner options below).
Hobonichi Grid Size 3.7mm
The grid size for the graph paper in all Hobonichi planners is 3.7x3.7mm which I find to be just a tad too small for writing and reading comfortably. Many people age thirty and over especially agree this is challenging for writing and eyesight concerns.
Hobonichi Quotes
Even the English version of the quotes and factoids are a little unrelatable. I’ve only seen a few quotes I really resonate with in these planners, so just keep that in mind. You can cover it up with stickers, but it’s a little inconvenient to have them on every page (see more minimalist planner options below).
Some Unnecessary Hobonichi Pages
You’ll find all Hobo versions have some pages that are generally unused or considered unnecessary such as Addresses, Gifts, Words to Remember, My Favorite Things, and a page on How to Better Enjoy Conversation.
With these limitations in mind, many people have been on the lookout for Hobonichi Dupes, planners that have all the basic benefits and the same paper design, but without the negatives we’ve discussed. I’ll walk through the Haven Planner dupe which is my own design in this blog. Stay tuned for further comparisons for planners like Papertess Designs, Sterling Ink, Wonderland 222, and more!
Haven Planner Beta Version, A5 in Color Tea Rose
If this planner doesn’t sound familiar, that’s because it’s brand new. This is my planner release with the best aspects of the Hobonichi with my own special design and preferences, and I’m SO EXCITED to show you the benefits.
NOTE: This planner is still in beta. The only way I can bulk order is if you raise your hand saying you want it! If you Pre-Order a Second Half Year Planner HERE, you will get the First Half Year Digital Version for free instantly to start testing out the design. This is perfect for Goodnotes and iPad/tablet users.
Haven Planner Details
A5 | Tomoe River Paper, 52 gsm, off-white color (pages appear white)
Softcover Texture: Very soft PU leather (one of my favorite features!)
Cover Gold Stamped with Haven Planner Logo
Cover Color: Tea Rose
Sunday Start
High-quality binding for the notebook to lay flat
Simple, minimalist design focused on goal-setting and page design
Gorgeous display heading serif font
All text in greyscale, no colors
Grid size: 4x4mm, slightly larger than most (technically, it’s 3.99x4mm)
White edges
288 pages
The Page Layout Breakdown is as Follows
1x 2024 year calendar
28x quarterly planning pages (goals, projects, tasks, plenty of space for vision boards) | 3 months of the quarter noted in the bottom right corner
6x monthly calendars on 2 pages | Jan 2024 - Jun 2024
13x vertical weekly spreads on 2 pages | Jan - Jun | 12-hour timeline 6AM to 12AM | Quarter and Week noted in the bottom right corner (e.g. Q1 W2)
183x blank grid pages with page numbers, enough for every day for the half-year
Total Page Count = 288
Check out the detailed images below to see the various page layouts.
Tomoe River Paper Grid size - 4x4mm
This is a highly underrated discussion when it comes to planners like Hobonichi and Sterling Ink. I’ve found the 3.7mm size boxes to be way too small for my eyes, and I’m only twenty-nine with fairly good eyesight.
The Haven Planner features a more comfortable grid size of 4x4mm! I really couldn’t find this anywhere among the popular Tomoe River paper planners, and it’s been a dream to write only slightly larger, but not have to jump into the 5x5mm range which is way too big. I know it seems picky, but this is a big deal to many of us who write small using fountain pens and ink in the notebooks.
A5 Haven Planner Beta Version | First Half Year of 2024 | Digital PDF
Jan - Jun 2024 | Since we are already heading into the beginning of 2024, the only option available for this planner for the first half of 2024 is the DIGITAL PDF, which you can get for free if you pre-order the Second Half Year physical planner below. 2024 is my beta year, so I’m open to initial feedback. Everyone who pre-orders and downloads the digital planner will receive an exclusive Beta Feedback survey so I can improve the layout for the Second Half Year.
A5 Haven Planner Beta Version | Second Half Year of 2024 | Physical Copy | PU leather in color Tea Rose
Jul - Dec 2024 | The notebook bulk order needs to be made by February 15th, so we will need all pre-orders to be made by February 1st.
The bulk order takes roughly 3 months to be processed, prepped for the machine, printed, thread bound, finished with the cover, checked, tripled checked, shipped to the US, packaged, checked again, and finally shipped to your address. If we can hit our Feb 15th order deadline, shipping will begin in May and be completed in June for you to start using it in July!
IMPORTANT: Just like a Kickstarter, if we can’t get enough orders in by February, I’ll need to refund everyone and try again for 2025. That’s just the reality of starting up a new stationery business, so please place your order early and share this with your community of planner friends!
You can pre-order the planner here! ⬇️
Once you confirm your purchase, you’ll be granted access to the Year 1 Digital Planner to start using it immediately!
I will regularly reach out with updates on manufacturing and how many pre-orders we need to make the bulk order on February 15th!
Pre-Orders needed as of 11/27/2023 - 298
Top Tomoe River Planners for 2024 | Hobonichi, Haven PLanner, Sterling Ink, Wonderland 222, and More
In 2024, the Hobonichi continues to stand out as an exceptional option for those seeking planners featuring Tomoe River paper. Renowned for its impeccable quality, Tomoe River paper offers a unique combination of thinness and durability, providing a smooth and enjoyable writing experience without sacrificing resilience.
The Haven Planner planner is a wonderful Hobonichi dupe known for its minimalist design, goal setting strucuter, and luxurious font.
These planners’ versatility and inclusion of grid pages make them an ideal choice for both creative journaling and structured planning. Both are extremely user-friendly with details like lay-flat binding. Both planners epitomize the fusion of functionality and aesthetics, making them standout choices for individuals who appreciate the exquisite qualities of Tomoe River paper in their organizational tools.
Stay tuned for more TRP planner comparisons to come, such as Sterling Ink, Papertess Designs, etc.
