One notebook to rule them all
The Hobonichi "Almost Daily" 5 Year Notebook and my foray into stationery consumerism
I’m not a big fan of stationery. I don’t do the KiKi Ks, Moleskins, or your bespoke Italian notebooks. I’m convinced that the surface anything is written on comes second to the actual words that are written on it. I’d rather read a beautiful poem off of a smelly sheep’s hindquarters than the dullest Instagram poem on the finest of paper.
But I’ll admit that I have a weakness for things that are functional and can last a long time without me having to think, let alone worry about them. So when Amazon’s algorithm served up something I didn’t know I needed, the Hobonichi “Almost Daily” 5 Year Notebook, I added it to my cart quicker than you can say, “actually, I found that selling for cheaper elsewhere”.
This wasn’t pure consumerism by any stretch. Seeing as I’ve just begun my Japanese language learning journey, I thought a notebook to track my progress over the next five years would be a great thing to have, especially in such a small package.
Granted, it does kind of look like a Japanese translation of the Mormon Bible, but don’t judge a book by its cover (because this book is completely empty).
In terms of quality, the paper is thin yet sturdy enough to believe, with a bit of confidence, that it’ll hold up for the five years I’ll be using it. It’s also laid out in a peculiar way.
To not have a giant tome of a notebook spanning five years and coming in at 1825 pages, this notebook has entries for each specific day of the week, for each year, on the same page. It’s a simple idea, but one that I think could potentially be a great way to look back at what I was doing, thinking, and possibly eating, that same day one year prior. It’s a refreshing idea when you compare it to the linear form most diaries, notebooks, planners take. I like the idea of restarting the year and passing by old entries from the previous year. Kind of like a little tip of the hat to my old and much more inferior, poorer, and less famous self. Or perhaps it’ll just be me flinching back in disappointment at not having learned anything in the intervening year. If that ends up being the case, at least I can burn the evidence.
On the right hand page is a lined grid that I suppose could be used for general notes. But I’ll be having to bargain for real estate on these pages with my future self, as each page will have to accomodate 5 years worth of notes. I have no idea how I’m going to do that. I think I’ll just let inspiration guide me, and if I end up not having any room to write in the following year, I’ll just have to suck it up and take it like a man.
These right hand pages also seem to have quotes in the bottom margins, which for the time being, I can’t understand. But as time goes on, being able to read these will be great and definitely offer a confidence boost. As to what they actually say, I refuse to translate them until I can read them myself. I’m hoping they’re some kind of pithy maxims or haikus. It would be a huge disappointment if they end up being ads for air conditioning and refrigeration services. Although, being able to read them fluently would still be ok, I guess.
And the grid pattern of each page will also give me the opportunity to practice writing kana and kanji in Japanese, should I feel so bold.
Overall, I’m pleased with my purchase, as they say in Amazon reviews. But don’t count on reading much more of any stationery reviews here. This was a one-off. But if there’s someone out there that gets value from this post, and perhaps gives this Hobonichi “Almost Daily” 5 Year Notebook a go, I won’t feel like such an idiot for spending over $50 on a piece of stationery.
またね!
(see you later!)