As a Planner Addict, Here’s Why I Think Japanese Planners Are Worth Switching To

If you're looking to get more organized in the new year, a planner is a good place to start, and Japanese planners might have caught your eye. Once you start looking into paper planners , it won't take long to start seeing recommendations of cult favorites like the Hobonichi Techo. If you're new to the wide world of planners, you might be wondering: What's all the hype about the Japanese versions? There are a few key differences between popular Japanese planners and popular American ones. A primary difference is paper quality, as Japanese planners use thinner, smoother paper that's still strong enough to keep ink leakage between pages at bay, while American planners have thicker paper. You'll also see a different design aesthetic, with Japanese planners leaning more minimalist. There's also more space for you to manually customize your planner in a Japanese version, while American planners tend to come with everything pre-organized. One isn't necessarily better than the other, since the best planner for you will depend on your own needs and what best suits the organizational side of your brain. As the resident paper planner tester here at WIRED, I've tried several popular planners from America and Japan alike, and more and more often the Japanese planners have risen to the top. What’s Different About Japanese Planners? Here's a quick breakdown of the major things you'll notice when shopping for Japanese planners compared to American ones. The biggest difference is one you'll feel right away: the paper. While popular Japanese planner makers each have their own signature paper, there's a similar experience in writing on some of the most popular planners and notebooks. Compared to American planners, Japanese planners like the Hobonichi and Kokuyo Jibun have much thinner, smoother paper, but both papers are still plenty durable and won't let ink leak through to the other side (you can faintly see the writing on the other side, though). Meanwhile, American paper planners have a cardstock feel to them, and thus American planners with the same number of pages end up much thicker than a Japanese planner. The Hobonichi uses Tomoe River S paper; originally, Hobonichi used regular Tomoe River paper, but after the manufacturer stopped making it , Hobonichi found another manufacturer to make Tomoe River S paper, and the brand has been using it in its planners since 2024. Meanwhile, Kokuyo has two Kokuyo-exclusive papers it uses in its planners , the Thin Paper and the Mio Paper. I also tested the Jibun Techo, which uses the thin paper. Both these papers feel very similar to each other, with a smooth writing experience and no bleeding, and the pages are satisfying to touch and turn. Japanese planners have a much more minimalist design style compared to American ones. Especially when you compare the colorful, youthful designs of American planners like Happy Planner and Ban.do to one like the Hobonichi-the Hobonichi feels very minimalist and plain. There are fun covers you can add onto Japanese planners to make...

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