Hobonichi 2027 HON A6: Yumi Kitagishi – White Cat and Rabbit’s Tea Room

This is the Hobonichi Techo’s fourth collaboration with Yumi Kitagishi, an illustrator who has also been making a name for herself as a picture book author in recent years. This item marks the first time her work has been featured on a HON.

The HON is a hardcover techo with an integrated cover, centred on a one-page-per-day layout. Two works from Kitagishi’s Dollhouse series were chosen for the cover of White Cat and Rabbit’s Tea Room.

A white cat waits at the front door, waving cheerfully in greeting, while the rabbits brew tea to serve alongside a slice of shortcake as a snack. They’re so adorable you can’t help but smile. The back cover features animals who live in a house made of books, all deeply engrossed in their reading — a fitting image for the HON. Delicate little flowers are scattered throughout, and on the spine, the year 2027 and a small white cat motif add a charming, well-placed accent.

Like the Hobonichi Techo, the HON features thread-stitched binding, so it opens flat at 180 degrees and stays that way — no need to hold the pages down.

The pages are made of thin and light yet durable Tomoe River paper that holds ink well, providing a smooth writing experience.

The back of the techo contains bonus pages.

The English edition features standard favorites like My 100, Favorites, and the 365 Days Check-Off Sheet, alongside new additions like Phrases to Break That Writer’s Block, Hard-to-Translate Japanese Words, and the Hobonichi’s Neighborhood: Kanda/Jinbo-cho Map.

The Japanese edition includes standard favorites like My 100, Favorites, and Solar Terms, as well as new additions like Phrases to Break That Writer’s Block, Useful Sign Language Phrases to Know, and the Hobonichi’s Neighborhood: Kanda/Jinbo-cho Map.

A pencil board with a 5 mm grid, designed exclusively for the HON, is also available. Note: starting with the 2027 edition, the pencil board is sold separately.

Ballpoint pens, clips, other stationery items and drawer pouches in four sizes are also offered by Yumi Kitagishi, and pair beautifully with her covers and techos.

Yumi Kitagishi is an illustrator who creates works with a rich sense of colour and the warmth of hand-drawing, giving people a picture book-like view of the world. Publications include The Black and White Cat Postman (published by Akane Shobo) and Almost Christmas (published by Hakusensha).

Clever Details That Count