We now have a new addition to the notebooks you can use with the Hobonichi Techo.

This notebook has thin and durable Tomoe River paper and opens completely flat.

The ruled lines used are the same that are used in the Hobonichi Note. The ruled line design was developed by Prof. Haruo Hibino and his team of researchers at BB STONE Design Psychology Unit, Inc., a venture company of Chiba University’s Faculty of Engineering.

We’d love to help kids get out of their study slumps, and help adults concentrate with a notebook that’s comfortable for their eyes. That’s the wish that brought about this ruled line design that focuses on reducing eye strain and based on design psychology.

The ruled paper is unique in that the horizontal lines crossing the page are interrupted by short vertical lines that form a subtle grid. However, they perceptually look like straight lines, because of an optical illusion caused by the way our brains work.

The design is soft with lines that aren’t too overbearing, so the notebook doesn’t feel menacing when you open it and doesn’t tire your eyes over a long writing session. It also allows you to smoothly write out words and charts. The result was a design, patented in 2020, that’s never been tried before.