This article was originally published in the Hobonichi Techo Official Guide 2019 (August 2018). Full disclosure: I own a Hobonichi Techo Weeks planner, which I love and use every day. Still, this isn’t a sponsored translation and you won’t find referral links.
Learning life lessons from daily thoughts!
After training for around 5 years, Kaga Kaede joined Morning Musume as a 13th generation member in December 2016. She started using a Hobonichi Techo planner in 2017 for her Morning Musume work.
“I had a planner when I was a Kenshuusei, but when I joined Morning Musume, I started working a lot and realized planning activities between jobs was important. Also, I wanted to write more details and things other than my schedule. I thought I would never find the right planner, until one day I noticed my mom’s Hobonichi Techo. The perfect planner was in front of me, all this time. (laughs)”
Every daily page of Kaga’s planner is filled with information, as she writes more than just her schedule. “I write my thoughts for the day. For example, I write about what I noticed during concert and play rehearsals and small things my seniors told me. I often go back and read my planner. Sometimes, those little words become big wake-up calls that I keep in mind as I’m going forward. Because of this, I try to write my feelings as honestly as possible for my future self.”
“When I have time between jobs, I grab a bite and sing anime and Vocaloid songs at karaoke. (laughs) Maybe next year I’ll have an anime planner?! I watch a lot of anime every day and storylines get confusing. (laughs) I should write summaries and my thoughts on them!”
“In my second year in Morning Musume, I had a clear picture of my life.“
“My performance schedule goes on the left side and rehearsals go on the right side. Writing in different colours (black, red, and blue) makes things easier to see at a glance. By the way, my performance schedule is by the minute. On my days off, I take care of my body. My senior Nonaka Miki is a health nut and gives me plenty of tips.”
“At the beginning of every month, I make sure to write important events as well as my goals and thoughts to prepare for them. I get energized when I look back at these.”
“Isn’t my handwriting pretty nice? I press hard! I like adding random colours when I’m writing, not just in my planner. In school, people would tell me my notes looked nice, but my tests, though… (laughs) I like my tip as thin as possible. I’m using a 0.38 mm FriXion Ball 3.”
If you’re interested in buying the same planner and accessories as Kaga:
World Wide Wota 