Hobonichi Graph Notebook – [Naoki Ishikawa] Denali in the Midnight Sun #1

Hobonichi introduced the Hobonichi Graph Notebook in 2019 in response to requests for a standard notebook that feels just like the Hobonichi Techo. The cover features a photograph of Denali, North America’s highest peak, as taken by Naoki Ishikawa.

This photo, capturing the full extent of Mount Denali at 6190 meters above sea level, was taken from inside a Cessna heading towards base camp for the summit. The view of the mountain composed of deep blue and white looks like a watercolour painting at a glance. This photograph is processed with cyanotype, which is a photographic process that involves a chemical solution and exposure to UV light. The appeal in this design comes from the brush marks that let you see where the solution was applied.

The notebook has thin and durable Tomoe River paper and opens completely flat. It comes in two sizes: A6 to match the Original, and A5 to match the Cousin. The A6 size notebook is 8mm thick and contains 240 pages, while the A5 size is 10mm thick and contains 288 pages. This gives you plenty of space to fill the notebooks to your heart’s content.

The 3.7 millimetre graph paper is the same as that of the Hobonichi Techo Original. The colour of the ink on the page changes (red / blue / green / purple) every 60 pages in the A6 size, and every 72 pages in the A5 size. This makes it easy to split the book into several themes or use the colours as a way to more easily find old entries.

Because the book sizes match the A6 Original and A5 Cousin Hobonichi Techos, you can use these notebooks with a techo cover. The cover is great for storing items like pens or sticky notes, and provides a very convenient user experience.

The notebook is a great supplement to the Hobonichi Techo, or simply a smaller-size notebook to keep by your side for filling with lots of writings or drawings.

About Naoki Ishikawa

Born in Shibuya, Tokyo, in 1977. Completed the doctoral course in Fine Arts at Tokyo University of the Arts. With an interest in anthropology and folklore, he has traveled to various places, from remote areas to urban cities, continuously exhibiting his works. In 2008, he received the Newcomer’s Award of the Photographic Society of Japan and the Kodansha Publication Culture Award forNEW DIMENSION(AKAAKA Art Publishing) andPOLAR(Little More). He has also won the Domon Ken Award forCORONA(Seidosha) in 2011 and the Photographic Society of Japan Award for Best Work forEVEREST(CCC Media House) andMarebito(Shogakukan) in 2020. He received the Kaiko Takeshi Nonfiction Award forThe Last Adventurer(Shueisha).

Specifications

A6 Size

Size	H: 148 x W: 105 x T: 8 mm / H: 5.8″ x W: 4.1″ x T: 0.3″
Weight	Approx. 117 g
Main material	Paper

A5 Size

Size	H: 210 x W: 148 x T: 10 mm / H: 8.3″ x W: 5.8″ x T: 0.4″
Weight	Approx. 278 g
Main material	Paper