As I mentioned last week, one of my New Year’s goals is to record more of my daily life. Many days this will be humdrum, but I’d like to remember the little things. So a few weeks ago I purchased a Midori 5-Year Diary ($42). I eagerly awaited January 1st, then stared at the blank page for a while. You know how it is.
I chose a Midori 5-Year Diary because I really love Midori paper. While Hobonichi has a version, I actually find the Tomoe River paper a bit too thin for my tastes. Especially for a journal that will last me 5 years, I really wanted paper that would work well when I write on both sides, with the least amount of show through. The Midori 5-Year Diary has 366 pages of 7mm lined MD paper.
I do like the layout with all 5 years on page, making it easy for me to review what happened in previous years…well after this year that is! So far the paper seems to be handling my different fountain pens and inks well.
So let’s talk sizing. The Midori 5-Year Diary is 7.3 x 4.5″ (18.5 x 11.5cm). It is thicker than many planners, but still comes in at around 13oz. Do you want to take it with you everywhere? Maybe not, but mine is going to live on my nightstand so I can record a few thoughts as I go to bed each night. It’s still relatively compact. It also comes in a nice slipcover for storage.
My only complaint in terms of reviewing the Midori 5-Year Diary for you is that there really aren’t an extra pages/end papers for me to ink test and show you!
DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were purchased with my own funds for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
I just started my third year of using the Leuchtturm 5-year diary, and the most fun and rewarding part is reading the entries from previous years on each day. That motivates me to keep going! (I skipped months at various points, but always eventually resumed, so some days i have only one to look back on instead of two. I feel regretful on those days, but at least I didn’t quit altogether!) So although the best part is yet to come for you, it’s worth it.
Thanks for the encouragement. I’m kicking myself for not starting one in 2020 since it was such an “interesting” year that I should
have documented, but better late than never right?
Yay! I decided to go with Midori, too! I got the pretty blue embroidered one, which was a super hard choice between that and the beige. Still deciding what to do with the full blank pages at the end of some months. What a fun idea, and I’m excited to fill it out year after year.