Skip the 2027 Diary: Why We Love a Free Diary Instead
Every December the new diaries come out, and every year the same thing happens. We start strong, miss a week in February, and suddenly there are twenty blank pages staring back at us. Sound familiar?
That's why at Tabigami we love free diaries. In Japan, a free diary (フリーダイアリー) is simply a diary with no dates printed. You write the date yourself.
Seen in Japan: the Midori MD display at Hands Shibuya
On our last buying trip we stopped at the Midori MD Paper display at Hands in Shibuya, and it was the best argument for a free diary we've ever seen. No dates, no rules: one page was a café visit painted in watercolour (that's it at the top of this post), the next a reading log with little ink sketches, another full of botanical notes, and one just… cats. 🐱
A reading log with little ink sketches
Botanical notes in watercolour
And a page of cats, just because
That's the joy of a free diary: every page becomes whatever your day needs.
Why a free diary works better
- Start any day. New year, new month, a random Tuesday in June. Your diary starts when you do.
- No wasted pages. Skip a week? Just carry on from the next page. No guilt, no gaps.
- Write as much (or as little) as you like. Big day? Use two pages. Quiet day? One line is enough.
- It never goes out of date. Didn't finish it? It still works next year, so nothing ends up in the bin in January.
- It's more than a diary. Use it as a planner, a travel log, a reading journal or a one-line-a-day memory book.
Our favourite free diaries
- Midori Hibino Free Diary A6: a page-a-day diary on Midori's smooth paper, with space to fill in your own date.
- Isshoni. x Yohaku Day Log: beautiful limited-edition covers (Mojitosuji, Shirakaba no Mori and Evening Primrose). Yohaku means "white space", and that's the idea: room to breathe.
- Midori MD Notebook A5: the classic. Add a clear cover and it lasts all year.
- Midori Yuru Log Dot Grid B6: cute, relaxed and perfect for a little daily log.
Make it your own
- Stamp your dates with the Midori Self-Inking Calendar stamp, or track your habits with the Habit Tracker stamp.
- Add washi tape tabs to mark each month.
- Pop in a few stickers for birthdays and happy days.
So, 2027 diary or free diary?
If you love a ready-made calendar and never miss a day, a dated diary is great. But if you've ever abandoned a diary by March, give a free diary a try. It's the diary that waits for you. 🐾