BODY: If you've ever wandered the surreal world of MOTHER 2 (known as EarthBound in the West), you'll remember Dungeon Man — the literal walking dungeon who joins your party. Now he's become a planner. At a recent press preview, Hobonichi unveiled its Hobonichi Techo 2027 lineup, and the MOTHER-themed "Dungeon Man" cover was a clear standout for gamers.
Now in its 26th year, the Hobonichi Techo goes on sale September 1. For the uninitiated, it's a long-running planner franchise beloved for its clean design and famously lay-flat, ink-friendly Tomoe River paper. Last year's Hobonichi Techo 2026 sold more than 1.1 million copies and is now available in over 100 countries and regions — a rare Japanese stationery product with genuine global reach.
The 2027 collection leans hard into pop-culture crossovers. Alongside the MOTHER design, the preview showcased covers themed around One Piece, Sanrio's Hello Kitty, and the deadpan puppet duo Puppet Sunsun — a mix that spans decades-old classics and viral internet-era characters. It's a deliberate strategy: the Hobonichi Techo is as much a collectible as it is a productivity tool.
For fans, the appeal is the ritual. The planner comes in multiple sizes and formats — from the pocket-friendly original to the larger Cousin — and each daily page carries a rotating quote pulled from Hobonichi founder Shigesato Itoi's website. Itoi, notably, is also the creator of the MOTHER series, which makes the Dungeon Man collaboration a full-circle moment rather than a random license grab.
The insider take
That Itoi connection is the detail international fans often miss. MOTHER isn't just a game Hobonichi licensed — Itoi wrote it, and Hobonichi (short for "Hobo Nikkan Itoi Shinbun," or "Almost Daily Itoi News") is his company. In Tokyo, the annual techo reveal is a genuine autumn event, with fans queuing and reselling rare covers. Expect the Dungeon Man edition to move fast among the EarthBound faithful.
Originally reported by GAME Watch (Japanese).