Hobonichi Cover and Book - A5 Cousin 2026 - Yuichi Inoue: Jo - Going up

Cover and 2026 Cousin insert book

The works of calligrapher Yuichi Inoue—known for breaking free from the confines of traditional calligraphy and creating bold, powerful pieces full of life—have been made into a techo cover.

This cover features Inoue’s signature style of ichijisho, or “single-character works.” Each dynamic character, written with a large brush soaked in ink on paper larger than the artist himself, bursts with energy while also conveying a sense of delicacy. From among the many single-character works he created, we selected “Jo”—a culmination of his later years—to serve as the basis for this cover design.

The front of the cover boldly displays the character Jo. The design captures the character’s powerful energy, as if it’s soaring upward into the sky.

To let the beauty of the calligraphy shine, the base material is a plain, natural cotton fabric. The character is silkscreen printed, allowing the movement of the brush to be vividly expressed.

Even the fine splashes of ink are faithfully reproduced, conveying the intensity and momentum of the artist’s full-body strokes.

The outer pocket of the cover features a credit for the artwork. The reading and meaning of the character for “Jo,” along with the artist’s name, are printed in a simple, modern typeface to give the design a contemporary feel.