Young Koreans and Japanese Deeply Engaged... "I Want to Freely Record My Life" [Cheongchun Report]

"Diary Sales Once Declined but Now Sold Out"
"Freely Writable 'Mannyeon Diary' Also Popular"

Although smartphones have become widespread, the popularity of "perpetual diaries" is rising among young people in Japan instead of smartphones. This is because they can be used freely without being bound by dates, and their format is more flexible than regular diaries, allowing users to decorate them as they wish. Additionally, the fact that writing by hand allows individuals to slowly reflect on themselves is also understood to have a positive influence.

Popularity of 'Perpetual Diaries' in Japan: "Allows Facing One's Present and Past"

'Date-free Diary' Trending in Japan. [Image Source=Aera Dot]

On the 23rd, Aera dot., an online media outlet affiliated with the Asahi Shimbun, reported on the craze for "date-free diaries" among young people in Japan. The outlet stated, "The digital native generation tends to manage all schedules on smartphones, so diary sales once declined," but "recently, the advantages of analog diaries have been highlighted, and some stores have even sold out their 2025 edition diaries."

Especially popular among young people is the "perpetual diary." The perpetual diary is characterized by having no dates, allowing users to write diaries freely without being restricted by the month or day they want to write. In fact, the large Japanese lifestyle shop Loft increased its perpetual diary booth by about 1.5 times compared to last year.

Life Log Diary. [Image source=Aera Dot]

Yuki Takita, a public relations staff member at Loft, said, "Previously, many people paid attention to the cover and appearance when choosing a diary. However, now many diaries specialized in 'life logs' that allow recording memories and reflecting on the past or goal achievement rates have been released." The term "life log" combines "life," meaning life, and "log," meaning record, signifying "recording life." Takita added, "Many people write diaries starting from any date they want, even throughout the year, and there is a growing number of people who value 'freedom' in diaries."

Additionally, Ayako Suga, team leader at the Japanese stationery brand Marks, told the Sankei Shimbun on the 31st of last month, "Diaries are trending as a tool to face one's present and past," adding, "(By writing diaries) it also becomes easier to understand changes in one's health and mental state." The Sankei Shimbun analyzed that while people used to use schedulers or planners mainly to record future schedules, recently, "perpetual diaries," which allow freely writing or reflecting on past events, have gained popularity.

Diary Popularity in Korea Too... Influence of Analog Sensibility

[Image source=Pixabay]

This phenomenon is not limited to Japan. In Korea as well, diary and calendar sales increase at the end of the year, and this trend has been strengthening every year. At the end of last year, the style commerce platform Abley revealed that orders in the stationery category for schedule management and recording surged due to the influence of the "Gotseng" trend.

According to Abley, from September 15 to October 15 last year, the transaction amount in the stationery category within Abley Life Hall increased by 60% compared to the same period the previous year, and the number of orders rose by 70%. Specifically, the transaction amount for diaries and calendars increased by about 60% year-on-year, and the transaction amount for diary decorating products, including stickers, also grew by 60% compared to the previous year.

In other words, in Korea as well, it is becoming popular to record daily life directly by hand and to beautifully design one's own diary. This seems related to the recent trend of analog sensibility gaining attention. The popularity of film cameras, which require the hassle of developing photos, or LPs characterized by crackling sounds, is part of the same trend.

Kim (33), an office worker who has been using a perpetual diary since early this year, said, "I used to buy diaries every year, but I regretted not using them well halfway through. Since this year, I have been using a perpetual diary, and I don't feel burdened because I only write when I want or when something special happens."

Meanwhile, Associate Professor Yohei Tsunemi of Chiba Sangyo University told Aera dot., "Because schedules can be managed on smartphones with alarms set, the number of young working adults using handwritten diaries to record schedules had decreased. However, in an era where job changes have become common, working adults and job seekers have more time to face themselves, and this trend has accelerated after the COVID-19 pandemic." He added, "Ultimately, the number of young people using diaries as a means to look back on their past selves has increased."