Just Become a Princess: The Princess Planner That’s Winning Over Adult Women

Writing the person you want to become in a notebook makes your dreams come true one after another!?

I want to make 30 times more money than I did as a company employee while having fun, have a wedding at a fairy-tale-like wedding hall, and build my own home that looks like a castle.

There is a woman who has been writing these dreams down in a notebook and has made them all come true.

Her name is Miki Kohara. She is a notebook therapist. Does such a dream-like story actually exist? No, it is a wonder because it does exist. We immediately asked her about it.

What is a “Notebook Therapist”?

What exactly is a “Notebook Therapist”?

“Writing in a notebook helps you uplift yourself. Without needing to go to a spa or get a massage, writing can loosen your heart, heal, and warm you up. I named this job ‘Notebook Therapist’ because it is about sharing this method with others,” says Miki Kohara (hereafter referred to as Kohara).

It’s true that writing by hand is said to engage the brain more effectively than typing on a computer. It can also be helpful for relaxation and reducing stress.

“From the feedback of my seminar students, I’ve heard that typed text tends to be too neat and lacks the sense of immediacy you get from handwritten notes.

When writing in a notebook, if you’re frustrated, your handwriting might be messy; on the other hand, when you’re happy, your writing might become rounder, and you might use colors like pink. When you read it back later, you can see how you felt at that time. Personally, having worked with thousands of students, I’ve found that handwriting is more effective.”

In a notebook, you write about your honest emotions—what made you happy or what was difficult—and always read it back. When you look back, you might think, “I was so frustrated, but I was facing it so earnestly. I was doing my best.” Accepting yourself as a whole, including those moments, seems to be an important aspect of notebook therapy.

 I am a princess and on top of that, I have a kind handsome butler to support me.

Miki Kohara, who has loved writing her thoughts in a notebook since childhood, has filled over 500 notebooks.

“My grandfather would always write in a black leather notebook at night, and I would watch him and start mimicking it when I was five. I’ve been writing ever since, for over 20 years, but eventually, I started to feel like ‘Even though I’m writing in a notebook, nothing in reality is changing. I want to live more like myself.'”

After the Great East Japan Earthquake, Kohara began to reflect on her life and decided to live more authentically. She left her job as a kindergarten teacher and became an esthetician, but even though she changed her environment and appearance, she still didn’t feel her life had truly changed.

“While I was thinking about what to do, I looked back at my old notebooks. That’s when I noticed that many of my entries were filled with harsh words towards myself, like ‘Why can’t I do this?’ or ‘This is also no good.’

Of course, I think writing down my painful feelings helped me feel better and eased my stress, but I also realized, upon reflecting objectively, that I was still being very harsh on myself.”

 

It was from this realization that she developed the core of her notebook therapy method: the “Butler Introduction Method.” As the title suggests, her method is about “becoming a princess.” There is always a butler by the princess’s side, someone who recognizes, encourages, and supports her. The story of how this butler came to be is as follows.

“At first, I started by drawing a flower mark along with words of encouragement like ‘You did well, great job’ directed at myself.

By then, I was already married, but I decided to try using gentle words towards myself in my notebook, just like how my husband would speak to me as if he were my butler. As I did this, I started feeling more and more fulfilled and became gentler with myself. Once I was able to recognize and accept myself, I felt a growing desire to take on new challenges.”

In the private world of her notebook, Kohara became a princess, supported by her “butler.” Over time, she became the top performer in terms of client requests and sales at the esthetic salon where she worked. Eventually, she became independent and now serves as the CEO of her own company, with the motto: “A place where you can heal yourself, while being cute, having fun, and achieving both work and love dreams.” Her dreams had come true.

By the way, her original butler, her husband, has also retired from his previous job and now works alongside her in running the business. “One of the dreams I wrote in my notebook was to work freely together as a couple.”

The theme for November is “Living as a Princess Celebrity: Overwhelmingly Cute, Kind, and Elegant.”

For the past five years, Ms. Kohara has been working on a schedule book called the Princess Notebook. Every year it sells out on the same day, and this year it was unusually reprinted within three weeks of its release.

In this notebook, the princess hires a loyal butler as her unwavering ally. With the butler by her side, she sets and executes monthly goals. She writes down both her happy and unhappy moments of the day, and for the unhappy ones, she answers questions from the butler and receives words of encouragement, ensuring thorough follow-up. The notebook is designed to increase self-esteem throughout the year.

“While I don’t use any specialized terminology, I’ve incorporated elements from psychology, neuroscience, and coaching—everything I’ve learned so far.”

By the way, Kohara’s butler is…

“Tall, with black hair, and refreshing. He resembles Hiroshi Tamaki ♡.”

In November, when the interview took place, Kohara’s monthly princess setting was to be an overwhelmingly cute, kind, and elegant celebrity in the princess world.

“‘Cute’ means freely expressing what I love. ‘Kind’ means cherishing the voice of my heart and turning it into action. ‘Elegant’ means maintaining my own happiness and living gracefully.

I want to embody these qualities more than anyone else, and since it’s the season for the notebook’s release, I thought that by adopting the mindset of a celebrity in the princess world, I could get more people to know about it (laughs).”

As a result, she has been featured on TV and is now being interviewed, proving that self-image should not be underestimated!

By reflecting on her goals each month and carefully following up on her feelings, she gradually becomes clearer about what makes her happy and what she struggles with. This allows her to handle herself more effectively. In other words, by keeping the notebook, she creates her own “instruction manual” by the end of the year.

“While it’s not easy to eliminate negative beliefs, I hope that by using this notebook, people can practice change while being healed.”

 

Will she expand globally in 10 years? With her ultimate positive thinking, she is unstoppable!

The number of participants in Kohara’s seminar has reached 4,600, and it seems countless people have had their lives significantly changed by writing in notebooks, whether by improving their work or even getting married.

“Many people are adopting what they love and opening up their future. For example, someone who said, ‘I work from morning to night and I’m exhausted every day,’ was able to realize their childhood dream and become an illustrator. 

They now even handle the brochures for the company they work for. This person is also getting married, and I’ll be attending their wedding soon.

There is also someone who spent their days in accounting with little chance to interact with others but realized by writing in a notebook that ‘my heart is happiest when I’m talking with others or taking photos of my family.’ They became a professional photographer.”

Now, Kohara has certified 200 notebook instructors, who are teaching notebook therapy nationwide.

“Instructors have the title of ‘Queuists.’ In movies or plays, you might hear ‘3, 2, 1, cue,’ and we think of ourselves as people who create the trigger for someone’s life to change, so we’ve formed a team called ‘Queuists’ and are teaching together.”

Before the interview, I thought, “A princess and a butler? How can this change someone’s life?” But honestly, now I think, “It makes sense.” I even asked if there’s a male version, and Kohara smiled gently and said, “It’s like a school for adult women, so that’s why it’s for princesses.”

“But actually, last year, there was a male participant. He had been feeling pressure, thinking, ‘I need to work hard because I’m a man, and I have to protect my wife and children,’ but he felt tremendous effects from writing. His stress was reduced, and he could approach business negotiations more relaxed.”

“It may take some time, but I’m considering a male version.”

The “Princess’s Notebook” includes a “Future Letter,” a page with a letter from your future self 10 years from now. Finally, Kohara shared the letter from my future self that she wrote this year:

“I’ve gone global and am walking the red carpet like Marie Kondo. I’ve been hosting notebook and book clubs at stylish overseas hotels in places like Hawaii and Paris, and they’ve become very popular. I’ve also started an overseas corporation.” (laughs)

▼ Kohara Miki, Notebook Therapist / CEO of Naare LLC. Born in 1987. After graduating from university, she worked as a kindergarten teacher but quit. She then started working as an esthetician, where she became the top salesperson. Later, she became independent and started her own business. Currently, she runs an “adult women’s school” that uses notebooks to create fundamental change. She is the author of books like 30 Days to Loving Yourself: Princess Practice Notebook (Daiwa Publishing).