Thank you, PFU.
On October 25, 2022, PFU Corporation announced the resale of the HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S Snow on its official website and via Twitter.
Thank you very much for your patience: ！！！！！
– HHKB OFFICIAL (@PFU_HHKB) October 25, 2022
After more than a year, we can finally bring you the #HHKB Snow! The new design with center-printed design keys is available today as a standard model. https://t.co/FnQz1FqBtl pic.twitter.com/7lcuPKOZv1
HHKB “Snow” is an all-white capacitive non-contact mechanical keyboard that was released in limited quantities on October 25, 2021 as a “25th Anniversary Limited Edition” model.
The limited edition of 2,500 units in Japan (English layout: 1,250 units, Japanese layout: 1,250 units) was quite large, but the popularity of the product was so great that sales ended and the product sold out in the blink of an eye, and it was not unusual for used products to trade at a premium price of 100,000 to 200,000 yen on auction sites like Mercari and Yahoo! It was not uncommon to see used products fetch a premium of 100,000 to 200,000 yen on auction sites such as Mercari and Yahoo!
Some of the so-called “new and unused” items are believed to be listed by resellers….
The very popular HHKB Snow is finally being sold as a standard item with updated specifications.
I was so excited that I found myself pouting.
This article will report on the re-launch of the HHKB Snow.
Representative of GreenEchoes Studio
He launched his own media as a site operator and web writer, and now plans and manages multiple corporate media. He often types heavily in his work, and in his search for greater efficiency, he became addicted to the keyboard swamp and established “GreenKeys”.
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HHKB Snow will finally be available again, starting October 25, 2022!
Many of you may have been waiting for this day.
One year after the “new limited release” on October 25, 2021, the HHKB Snow will finally be available again!
From October 25, 2022, they will be available at the official PFU online store and at Amazon, Rakuten Ichiba, and Yahoo Shopping.
HHKB” had existed until then, but the author believes that “HHKB Snow” became so popular because of its “sophisticated appearance.
Look at this beauty!
The HHKB lineup now consists of three colors with the addition of “Snow” to the existing “White” and “Sumi”.
It is not that “white” and “snow” are not beautiful.
However, it still inevitably has a larger “heavy presence” than “snow” and gives off a certain amount of visual weight despite being so compact.
However, this “HHKB Snow” does not feel heavy when in view at all.
Rather, the transparent “alignment of the white keys” is even light.
It would be hard to find a keyboard that is so beautiful to look at that you would want to touch it forever.
If you do purchase one, don’t forget to purchase the factory rubber mats, which also absorb sound and prevent slipping.
HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S Snow Retail Price
HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S Snow is priced at 36,850 yen (tax included) for all models.
| goods | Price |
|---|---|
 English Array / Snow PD-KB800YSC |
36,850 yen View on Amazon |
 Japanese alignment / snow PD-KB820YSC |
36,850 yen View on Amazon |
 Unmarked / Snow (English alignment) PD-KB800YNS |
36,850 yen View on Amazon |
 Unprinted / Snow (Japanese layout) PD-KB820YNS |
36,850 yen View on Amazon |
All prices include tax.
Very nice to see that the price is the same as the existing “black” and “white” models!
The price is the same as when it was sold as a 25th anniversary model.
HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S Snow Sales Lineup
HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S Snow is available in a total of four types.
The US (English) and JIS (Japanese) layouts come with engraved and unengraved keytops (keycaps), respectively.
There is no lineup of “HHKB Professional HYBRID (non-silent model)” and “HHKB Professional Classic (wired connection model)” in the regular edition.
Personally, I would choose “Type-S” if I were to buy HHKB.
The difference between Type-S and the non-silent model would be the “loudness of keystroke sound.
Non-quiet models are not “quiet” enough to be flattering and give the impression of being difficult to use in an office.
| Engraved | unmarked (e.g. book) | |
|---|---|---|
| English-language array | English Array / Snow PD-KB800YSC |
 Unmarked / Snow (English alignment) PD-KB800YNS |
| Japanese-style array | Japanese alignment / snow PD-KB820YSC |
 Unprinted / Snow (Japanese layout) PD-KB820YNS |
Differences between the 25th anniversary model of HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S Snow and the resale model
There are no major changes in basic specifications between this re-release model and the 25th anniversary model.
One difference is that the engraving on the key tops has been changed.
Whereas the 25th Anniversary model had the keytop engraving in the upper left corner, the newly re-released model has the text engraved in the center.
The typeface has also been changed, from Gothic to a stylish Montserrat-like typeface.
I think the typeface is almost identical to the typeface used from REALFORCE R3, but the font size seems to be slightly smaller.
Comparing them like this, the whiteness of the “snow” stands out even more!
HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S Snow is not associated with “yellowing
As previous generations of HHKB users will know, HHKB “white” will always have a problem with “yellowing” at the end after many years of use.
In this respect, HHKB Snow uses “non-yellowing ABS resin, which does not contain flame retardants,” so there will be almost no yellowing under general use.
Discoloration of keyboards is derived from deterioration of the resin and alteration of the flame retardant, mostly due to the latter. Soaking the keyboard in hydrogen peroxide water and bleach activator and exposing it to ultraviolet light causes a chemical reaction that returns the keyboard to a color close to its original color.
Officials have also stated this.
The snow model is made of ABS resin that does not yellow, so it should be basically safe for general use!
– HHKB OFFICIAL (@PFU_HHKB) October 26, 2021
HHKB “Snow” key tops will also be available again.
The “Keytop Set (Snow),” which became a hot topic when HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S Snow went on sale, will now join the standard lineup.
| goods | Price |
|---|---|
English Array / Snow PD-KB400KTYC |
6,600 yen View on Amazon |
Japanese alignment / snow PD-KB420KTYC |
7,590 yen View on Amazon |
Unmarked / Snow (English alignment) PD-KB400KTYN |
6,600 yen View on Amazon |
Unprinted / Snow (Japanese layout) PD-KB420KTYN |
7,590 yen View on Amazon |
List of compatible models with English layout
- HHKB Professional
- HHKB Professional2
- HHKB Professional2 Type-S
- HHKB Professional BT
- HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S
- HHKB Professional HYBRID
- HHKB Professional Classic
List of compatible models with Japanese layout
- HHKB Professional JP
- HHKB Professional JP Type-S
- HHKB Professional BT
- HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S
- HHKB Professional HYBRID
The price is 6,600 yen (including tax) for the English keycaps and 7,590 yen (including tax) for the Japanese keycaps, with the Japanese keycaps being slightly more expensive, perhaps because they simply have more keytops.
The body color will remain the same, but only the key tops can be changed to “snow” to enjoy the atmosphere.
HHKB can also divert REALFORCE keycaps
Due to the fact that HHKB uses the “capacitance non-contact system,” its axis is not the common “Cherry MX axis” but the “Topre axis,” and few third-party keycaps are available.
However, keycaps from the same family, REALFORCE, can be replaced.
In addition to white and black, the company also sells orange and pink products, which will allow for a wider range of customization.
To remove the keycap, simply pull it off with a “key puller”.
In addition to the main unit, optional products are now also available.
With the launch of the HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S Snow, a new line of nifty optional products is also on sale.
I especially recommend the Keyboard Bridge.
This is an essential option for using HHKB in the so-called “Tongshi style”.
The new keyboard bridge (freezer) features rubber feet that are firmly glued in place so that they do not come off while in use, as was the case with the old product.
Please purchase if you plan to use this service in the noble style.
There is also a value set that includes a keyboard bridge, USB cable, and carrying case.
#HHHKB Snow Twitter Submission Campaign is also underway!
A campaign to celebrate the resale of HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S Snow is also underway.
During the campaign period, five winners will be selected by drawing for a commemorative Mabu Cup by meeting the predetermined requirements and submitting an entry via Twitter.
Application Requirements
- Period: Tuesday, October 25, 2022 – Monday, November 7, 2022
- How to participate: 1) Follow @PFU_HHKB on Twitter / 2) Tweet with “#HHKB snow that came back”.
- Prize: HHKB Snow Model Launch Commemorative Mug
Campaigns are available from
Actual photo of HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S Snow
As I had told you at the beginning of this article, I popped in on October 25, 2022.
Please see the photos of the actual equipment as it arrived safely.
It is very impressive that it is “whiter” than I had imagined.
This thing looks and feels so good to type all the time…!
HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S Snow Specifications
Summary｜HHKB is white? Black ink? Or snow?
This is a summary of the re-launch of HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S Snow.
There are three different colorings of HHKB and it is very difficult to decide which one to buy… I still have to choose “snow” as the one to buy.
Black” is difficult to use unless you have a blind touch because the imprint is hard to see, and “white” may yellow.
I’m very happy to see that “Snow” has been promoted to a standard model, and that you can now buy it any time in the future!
However, it is possible that this re-sale will also be explosively popular, and the worst-case scenario is that it will sell out.
HHKB is not an inexpensive purchase, and there are surely many people who cannot afford to buy one.
The HHKB keymap modification tool is also available to answer the “the layout is unique and hard to get used to,” and allows you to customize the key layout to your liking.
The lack of a function key can be resolved by simultaneously pressing Fn + number keys, which is an acceptable level of familiarity.
I have owned over 20 mechanical keyboards and the HHKB (English layout) is my main keyboard.
I bought 20 of them and finally settled on HHKB, so whether you are a Mac or Windows user, you won’t regret buying it.
If you wish to purchase, please do so as soon as possible.
Information references and image citations
- HHKB Professional HYBRID Type-S Snow goes on sale｜PRTIMES
- Happy Hacking Keyboard 25th Anniversary Special Commemorative Model on Sale in Limited Edition｜PRTIMES
- HHKB official website
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The 1,320,000 yen keyboard set is already sold out. PFU Corporation started crowdfunding on Makuake to support Noto Peninsula earthquake recovery.
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Over 6,000 likes for “Let me just say it’s a luxury keyboard…” heartbreaking post.
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Gesture Pad Guide for HHKB Studio is now available exclusively at PFU Direct
静電容量無接点方式
JIS/US-HHKB
感想やご意見などあればどうぞ