YAMATO•DAMASHII The Japanese Spirit: Modern Graphic Design in Japan
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Respect for balance.
1 Owas Inc. – Ganta Uchikiba
2 The Earth is Friend v. 2 – Koshi Ogawa 3 Exhibition of mina’s works “Ryushi” – Bluemark Inc. 4 Olympic Winter Games, Nagano 1998 – Kenya Hara 5 The Earth is Friend v. 1 – Koshi Ogawa
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The sensitivity of Japanese design is based on a respect for balance. There is a balance in composition, proportion, use of space, and a balance between minimal and chaotic. This can be seen in the product design, print, advertisements, even web design. Harmony is the most respected value of the Japanese style. Experimentation and functionality through available resources are employed by Japanese designers to maintain originality and evolution. 5
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“When the word ‘Yamato-damashi’ is mentioned it seems to awaken in most Japanese a fervent patriotic passion.” This national pride is quite evident and apparent in most graphic design of the country. The ancient paintings and art of the country play a significant role in its design. The way space is used and the proportions of each object to the other are taken into consideration.
1 MUJI – Kenya Hara
A good example of this is shown here in Kenya Hara’s design for Muji brand (left). The aspect ratio, the stark landscape, the small figure, and the text all echo the painting above from the 16th century. The Japanese people are very proud, and they will maintain that the traditional and the modern coexist.
2 Eight Views of Xiao and Xiang – Sesson Shukei
The Two Styles. While Japanese design is characterized by foreigners abroad as being minimalistic, there is another aspect that they do not see quite as often as the citizens of the country do. The cities are populated, crowded, and chaotic. This atmosphere influences designers. and that which results from 1
this is a more chaotic design style, more often seen in places such as shopping malls, downtown avenues, or the sides of buses. The minimal style is seen to the left, the chaotic exemplified to the right; eachof these designed by the same firm.
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1 Mitsui&Co. Mag-Lite – TUGBOAT
2 JR East JR Snow – TUGBOAT
Typography.
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The written Japanese language consists of four different alphabets which are; Kanji, thousands of symbols with each their own meaning; Hiragana, a phonetic alphabet containing 46 symbols; Katakana, like Hiragana but for foreign words;
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and lastly, the Roman alphabet. All the letters and symbols provide for many typographic possibilities, and therefore functional and aesthetic typographic design has found a comfortable home in Japan.
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1 Inter Medium Institute Graduate School – Akio Okumura
2 Man – Hakuhodo Inc.
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A Country of Contrasts. “Today Japan is a country of contrasts, a place where everything occurs simultaneously.” In their design style, traditional Japanese language is often seen next to the Roman alphabet, the cleanliness next to the chaotic, the sophisticated and the “kawai,” and the traditional next to the Manga and Anime which have become so prevalent in society today. The constant round of change and adaptation in Japanese design follows
1 Selected Works Youseki Miki – Hiroyuki Matsuishi
a sort of unwritten code where balance and harmony come first, the traditional and the modern coexist, contrasts are appreciated, originality and uniqueness control a major portion of the designer’s brain, and experimentation is the key for successful design. The Japanese style and their unique approach is crucial to communication through design.
2 自分の小さな 「箱」 から脱出する方法 – Bunpei Ginza
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Shown throughout this book are many examples of poster and print design of Japan, however what is not shown holds an extremely important position in the world of contemporary graphic design as well. The product design with its simple yet complex blending of new and old becomes a treat for the eyes, and an effective way of promoting said product. Product advertising seems to have
an increasing Western influence — while the web design of the country feels the influence of the Swiss minimalistic approach. Design is not only an art form but also a form of communication and, like language, each culture will develop and execute their own style. All the avenues of design have led in and out of Japan, and will probably in years to come, continue to do so.
Bibliography Kozak, Gisela, and Julius Wiedemann. Japanese Graphics Now! Köln: Taschen, 2003. Print. Suzuki, Daisetz Teitaro, and William Barrett. Zen Buddhism: Selected Writings of D.T. Suzuki. New York: Doubleday, 1996. Print. Dymańska, Magdalena. “Bunpei Ginza | Japanese Design.” Japanese Design. N.p., 10 Dec. 2012. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.
Yamato•Damashii— Designed by Vincent Greco
大和魂 — ヴィンセント·グレコが設計した 大和魂 — 由文森特·格列柯設計