From the kitsch cuteness of Hello Kitty to the cult of manga and anime, Japanese design has long paved the way for the West to follow. Graphic Japan goes beyond this well-known territory to reveal the myriad styles of design produced in Japan today, from packaging to posters, and typography to new media. Contemporary Japanese graphic design is a unique collision of traditional cultural influences and a focused thrust toward modernization on global terms, and the book reflects this marriage of tradition and hypermodernity. Essays on today's innovators are beautifully printed in a simple, elegant manner that is typical of traditional Japanese work, and are combined with bold and colorful visual material which reflects the brash, global commerciality of much new material. This book is an inspirational "must" for designers in the West.

For many, Made in Japan is synonymous with quality the perfect marriage of aesthetic appeal and functionality. The intentions of the designer can be found in the slightest detail, but none are overworked, preferring spare elegance to busy excess. Mixing traditional art and philosophy with contemporary design to create a material and visual culture that blends seamlessly into their lives at home. With this strong national identity and focus on design, it is no wonder their creative output is admired and imitated throughout the world. Made in Japan highlights more than 40 creatives from different fields who exemplify this design character through their work in graphic design and branding, illustration, packaging, fashion, product and spatial design.

The best of Japanese graphic poster design, from the 1964 Tokyo Olympics to the Issey Miyake logo This book brings together the best of Japanese graphic poster design--from the 1964 Tokyo Olympics to the creation of the Issey Miyake logo, and from the Osaka Expo to the official poster for the Pan-Pacific Design Congress. Japanese contemporary posters are considered to have started in the mid-'50s, after World War II and following a period of depression, post-militarism and post-autarchy. This new expressive mode was fueled by stimuli from abroad, but it was also a chance to reinterpret traditional themes and colors, bringing them into modernity in refreshing and fruitful ways. In the maze of expressive forms that flourished in Japan during the postwar period, graphic design stands out as a precious tool for following the thread of national creativity and the intense permanence of traditional aesthetic sensibility through these new forms. Over half a century after the inception of graphics and with the coming Olympic Games taking place in 2021, this volume takes a wide view of the trends and aesthetic shifts that can be traced in the development of graphic design in Japan. Contemporary Japanese Graphic Designersincludes 85 graphic designers and 756 posters. It is the most complete volume on the subject in any language.