Pictograms: Iconic Japanese Designs–Greeting Cards

These greeting cards are produced in partnership with Nippon Design Center–a global design agency supporting the development of the Japanese economy through design–for the exhibition Pictograms: Iconic Japanese Designs. The exhibition explores Japan’s significant role in shaping this visual language, from the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games to the global rise of emoji.

In 2019, Nippon Design Center launched the project Experience Japan Pictograms, designed to enhance the experience of international visitors through a comprehensive visual communication system comprising over 600 country-specific symbols.

There are two pictogram designs featured on the greeting cards, the popular snack taiyaki (a fish-shaped cake filled with sweet red bean paste) and a cherry blossom, a widely recognized symbol of spring in Japan.