| World events | |
| Graphic Design events | |
| Graphic Design publications | |
| Graphic Design eras | |
| ※▼ | Recurring figures |
| 1854 | Perry forces opening of Japan | 1854-1910: CatchupPeriod of rapid adoption of Western aesthetics, notably “classical” approaches to graphic design & typography |
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| 1867 | Modern Japanese military formed | |||||
| 1868 | Meiji Restoration & acknowledgement of need to catch up with the West | |||||
| 1869 | William Gamble → Nagasaki | |||||
| 1870 | Shōzō Motoki & student Hirano Tomiji form Tsukiji Type Foundry in Tokyo | |||||
| 1876 | Shueisha Printing Corporation formed (later DaiNippon Printing) | |||||
| Japan Printer / Insatsu Zashi / 印刷雑誌 | 1890 | |||||
| 1894 | Sino-Japanese War & Annexation of Korea | |||||
| 1895 | Invasion of Taiwan | |||||
| 1900 | Toppan Printing formed | |||||
| Zuan / 図按 | 1901 | |||||
| Kokka / 国家 | 1904 | |||||
| 1905 | Russo-Japanese War | |||||
| 1908 | Sugiura Hisui※ begins designing for Mitsukoshi | |||||
| 1909 | Mitsukoshi Department Store Commercial Art Department formed, led by Sugiura Hisui※ | |||||
| 1910 | Futurist Manifesto published and translated into Japanese | 1910-1941: Left & RightAdoption of Western Avant Garde aesthetics in Graphic Design & Typography, coinciding with Left-leaning experimentation & increased state suppression of the Left |
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| 1912 | Takashimaya Department Store Commercial Art Department formed | |||||
| 1914 | World War 1 | |||||
| Mokkou to Soushoku / 木工と装飾 | 1919 | |||||
| 1921 | Sugiura Hisui※ becomes lecturer at Nihon Bijutsu Gakko (Japan School of Art) Japanese Futurist Manifesto published | |||||
| 1922 | Akadama Port Wine poster by Kataoka Toshiro and Inoue Makoda | |||||
| 1923 | Great Kanto Earthquake Earthquake “porn” and Leftist/ethnic Korean asassinations graphically ‘covered up’ by all major newspapers Yamana Ayao▼ joins Platon-sha Tsukiji Type Foundry ceases operation post-temblor | |||||
| Mavo | 1924 | |||||
| Shin Kenchiku / New Architecture / 新建築 | 1925 | |||||
| Koukokukai / 広告界 / Advertising World Commercial Art / コマーシャルアート | 1926 | |||||
| Affiches / アフィッシュ※ Teikoku Kougei / 帝国工芸 | 1927 | 1927 | Sugiura Hisui※ designs poster announcing the opening of the Ginza Line - Japan’s first subway line | |||
| Gendai Shougyou Bijutsu Zenshu / 商業美術全集※▼ | 1928 | 1928 | Yamana Ayao▼ leaves Platon-sha, joins Shiseido | |||
| Kougei Shidou / 工芸指導 | 1929 | 1929 | Sugiura Hisui ※ becomes design department chief of Imperial School of Fine Arts (present Musashino Art University) | |||
| 1930 | “Omoshirogara” patterns rise in popularity | |||||
| Kenchiku Kougei I SEE ALL / 建築工芸アイ・シー・オール Shougyou Bijutsu Shimbun / 商業美術新聞 Kougei / 工芸 Katachi / 形 Koukoku / 広告 | 1931 | 1931 | Invasion of Manchuria | |||
| Insatsu Bijutsu / 印刷美術 Kougei News / 工芸ニュース | 1932 | |||||
| Shouwadou Geppou / 昭和堂月報 | 1933 | 1933 | Nippon Kobo, publisher of NIPPON formed by Natori Yōnosuke, Hara Hiromu, Kimura Ihei, Ina Nobuo | |||
| NIPPON | 1934 | 1934 | Anti-painter, illustrator, and occasional designer Yumeji Takehisa dies | |||
| Insatsu to Koukoku / 印刷と広告 Shosou / 書窓 | 1935 | 1935 | 多摩帝国美術学校, Tama Teikoku Bijutsu Gakkō formed (later Tama Art University) with graphic designer Sugiura Hisui※ as co-founder | |||
| DESEGNO※▼ | 1936 | 1936 | Takashi Kono joins Nippon Kobo, publisher of NIPPON | |||
| Press Art / プレスアルト Shougyou Kougei / 商業工芸 | 1937 | |||||
| 1938 | Yusaku Kamekura joins Nippon Kobo | |||||
| Geijutsu to Bijutsu / 芸術と美術 Houdou Bijutsu / 報道美術 Gendai Kenchiku / 現代建築 | 1939 | 1939 | Hayakawa Yoshio joins Mitsukoshi department store advertising department | |||
| 1940 | Hara Hiromu designs 1940 Olympiad identity | |||||
| 1941 | World War 2 Yamana Ayao▼involved in creating graphic design ephemera for war effort Hara Hiromu designs FRONT from 1941—1945 | 1941-1945: WartimeErasure of foreign elements from Japanese signage and graphic design, return to vertical (tategaki) orthography, suppression of Avant Garde |
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| Kougei Shidou / 工芸指導 | 1943 | |||||
| Kenchiku Zasshi / 建築雑誌 Kougei Gakkaishi / 工芸学会誌 | 1945 | 1945 | Women gain right to vote in post-War restructuring | 1945-1955: ReformationModern advertising design a la the USA is rapidly developed along with the reappearance of vertically integrated zaibatsu corporations |
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| Kenchiku Bunka / 建築文化 Kindai Kenchiku / 近代建築 Dentsu Hou / 電通報 Seikatsu to Jyuukyo / 生活と住居 Kougei News / 工芸ニュース | 1946 | |||||
| PLAN Hakuhoudou Geppou / 博報堂月報 | 1948 | 1948 | Hayakawa Yoshio joins Kintetsu Department Store’s advertising department | |||
| NAUM Ishou / 意匠 Press Art / プレスアルト restarts New Koukokukai / New 広告界※▼ | 1949 | |||||
| Kokusai Kenshiku 国際建築 | 1950 | |||||
| 1951 | Formation of Japan Advertising Artists Club | |||||
| Koukoku Bijutsu / 広告美術 | 1952 | 1952 | Raymond Loewy designs Peace cigarette packaging/identity and publicizes his fee. Graphic designers’ social value and economic value increase dramatically afterward A Club meetings held in Osaka by Kimura Tsunehisa, Nagai Kazumasa, Tanaka Ikko, and Katayama Toshihiro Tokyo Ad and Art Directors Club forms | |||
| Idea / アイデア※ Shouten Kenchiku / 商店建築 Shogyo Design Zenshu / The World's Commercial Art / 松魚デザイン全種※▼ | 1953 | |||||
| 1954 | Awazu Kiyoshi begins work designing posters at Dokuritsu Eiga Company | |||||
| Interior / インテリア Color Design / カラーデザイン Living Design / リビングデザイン | 1955 | 1955 | Graphic ‘55, Japan’s first exhibition of Graphic Design with Kamekura Yusaku, Hayakawa Yoshio, Hara Hiromu, Ito Kenji, Kono Takashi, Yamashiro Ryuichi, Ohashi Tadashi, (and Paul Rand) Sugiura Kohei begins freelance design career | 1955-1965: FlatlandGraphic design dominated by aesthetics of extreme foreshortening and simplification of graphic themes and messages |
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| Advertising / アドバタイジング | 1956 | 1956 | Nakajo Masayoshi joins Shiseido publicity department | |||
| Kikan Living Design / 季刊リビングデザイン Industrial Design / インダストリアルデザイン Package / パッケージ | 1957 | |||||
| JIDA News / JIDA ニュース | 1958 | |||||
| Graphic Design / グラフィックデザイン Design / デザイン | 1959 | 1959 | Wada Makoto joins Light Publicity Nippon Design Center founded by Kamekura Yusaku and Hiromu Hara | |||
| Koukoku / 広告 Design Techou / デザイン手帳 Interior / インテリア | 1960 | 1960 | World Design Conference (WoDeCo) is held in Tokyo, led by Kiyoshi Awazu Max Huber marries Aoi Kono—daughter of Takashi Kono, sealing the alliance between Swiss High Modernism and Japanese Modernism | |||
| Kikan Print / 季刊プリント | 1962 | 1962 | Natori Yōnosuke dies Tokyo Ad and Art Directors Club becomes Tokyo Art Directors Club | |||
| Japan Interior Design / ジャパンインテリアデザイン | 1963 | 1963 | Ikko Tanaka Design Studio established | |||
| SD Design Hihyou (Design Review) / デザイン批評 | 1964 | 1964 | Yusaku Kamekura designs Tokyo Olympic identity Asaba Katsumi joins Light Publicity Tokyo Illustrators Club founded Studio Ilfil founded by Harada Tsunao, Yokoo Tadanori, and Uno Akira | |||
| 1965 | Sugiura Hisui dies Persona exhibition: Awazu Kiyoshi, Fukuda Shigeo, Hosoya Gan, Katayama Toshihiro, Katsui Mitsuo, Kimura Tsunehisa, Nagai Kazumasa, Tanaka Ikko, Uno Akira, Wada Makoto, Yokoo Tadanori, Yusaku Kamekura Foreigners: Paul Davis, Louis Dorfsman, Karl Gerstner, & Jan Lenica | 1965-1972: PostersIncreased importance of illustration and an authored aesthetic (at least on the surface—few working designers were truly affected, yet many posters were sold by a select few) |
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| 1966 | Yokoo Tadanori’s work disrupts conventional timeframe of Modernism / PostModernism; | |||||
| Design Journal / デザインジャーナル | 1967 | |||||
| JLDA Toshi Juutaku / 都市住宅 | 1968 | 1968 | Kouga Hirano begins designing for the Black Tent Theater | |||
| 1969 | K2 founded by Nagatomo Keisuke and Kuroda Seitaro | |||||
| 1970 | JAAC judging attacked by student protestors, physically assaulting judges, claiming that nepotism and favoritism are rampant within the club; Eiko Ishioka Design founded by Ishioka Eiko | 1970-1970: End of domestic poster exhibitionsDissolution of JAAC created a lack of domestic poster exhibitions and initiated Japanese designers instead sending posters to exhibitions in Eastern Europe, notably The Czech Republic and Poland |
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| a+u Design & Industry | 1971 | |||||
| ED/Environment Design Shougyou Kuukan / 商業空間 | 1972 | 1972-1987: Pre-digital seamlessnessDigital technology preceded by the perfection afforded by phototype and airbrush |
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| Kikan Typography / 季刊タイポグラフィ Kikan Design / 季刊デザイン Car Styling | 1973 | 1973 | Nakagaki Nobuo starts Nakagaki Design Office | |||
| Kikan nob / 季刊 nob | 1974 | |||||
| Design AGE Design News | 1975 | |||||
| 1976 | Toda Design Office founded by Toda Seiju Agi Yuzuri begins designing Rock Magazine | |||||
| Industrial Design / インダストリアルデザイン Process: Architecture Illustration / イラストレーション | 1977 | |||||
| Visual Message | 1978 | 1978 | JAGDA (Japan Graphic Designers Association) founded by Yusaku Kamekura Satoru Miyata Design Office founded (now renamed to Draft) Beans Inc. founded by Inoue Tsuguya | |||
| E+D+P (Editorial, Design, Print) | 1979 | 1979 | Art & design critic Takiguchi Shuzo dies Harata HeiQuiti designs WX-Ray & Heaven | |||
| Typographics ti GA Document | 1980 | 1980 | Yamana Ayao dies Kurata Seiji’s The Bosozoqu published, precluding grunge anarchic typographic tendencies by a half-decade and three years too late for punk Helmut Schmid’s design for Pocari Sweat distributed nationally | 1980-1991: The Vague YearsAllusion, metaphor, and general symbolism as unifying, yet semiologically elusive themes in the Pre-, Mid-, and Post-Bubble consumer universe of signs and images |
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| AXIS | 1981 | |||||
| R | 1982 | 1982 | Hara Kenya works at Eiko Ishioka Design Saito Makoto leaves Nippon Design Center | |||
| Tategumi Yokogumi / たて組ヨコ組 ZOA AD | 1983 | |||||
| Design no Genba (Designers' Workshop) / デザインの現場 Design Scene | 1984 | |||||
| Portfolio FP | 1985 | 1985 | Publishing company Ushiwakamaru initiated by Matsuda Yukimasa Nobuta Tomio dies | |||
| 1986 | Hara Hiromu dies | |||||
| Nikkei Design / 日経デザイン | 1987 | 1987 | Hirano Kotaro Design Laboratory founded | |||
| Creation / クリエイション | 1989 | |||||
| 1990 | Studio Compasso founded by Kikutake Yuki Saru Brunei founded by Matsumoto Gento | |||||
| 1991 | Niijima Minoru “New Japanese Graphics” exhibition | 1991-2002: SurfaceGrunge/techno/3D amorphousness and ambient atmosphere as overriding themes, backed up by innovative printing techniques |
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| 1993 | Ariyama Tatsuya Design starts Hayasaki Osamu dies | 1993-2014: Yurunatchu Modernism / Soft-focus ModernismEmphasis upon organic-seeming aesthetics in commercial graphic design |
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| 1994 | NDC Graphics founded by Nippon Design Center and Nakagawa Kenzo | |||||
| MdN | 1995 | 1995 | Nakajima Design founded by Nakajima Hideki | |||
| Gasbook +81 DesignPlex / デザインプレックス | 1996 | 1996 | Akiyama Shin starts schtücco inc Murakoshi Jo dies | |||
| 1997 | Kamekura Yusaku dies Yamashiro Ryuichi dies | |||||
| 1998 | Ohashi Tadashi dies | |||||
| Agosto Design Graphix / アゴスト デザイングラフィックス | 1999 | 1999 | Kono Takashi dies | |||
| Neut SAL d/SIGN | 2001 | 2001 | Ito Kenji dies Hattori Kazunari starts own studio Orui Makoto art directs Purple Magazine | |||
| Vignette | 2002 | 2002 | Hara Kenya becomes art director of MUJI Tanaka Ikko dies | 2002-2014: Retrograde aestheticsA return to ‘hard’ Modernist aesthetics, fringed with flirtation with graphic authorship, and a new interest in Graphic Design History and pre-PostModern styling |
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| 2003 | Ohtake Shinro issue of Idea released DaiNippon Printing stops production of metal type | |||||
| 2005 | IDEA NO. 310 : Typography in Japan 1995-2005 - first publication to specify typefaces used in featured projects | |||||
| 2006 | Uematsu Kuniomi dies | |||||
| 2007 | Tachibana Fumio founds Kyutai / Sphere | |||||
| 2008 | MeMe Design School started by Nakagaki Nobuo Kimura Tsunehisa dies Noda Nagi dies | |||||
| 2009 | Hayakawa Yoshio dies | |||||
| Idea shifts editorial focus to Japanese design past & present | 2010 | 2010 | schtücco inc. closes | |||
| 2011 | Akiyama Shin founds edition nord “The Work of Shirai Yoshihisa” exhibition | 2011-2014: Zine BoomMass interest in self-publishing |
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| 2012 | Ishioka Eiko dies Bunpei Yorifuji rises to prominence | |||||
| Typography | 2013 | 2013 | Ohara Daijiro gains popularity | |||