Noramoji

Inspired the Mingei movement of finding beauty in modest, natural things, the Tsuruya team looked to the streets of Japan and found beauty in the hand-painted signs that lined them. The creators of these signs were not trained artist nor designers, but rather shopkeepers who created them simply out of necessity. 

Appreciating the unique character and beautiful styling of these signs, the Tsuruya team decided to digitize the type they found on the business signs and expand them into an entire typeface called “Noramoji.” A portion of proceeds from font downloads goes back towards the owners of the shops, ensuring that the project not only draws form the community, but also gives back to it. The canon of design is often limited by elitist ideas of who can be a designer and what constitutes "good" design, but this project helps strips back some layers of that barrier. Recognizing the beauty and merit of these shopkeepers' creations, this team of designers was able to bring it into a space and medium that allows it to be recognized and legitimized and also used that privilege to further support local businesses.