The 8th Sankei Kanze Noh

This poster was designed by Ikko Tanaka in 1961 for the 8th Sankei Kanze Noh performance. The poster consists mostly of colorful Japanese letters which are placed on the black background. The characters differ in sizes, colors, and orientation.

Ikko Tanaka was a graphic designer from Japan who used to combine traditional Japanese features with graphic design. His designs were mostly characterized by the use of simple shapes, typography, and bold colors. The poster under consideration was made to advertise the Noh performance.

In my opinion, this poster is very interesting as Tanaka has shown traditional Noh theater without illustrating any Noh actor or Noh stage. Moreover, the poster creates the feeling of movement due to the various sizes and orientations of characters. The black background of the poster provides it with the dramatic style. The colorful typography provides the poster with a modern visual effect.