The I-Ro-Ha of Japan: An Alphabetic Interpretation of Japanese Concepts
Art directed by noted Japanese designer Ikko Tanaka, “The I-Ro-Ha of Japan: An Alphabetic Interpretation of Japanese Concepts,” is an abecedary, of sorts, for kana, Japan’s syllabic writing system. Each spread in the book illustrates a kana symbol with an image representing an aspect of Japanese culture. I-Ro-Ha is a centuries-old verse incorporating each sound of the Japanese syllabary. Similar to the A-B-C song, it provides an aid to learning kana. The 125-page book was created for the 1979 International Design Conference in Aspen, Colorado. The theme for that year's conference was "Japan and the Japanese: A Synthesis of Contradictions." The book helped introduce conference attendees to Japanese design principles and included essays by architect Kisho Kurokawa and scholar Teiji Itoh. In addition to art director Ikko Tanaka, designer Ken’ichi Samura, and editor Tsune Sesoko, the projects many supporters and collaborators included Dai-Nippon Printing Company and Cosmos Public Relations.
Ikko Tanaka, art director;
