People’s Graphic Design Archive

Rasciomon

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 02:18:59 +0000

Italian poster for Akira Kurosawa’s historical drama, Rashomon (羅生門)This expressionist, vivid artwork features the bandit Tajōmaru (Toshiro Mifune) and the woman (Machiko Kyō)

The Sons of Great Bear (Synové velké medvědice)

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 02:18:23 +0000

Standard Size (A3 / Petite): Approximately 28 x 41 cm (roughly 11 x 16 inches). This is the most common version found in collector markets today.

Large Size (A1): Approximately 58 x 83 cm (roughly 23 x 33 inches). This version was used for larger theater displays and is significantly rarer.

Medium: Offset Lithography. By 1966, this was the standard for Czechoslovak film posters, allowing for the crisp, high contrast photographic effects. It was typically printed on medium-weight, non-glossy paper stock. Unlike modern movie posters that use thick, glossy paper, 1960s Czech posters have a matte, tactile quality that feels more like art paper than an advertisement.

Dayan’s Mystery Cooking (ダヤンのミステリークッキング)

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 02:09:19 +0000

Dayan’s Mystery Cooking (ダヤンのミステリークッキング), created by Japanese illustrator Akiko Ikeda, blends fantasy storytelling with playful culinary themes through her character Dayan from the world of Wachifield. Each story is paired with a recipe inspired by the narrative, turning food into an extension of the fictional universe.

Soft watercolor illustrations, gentle linework, and expressive, hand-drawn typography give the book a warm, storybook quality, while the layout balances whimsical imagery with clear instructional structure. The result feels both magical and domestic, merging character illustration, narrative design, and cookbook formatting into a single, immersive print object.

Suica Penguin Logo (2001)

Sun, 15 Feb 2026 01:54:02 +0000

The typography and name make “Suica” easily understandable, paired with a simple character design. The logo reflects how Japanese culture often incorporates character imagery into everyday visual identity.
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Suica is a rechargeable smart card issued by East Japan Railway Company (JR East) for public transportation and electronic payments in Japan.

Original Pocky Chocolate Packaging

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 22:00:38 +0000

The minimal typographic and simple use of colors reflects that Japan was in the post-war era. It has strong and memorable visual identity.

WX-ray (1978) - Heiquicci Harata

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 11:41:46 +0000

WX-raY was an independently produced magazine initiated by Japanese graphic designer Heikichi Harata. The official first issue has not yet been published, yet this preparatory issue nevertheless had a notable impact on the graphic design scene, encouraging designers to develop their own editorial platforms and autonomous publishing practices.

It includes special features on figures such as David Bowie, Guy Bourdin, Helmut Newton, and Fiorucci. Contributors included designer Makoto Ohrui, artist Arata Uno, and writer Seigo Matsuoka.

Although extremely scarce today, surviving copies circulate only occasionally, travelling internationally among dedicated graphic design collectors.

Logo Mark and Logo Type of The National Art Center Tokyo

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 02:46:31 +0000

This was designed by a Japanese art director and graphic designer, Kashiwa Sato.

Art Book ‘Blue’ by Yusuke Nakamura

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 02:12:50 +0000

This artbook is by Yusuke Nakamura, a Japanese illustrator from Takarazuka city, Hyogo.

Book Cover for Funeral in Berlin

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 02:09:49 +0000

This piece was published in 1966 by Raymond Hawkey, an English graphic designer. It is one of the hardcover dustjackets of the Penguin editions of novels by Len Deighton he designed, which is called Funeral in Berlin.

White Berg

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 02:00:44 +0000

Tomohiro Kiriyama is a Japanese designer who founded Kiriyama Design Studio in 1995.

He created a Belgian-style beer package using a modern lion motif and an uncommon blue-green color scheme to appeal to younger consumers and women, presenting white beer as a new category in Japan’s beer market.

NISHIKIGOI: Koi-Inspired Sake Packaging by Aya Kodama

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 01:51:49 +0000

Aya Kodama, born in Osaka in 1983, is the CEO of design firm BULLET.

Under the concept of creating a visually iconic sake that could represent both Imayotsukasa Sake Brewery and Japan, she designed a sake inspired by nishikigoi (koi carp), often called “living jewels.” The design recreates the koi’s beauty through a white bottle shaped like a fish with red patterns printed directly on it, while the package features a koi-shaped cutout. The result is a striking package that functions not only as a product design but also as a displayable piece of art.

Chichiyasu School Lunch Milk — Packaging Design by Michihiro Ishizaki

Sat, 14 Feb 2026 01:46:19 +0000

Michihiro Ishizaki was born in Yokohama in 1964. After graduating from the advanced course at Kuwasawa Design School, he worked at several design firms before becoming independent in 2005 and founding doppo Inc. in 2006.

For school lunch milk packaging, he created a design featuring the character ”Chiibo” to help children enjoy drinking milk while learning simple facts about it. Eight different types of milk trivia were developed to encourage children to collect the packages rather than discard them.

Yamamo Miso & Soy Sauce Brewery

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 03:06:46 +0000

Takahashi Yasushi, the seventh-generation owner of Yamamo Miso & Soy Sauce Brewery, led a comprehensive rebranding of the 150-year-old Akita-based company. His work included overseas market research, redesigning the logo and packaging, producing multilingual brochures and a website, and creating a concept-driven shop. Through this rebranding, the company seeks to reexamine its traditional values in the wake of the disaster and present a renewed vision of Japanese food culture to audiences in Japan and abroad.

Life Color Clock

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 03:05:40 +0000

Masaki Hanahara was born in 1979 in Fukuoka Prefecture. He completed his master’s degree at Kyushu Institute of Design in 2005 and joined the Shiseido Advertising Department in the same year.

This design is a clock-shaped digital content created under Shiseido’s corporate philosophy of “creating a beautiful culture of life,” based on the theme “beautiful in every moment and for a lifetime.” Through an immersive digital experience, it communicates Shiseido’s values while encouraging users to deepen their interest in color and self-expression through makeup and fashion.

Terrible Typography in Asia

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 03:03:55 +0000

Katsumi Asaba is a Japanese graphic designer born in Yokohama in 1940. In 1975, he founded Katsumi Asaba Design Office and created advertisements for major brands, including Suntory and Nissin Cup Noodles.

While creating works focused on Asian writing systems, he was strongly drawn to the pictographic “Naxi script” used by the Naxi people of Yunnan Province, China, and developed the work based on field research.

Hanz Ungers Use of 3d Graphic Design

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 02:59:43 +0000

Hanz Unger was one of the UK's most important designers post war era. He specialized in creating humerous type designs. In the example in the right he was able to make a 3d poster using mosaics within a studio with fellow colleagues. He grew fond of this style of design and even experiemented with stained glass pieces. He went on to make many windows for churches because he grew such a liking to this style.