Illuminating the Indigenous Soul
The Ainu are an indigenous people, today living mainly in the north of Japan. Long-standing prejudice has put their culture in danger of extinction. Since their language has no written form, The Foundation for Ainu Culture combined traditional, inherited Ainu motifs and sounds with modern typography to create a beautiful Ainu font. The goal was to transform prejudice against them into admiration and respect. The font appeared everywhere: on trains, TV, social media, and more. The sounds and motifs of Ainu culture transformed prejudice into admiration, and drove positive attitudes toward Ainu culture to all-time highs.
- TypographyIntegrated
Agency
- Light Publicity
Country
- Japan
Client
- The Foundation for Ainu Culture
Advertising Agency
- Dentsu Tokyo
Design Agency
- Drill
- Light Publicity Co., Ltd.
Production Company
- Light Publicity
- ENGINE
- ENGINE FILM INC.
Agency Producer
- Masakazu Otsuka
Art Director
- Nanase Suzuki
Copywriter
- Hiduru Miyake
- Yuumi Asamura
Creative Agency
- Drill Inc.
Designer
- Manami Kawamura
Executive Creative Director
- Naoya Hosokawa
Film Director
- Atsushi Makino
Film Producer
- Jun Okabe
- Yusuke Okoshi
Music Producer
- Taro Fujiwara
Photographer
- Tamaki Yoshida
Producer
- Takahito Inoue
Typographer
- Nanase Suzuki
The Ainu are an indigenous people, today living mainly in the north of Japan. Long-standing prejudice has put their culture in danger of extinction. Since their language has no written form, The Foundation for Ainu Culture combined traditional, inherited Ainu motifs and sounds with modern typography to create a beautiful Ainu font. The goal was to transform prejudice against them into admiration and respect. The font appeared everywhere: on trains, TV, social media, and more. The sounds and motifs of Ainu culture transformed prejudice into admiration, and drove positive attitudes toward Ainu culture to all-time highs.
