Poster: Creative New Entries and Gold-Winners from Japan Elevate Poster Design

Japan’s contributions to poster design have exhibited continued creativity, emotion and skillful design.

Graphis is proud to present some of the best poster design from around the world. Specifically, the previous two Poster Annual competitions included impressive Gold-winning work from Japan. For example, designer Youhei Ogawa entered “Nekyia Noh” (ABOVE, LEFT) which advertised a Noh theater play based on Homer’s epic poem, “Odyssey.” The poster’s serious tone is contrasted by another Gold-winner by Takashi Akiyama who designed “15. Message Illustration Poster 2017” (ABOVE, RIGHT). With it’s whimsical illustration, this poster was utilized in Tama Art University and called students to action.

This year, for Poster Annual 2020, Japan submitted wonderful entries yet again. Daisuke Kashiwa‘s “The True Story of Ah Q” (ABOVE, LEFT) was originally designed for the Japan Book Design Award 2018 under the literature poster design category. The unique image is bold and captures viewers’ attention immediately. Additionally, “Black Bento” (ABOVE, RIGHT) by Hajime Tsushima is a powerful new entry that presents a lunch box that is stored in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and serves as a reminder of a dark day in history. In the designer’s words, “It is a poster for the Peace Poster Exhibition to be held annually in Hiroshima. It is also a PR poster of a catalog published in commemoration of the 20th work of the appeals poster from 1983.” The poster is powerful and encapsulates the ethos of the exhibition.

Submit to the Poster Annual 2020 Competition by TOMORROW, January 22, 2019! Winners will have the opportunity to see their work published on our website, blog, newsletter, and social media platforms!