Since its opening in 2007, the National Art Center, Tokyo regularly organize exhibitions on design and architecture. The current “KASHIWA SATO” exhibition focuses on the famous Japanese creative director Kashiwa Sato. Sato has been in charge of creating famous logos and brand designs, such as Uniqlo’s red square logo or the unified product design of Seven-Eleven’s house brand! This exhibition is a fantastic opportunity to learn about Japanese graphic design and branding!
The National Art Center, Tokyo, designed by the famous architect Kisho Kurokawa. It makes an appearance in the animation movie Your Name directed by Makoto Shinkai.
The official exhibition poster.
The number of people who can enter is limited to reduce congestion.
Advertising projects
In the 1990s, Kashiwa Sato (born 1965) worked on a series of innovative advertising projects as an art director at Hakuhodo Co., Ltd, one of Japan’s leading advertising companies. The first exhibition area concentrates on commercial designs, such as posters and package designs Sato created in the ’90s and after starting his own company at the beginning of the 2000s.
LOFT Christmas campaign design.
Traditionally, advertising had been mainly implemented in television, radio, magazines, and newspapers. However, Kashiwa Sato thought that everything, like CD jackets and buses, could all be a media for advertising. This changed the idea of advertising completely.
Billboard design for PARCO.
Powerful CD jacket design for the popular Japanese idol group SMAP.
Do you remember this design? Uniqlo shopping bag design between 2006-2014.
This bottle package for the Uniqlo ‘UT STORE HARAJUKU’ attracted a lot of attention in 2007.
Photo collage of advertisements around the city.
Brand logo design
The second spacious exhibition area displays brand logos created by Kashiwa Sato. Seeing the huge logo designs makes you realize what makes a logo a good logo. Sato’s designs are concise and clear, so once you see them, you will never forget them.
Exhibition of huge brand logos.
Colorful corporate logo designs.
Kashiwa Sato even designed the logo for The National Art Center, Tokyo.
The logo design blueprints are also on display. Looking at it in this way, you can really see the charming touches of Kashiwa Sato’s design.
Branding
The second half of the exhibition focuses on various branding projects.
Unified package design for the convenience store chain Seven-Eleven.
When viewing the packages you see daily at convenience stores is displayed in this way, it looks like art!
Store design of the sushi restaurant chain Kura Sushi. Even people who have never been to a Kura Sushi restaurant can get a grasp of the atmosphere and concept of the store just by looking at this design.
Introduction of the design project “The Future of Housing Complex Project” (‘Danchi no mirai‘).
Original goods at the museum shop
The last area is the museum shop, set up especially for this exhibition. It is divided into two areas, one where you can purchase original goods designed for the exhibition in one area, and original T-shirts designed by Kashiwa Sato in collaboration with UNIQLO in the other.
You can buy things from the exhibition shop without an admission ticket!
With this year being the year of the ox, I fell in love with this design at first sight!
The exhibition allowed me to see over 30 years of different design projects at a beautifully composited venue curated by Kashiwa Sato himself. It really makes you think about design and advertising. Universal design that can be understood even if you don’t speak the language and a design that is exciting to look at are truly works of art. If you love design, this exhibition will satisfy you 120%!
Special “Honda N” design
KASHIWA SATO Exhibition
Official HP: https://kashiwasato2020.com/en
Period: February 3 (Wed.) – May 10 (Mon.), 2021
Closed on Tuesdays
＊Open on February 23 (Tue.) and May 4 (Tue.), but closed on February 24 (Wed.) instead.
* In order to ease congestion, an Advance Reservation System for “specified date/time tickets” has been implemented.
For more information, please see “Online Tickets” information on the exhibition homepage above.
The National Art Center, Tokyo
https://www.nact.jp
7-22-2 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/2Cgigx4pCkmVTbMx6
Nearest stations: Roppongi Station, Nogizaka Station
