Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on June 2012
Takuya Hagihara is a graphic designer in Tokyo who creates kanji typography designs in his spare time. At first glance, the designs might appear completely abstract and devoid of specific meaning. But once the kanji-reading sector of your brain is activated (if you have one), and your eyes are adjusted, the words become legible. Hagihara’s designs combine the form of the kanji with an illustration of its meaning.
Top left: 多目的 (tamokuteki) = Multipurpose
Top right: 響 (hibiki) = Sound
Bottom left: 心 (kokoro) = Heart
Bottom right 思考停止 (shikouteishi) = Brain Freeze
