Moji Salvage 18
The latest in a series of visual excerpts from the out-of-print book 和英文字レタリング (Japanese and English Lettering) by Tsunetoshi Hurusawa (古沢恒敏), a collection of assorted lettering styles culled from history.
Originally published in 1978, the book is a great study of lettering used by typical “fancy”/ファンシー businesses — mainly cafés, “snack bars”, cake shops, and assorted 1950s-1990s service-oriented businesses. A number of the lettering styles within the book became the blueprints for these types of businesses’ lettering.
『和英文字レタリング』 is a great compendium of work that helps explain much of the Tokyo letterscape of recent history. This visual series will continue in weekly installments.
October 2, 2009 at 1:11 am
The one on the right feels totally like something from néojaponisme (just add some red). Ian should make a computer font out of it.
October 6, 2009 at 6:24 pm
fascinating. there was always something a bit “odd” about japanese fonts. looking forward to find out more.
October 12, 2009 at 7:19 pm
This one is weird man – two Fs??! And if O gets two, why does Q get three? Plus lower case q is all different and shit?
October 13, 2009 at 4:23 pm
One on the left could be at the entrance to some shitty little cafe that hasn’t redesigned since the 1980s.
October 13, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Hence the post. This more interesting than the use of 99% of digitized typefaces used for new signage.
October 14, 2009 at 6:35 am
Oh, absolutely, it brings back fond memories of Kyoto.
October 15, 2009 at 7:11 am
I’m envious of whoever is old enough to have fond memories of this.