At the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games the other day, there may be some people who are dressed in blue and white costumes and have sharp movements, “masquerade grand prize-like” productions, and memorable ones. Yes, 50 pictograms in a row, it was quite a thrill. It was very popular with foreigners, and did you already feel the “hospitality” that does not use letters?

By the way, Pictogram, it seems that the birth of these marks was the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, but it seems that there are circumstances peculiar to Japan in the birth of this ultimate “hospitality”.

The 1964 Tokyo Olympics are not only a sports festival, but also have a deep meaning as an event to show Japan’s postwar reconstruction and economic growth widely at home and abroad. With the decision to hold the Olympics, various infrastructures including the Shinkansen It seems that everyone knows that the construction rush of buildings and buildings has boiled. In addition, many talents have been gathered from other fields for the Olympic Games, symbol marks, posters, certificates of commendation, torch torch, etc. have been created, and the Tokyo Olympics will play a major role as a turning point in the development of the postwar Japanese design world. We also play.

At the time when the postwar reconstruction was being promoted, it can be roughly imagined that the English proficiency of the Japanese people at that time was not enough to communicate with foreigners who came to Japan. Pictograms such as Olympic sports and cafeterias were devised to end the designers who are active on the front lines, saying, “Let’s make a mark that you can understand.”

One day, less than half a year before the Olympics, design critic Masaru Katsumi gathers 11 young designers and calls for the creation of a “guidance symbol for visitors from all over the world.” It is said that Mr. Katsumi’s idea was the beginning as a way to entertain visitors in Japan at the time when information boards for foreigners were not maintained. It is said that Tadanori Yokoo and Shigeo Fukuda, who later became active as graphic designers, were among the members gathered at this time, so the pictogram can be felt as a young footprint of the designers who will be active after that. Hey.

During the short production period of 3 months, the young designers gathered to work after each work, and in this work there were 20 pictograms of competition events, various types such as “shower” and “dining room”. We have created 39 types of equipment pictograms. It is said that the pictogram of “toilet”, which is currently used all over the world, was also created in this, so its ripple effect is truly. Everyone knows.

And, as a factor that further accelerated the spread, the created pictograms were proposed to abandon the copyright of the design based on Mr. Katsumi’s idea that “it should be returned to society”. In today’s copyright-nervous world, I think it’s very courageous to let go of your work. Despite desperate efforts to create pictograms, the young designers were willing to sign a waiver of copyright without objection.

And, after all, the ripple effect is wonderful, so that pictograms can be widely used as a guide display not only in Japan but all over the world today. I haven’t been there for a long time, but by the way, when I go abroad and I don’t know the right or the left, when I find a pictogram, I feel strangely relieved, and on the contrary, I am treated with hospitality. No, I’m no longer quite good at it.

This means that even people from overseas will feel like this when they visit Japan. At that time, those who guessed the feelings of foreigners who were struck by this situation, is this the origin of “hospitality”?

As an aside, the pictogram of the toilet at the airport in Hawaii, Rei was very happy with the Hawaiian shirt, and received a lot of hospitality.

そして、今回の東京2020のピクトグラム。東京2020大会では、時代に合わせてオリンピック・パラリンピック大会史上初のある進化を遂げ、いよいよピクトグラムが、動き出しました。

そう、「動くスポーツピクトグラム」ですよね。廣村正彰氏が制作したスポーツピクトグラムを動かしたのは、映像デザイナーの井口皓太氏。既に完成された静止画のピクトグラムをよりダイナミックに演出するために、「出現」と「消失」の動きを「固定」の静止画のピクトグラムの前後に加えることを一連のパターンとして制作されてそうで、動くスポーツピクトグラムは、大会本番時に会場で流れるスポーツプレゼンテーションや各競技の中継映像、スマートフォンでの展開やデジタルサイネージ等での活用などといった形で活用されるそうです。おもてなしも、ここまできたのか。

様々な国から訪れる外国人への、文字を使わない「おもてなし」として生み出されたピクトグラム。今後、どんなアイディアやデザインが生まれるのか、オリンピック競技に街に、新たなる興味深い「おもてなし」、少し気に留めてみようかと思っております。

And this time the pictogram of Tokyo 2020. At the Tokyo 2020 Games, the pictogram has finally moved, with the first evolution in the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in line with the times.

Yes, it’s a “moving sports pictogram”, isn’t it? Video designer Kota Iguchi moved the sports pictogram produced by Masaaki Hiromura. In order to make the pictogram of the already completed still image more dynamic, it seems that it is produced as a series of patterns by adding the movements of “appearance” and “disappearance” before and after the pictogram of the “fixed” still image. , Moving sports pictograms are said to be used in the form of sports presentations that are played at the venue during the actual competition, live images of each competition, development on smartphones, digital signage, etc. The hospitality has come to this point, hasn’t it?

A pictogram created as “hospitality” that does not use letters for foreigners visiting from various countries. I would like to pay attention to what kind of ideas and designs will be born in the future, new interesting “hospitality” in the city for the Olympic Games.