TDCChikao Ito
NUMBERS DESIGN BY
AWARD
2015
TDC Prize
Chikao Ito

In Ei Minchotai

Chikao Ito|In Ei Minchotai
Chikao Ito|In Ei Minchotai
Chikao Ito|In Ei Minchotai
Chikao Ito|In Ei Minchotai
Chikao Ito|In Ei Minchotai
Chikao Ito|In Ei Minchotai

In Ei Minchotai(Type Design)

The Mincho font, a standard body typeface for the Japanese people, is a cultural cornerstone and indispensable item in everyday life. The desire to engage myself in such an “irreplaceable” type of thing is one underlying aspect of my type design. As a result, there may not be much to call “new,” but I am considering the artistry that our forefathers have carefully protected and continuously honed to be something that is worth carrying on. And if possible, I’d like to create something even better in the end.
The In Ei Minchotai is a traditional Mincho font designed on the theme of “typography face-to-face with life.” It is a typeface that advocates the composition of literary works based on the pains, setbacks, and loneliness of human life, and was made for those who can feel the trying times of being alive. I do believe that typography possesses the power to save people. I am truly honored and thankful for the positive assessment.

Chikao Ito

Chikao Ito
Type designer; born in 1982 in Shizuoka; graduated from Tama Art University, Faculty of Art and Design, Department of Graphic Design in 2007; worked for Motoya Co., Ltd., and is now working for Jiyukobo Ltd.; in 2013, the Japanese Minchotai font, based on a “timeless standard” concept, received a Best Work Award from the typeface department of the Japan Typography Association’s annual “Applied Typography.” In 2015, the In Ei Minchotai typeface, revolving around the theme of “typography face-to-face with life,” won a New York TDC Award, as well as a Silver Prize in the Kanji category at the Morisawa Type Design Competition. Ito has been focusing on basic typefaces in relation to historical backgrounds.