Kashiwa Sato designs “Hiroshima Appeals” poster, featuring ray of hope for future
Jul. 16, 2022
“NO NUKES NO WAR”
by Hiromi Morita, Staff Writer
On July 15, the “Hiroshima Appeals” poster for 2022, which calls for nuclear abolition and conveys the preciousness of peace in Japan and other parts of the world was revealed to the public. The poster was designed by Kashiwa Sato, 57, a creative director living in Tokyo. In light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its threat of using nuclear weapons, the poster conveys a message against war and nuclear weapons in a straightforward manner.
The poster is titled “NO NUKES NO WAR.” The message denying nuclear weapons and war is expressed in words filling the space of the poster. Regarding the letter “O,” Mr. Sato linked the figure of a “ring” (“wa” in Japanese) and the image of “harmony,” (“wa” in Japanese), the latter of which is one of the two Chinese characters making up the Japanese word “heiwa” (peace, in English). He said he depicted these “O”s as yellow circles representing a “ray of hope for the future that we can attain peace.”
Mr. Sato, who visited Hiroshima City Hall on July 15, handed the poster to Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui and shared his thoughts: “I have felt the need to send out a clear and stark message now, amid concerns about the use of nuclear weapons.”
Mr. Sato is from Tokyo. He is known for having designed a logo for the National Art Center, Tokyo in Tokyo and for his comprehensive design method, including branding of such companies and businesses as UNIQLO and Rakuten Group. His solo exhibition was held last year at the National Art Center, Tokyo.
The project of the “Hiroshima Appeals” poster is organized by the Hiroshima Branch of the Japan Graphic Designers Associations (JAGDA), the Hiroshima International Cultural Foundation and the Hiroshima Peace Creation Fund. The project was launched in 1983 and, after suspension, resumed in 2005. The organizers have requested one of Japan’s leading artists to design a poster every year, making the 26th version of the poster this year.
Two thousand copies will be printed for the B-1 sized “Hiroshima Appeals” poster and distributed to Hiroshima municipal junior high and high schools. They will be sold for 1,100 yen per copy at such venues as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. The poster will also be displayed at bus stops in Hiroshima City as well as at the “Pieces for Peace” exhibit, which will be held from July 20-25 at Gojinsha Wendy Hito-Machi Plaza in the city’s Naka Ward.
(Originally published on July 16, 2022)
