A couple of years ago, I walked the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail in Japan. At the start of the walk, I stayed in a nice guesthouse in Tanabe city, which lies in Wakayama prefecture. I wouldn’t mention all of this, if it didn’t have something to do with the font name: Wakayama prefecture is THE mandarin orange (Mikan) growing area of Japan and the owner of the guesthouse had just picked a bagful of mikan, which he shared with me. So, I had to think of that when I made this font. Mikan is a nice, rounded family of fonts. Both styles come with alternative a’s (and accented a’s), which some people prefer for Children’s books.

This typeface design was influenced by the British Rail corporate type introduced in an old lettering instruction book published in Japan. Of course, the only clue to this typeface is the lettering instruction book at hand. Therefore, this typeface is based on the British Rail corporate type introduced in an old lettering instruction book published in Japan, and I have expanded the design variations. I started with the Bold design first. Then I designed Light, Regular, and Black in that order. Light and Regular are intended to be used as the text type, while Bold and Black are intended to be used as the base for logotypes, headlines, and other eye-catchers.

Australis is a hybrid roman font that won first prize in the Morisawa International Type Design Competition in 2002. After 10 years the family is finally complete and its release coincides with the reopening of the competition in 2012, in Japan. Designed by Francisco Gálvez Pizarro.

Inspired by Rob’s years of living in Japan, Shibuya Dancefloor is an expanded version of an earlier font that we did, adding hiragana and katakana to the mix. It's perfect for anime artwork, sci-fi lettering or even just making flyers for that party you're planning down in Roppongi!

A vintage booklet from the Japan Tourist Bureau entitled "How to See Matsushima and Environs" had the title hand lettered in the Art Deco style which is the basis for Travel Brochure JNL. For those who prefer a more traditional 'E', it is located on the broken bar keystroke.

In May of this year, I went to Japan with my (then 11 year old) son Sam. It was his dream to visit Japan, probably because of my tall tales, stemming from the time I was a tour guide! Sam really wanted to try all kinds of Japanese delicacies and one day, when walking around Tokyo, we came across a little stall selling Taiyaki. Taiyaki are fish-shaped waffle/cakes with a red bean or sweet potato filling. They are really delicious! This nice ‘oriental looking’ font was made with a broken popsicle stick and Chinese ink. You are now wondering why I always use Chinese ink and not Japanese ink. Well, I have a stash of the Chinese stuff and it’ll last me a lifetime!

Kyoko is a font inspired by Japan. It comes with uppercase and lowercase characters, set of punctuation marks, numbers, alternative set of latin characters, Cyrillic characters, ligatures and multilingual support. Perfect for logos, quotes, posters, branding projects, product packaging, t-shirt, book cover, greeting cards and applicable for any graphic design.

Kanban is the work of British designer Ed Bugg, an all capital, oriental style typeface. Kanban was the word used for shop signs in old Japan and the letter forms mimic the square look of Japanese and Chinese calligraphy. Kanban is the ideal display solution wherever an oriental appearance is needed.

Chinese Shangai Inspired by China & Japan Calligraphy. Each characters carefully crafted with delight full technique and visual touch to make your design works have oriental and stylish looks. Chinese Sahnagi Perfectly fit for your Chinese / Japanese projects, Logo, Branding, Restaurant, Asia Town decoration, anytime you need an instant vibe of it.

Eurasian Stencinitials JNL are modeled from a set of crudely die-cut Old English capital letter stencils that were made in Japan in the Early 1960s. The interesting treatment of the letters (with a slight hint of Japanese calligraphy) has some added bamboo plants for balance and decoration in this digital version.

The second in our Cool Japan series, Odaiba Soul echoes back to some of the futuristic amusement centers and entertainments found on Odaiba Island in Tokyo Bay. Tailored for sci-fi lettering, anime awesomeness or even just making flyers for a day trip across the Rainbow Bridge, this is one to keep in mind!

BD Motra is fat wide uppercase font with some variants on the small character keys. The inspiration source for this typeface is the stencil lettering on Honda’s rare Motra CT50 off-road scooter made in Japan 1982. The font usage ranges from big lettering on vehicles, cargo boxes, products, buildings with an industrial approach.

Gartisans are inspired by the appearance of games produced by Japan. Has a distinctive curves on the character (writing with Katakana). By using this font you will be able to feel the feel of the Katakana writing style (simple, clear, characterized). It is suitable for book cover design, poster, game UI, and logo making.

Shesek is an informal, loose, handwritten font without any frills. It is deceivingly plain, but when you use it, you will find out that Shesek has a distinct taste, not unlike its namesake, the Japanese plum, or Loquat. The Loquat is a soft, oval, yellow fruit which is grown mostly in Japan and Israel (where it is called ‘Shesek’).

Printing Set JNL by Jeff Levine comes from a toy rubber stamp printing set imported from Japan in the 1950s and 1960s that's been revived, but is now imported from China. The font has a serif letter so typical of import toys of the day, but actually reads quite nicely in short headlines and specialty ad copy.

Toyprint JNL is based on scanned print samples of a toy rubber stamp set imported from Japan circa the 1930s. No kerning and a very limited character set, but fun and nostalgic nonetheless. NOTE: Large size rendering of the type will give the appearance of cut paper rather than rubber stamp impressions due to the nature of the scans for this font.

Kempoka is a Japanese word describing someone who practices Kempo. Kempo, or Chuan Fa in Chinese, is a martial art with roots in China and Japan. I thought of this brush font just before my weekly kempo-training and I figured the name suited the font style. Kempoka comes with alternates and ligatures, and has a black belt in diacritics!

The Pictographs MT font was contains over 700 emoji icons (emoticons). These symbols, pictures and images cover a range of expressions and uses. Emoji were very popularized in Japan and have become widely adopted and integrated into the Unicode specification. The Pictographs MT font was created to support messaging applications, and to give designers and developers a robust set of emoticons.

New Kakuji is designed from the Kakuji style of characters originating during the Edo period of Japan. New Kakuji has expanded the historical character set to include the surnames from the ancient Chinese text: Hundred Family Surnames, as well as the most common surnames in Japan, in addition to many other historically and culturally significant words, going well beyond the scope of characters that were used in the Edo period. No other font has expanded the character set of the Kakuji Style to the same extent as New Kakuji. A Latin alphabet expansion inspired by the old Kakuji style has also been included for western audiences and designers. New Kakuji contains over 500 Chinese/Japanese characters along with over 200 additional Latin characters or symbols. The solid and blocky style of New Kakuji is ideal for seal designs or other branding designs and should be used at larger point sizes.

Spy Royal is a junctionless script typeface and comes in 6 styles. It’s a hybrid between script and so called streamline fonts. The origins are based on an advertising by Japan Airlines, dated around 1954, offering flights to San Francisco, Honolulu and Okinawa in the new DC-6B “Pacific Courier” airplane. Only the letters for the words “JAPAN AIR LINES” were used, so that the creative part was to reimagine a full font out of just a handful of uppercase letters. Originally released in 2004, Spy Royal was now undergoing a major rework and is now republished with additional styles like shadow-lines and 3D-shadow. Its charm is manifold, we think everything related to cars, racing, hot rod, vintage, cocktails, retro, restaurants, gasoline and of course airlines will look great in Spy Royal. Spy Royal includes alternate characters, ligatures and West European diacritics.

Zhi series is inspired from vertical shop banners/signages from Japan, where each banners is attached to a slim simple structured skeleton. M Zhi Ngai™ takes reference from M Zhi Hei’s straightforwardness and masculinity but inserted plenty of ornaments and gentleness. Featuring a strong thick–thin contrast in the strokes, the typeface looks bright, smart and contemporary, suitable for promotional materials and more other media.

Zhi series is inspired from vertical shop banners/signages from Japan, where each banners is attached to a slim simple structured skeleton. M Zhi Ngai™ takes reference from M Zhi Hei’s straightforwardness and masculinity but inserted plenty of ornaments and gentleness. Featuring a strong thick–thin contrast in the strokes, the typeface looks bright, smart and contemporary, suitable for promotional materials and more other media.

My eldest son Sam always wanted to visit Japan and he has been saving up for a ticket for years now. We should have traveled there this year, but due to the pandemic, that was impossible. We’re now trying to go next year. Sam and I did make some kind of itinerary and I told him how we were going to get around, as I have been to Japan many times. I told him about the Shinkansen trains, the cute Tram in Nagasaki and the immense subway system in Tokyo. One of the lines in Tokyo is the so-called Yamanote Circle Line, which I have used on numerous occasions. A new font name was born and it stuck to this particular font! Subway Circle is a 100% handmade font. It is rounded, slightly slanted and comes with a sunny disposition. I am sure that, when you use it, you will find your 生きがい… ;-)

A font inspired by the oriental flavours of Japan, Nanami a confident font with clear, clean lines which are well defined without being obtrusive. The distinctly sharp edges slice through empty space like Samurai swords, proudly wearing curves and corners like a Samurai wears their traditional ceremonial armour, and just as fierce. If Nanami isn't quite floating your boat why not check out its counterparts Nanami Rounded and Nanami Handmade.

Hatchira is a Japan vibes handwritten display font. With reverse contrast stroke, fun character. To give you an extra creative work. Hatchira font support multilingual more than 100+ language. This font is good for logo design, Social media, Movie Titles, Books Titles, a short text even a long text letter and good for your secondary text font with sans or serif. Make a stunning work with Hatchira font. Cheers, Maulana Creative

Qasengi is a bridge to the cultural wonders of Japan and Southeast Asia in a captivating typographic form. With a strong Japanese theme, this font is the perfect companion for any project that calls for a distinctly Japanese and Southeast Asian touch. What’s Included : File font All glyphs Iso Latin 1 Alternate, Ligature Simple installations PUA Encoded Characters – Fully accessible without additional design software. Fonts include Multilingual support

Sport Numbers contains classic sport number designs, similar to those that appear on sport uniforms and competition vehicles, in the proportions of 6 x 10, 8 x 10, 10 x 10, and 12 x 10, both vertical and oblique. The vertical numbers are located under the character set and the oblique numbers are located under the respective keys of the shift + character set.

Shinano is an old province of Japan. Kobayashi Issa (1763 - 1828), a famous Japanese Haiku poet and Buddhist priest, was born here. Together with Bashō he is my favourite Haiku poet. Shinano font was hand made using a Japanese brush pen. At first glance it may look like a messy script, but underneath its rough appearance beats a poetic heart. Comes with some alternates and ligatures and a whole lot of diacritics.

I have always been fascinated by Tengu - a mythical creature from Japan. Tengu are usually depicted with a red face, a very long nose, white moustaches and a funny hat. They used to be regarded as harbingers of war, but over the centuries, their image softened and they became the protective spirits of mountains and forests. Daitengu means ‘greater tengu’ and stems from the Genpei Jōsuiki - an extended version of the ‘The Tale of the Heike’ - an epic account of the struggle between the Taira and Minamoto clans for control of Japan. So, now you know about tengu, end of the history lesson! Daitengu is an epic brush font. I made it with a soft brush and China ink (like most of my brush fonts), but instead of forming the glyphs I saw in my head, I let the brush do the work. A more ‘zen’ approach to brushwork if you will! The result is a messy, organic brush font with a lot of spirit. Comes with diacritics and double letter ligatures.

Makio is San Serif Typeface Makio inspired by modern life, clean, simple life, Japan culture, and minimalist symbols. This font works great in any branding, name card, logos, title, websites, product packaging, flyers, magazines, label, films, stationary, posters, etc. and any design project that requires clean, modern and simple touch. FEATURES - Six Weight - Uppercase and Lowercase letters - Support Opentype Features - Numbering and Punctuations - PUA Encoded Characters - Ligatures - Multilingual Support - Works on PC or Mac Enjoy using! Thanks. HIRO.std

"TSUBAME" means swallow in Japanese. These fonts are based on the shape of Tsubame. The relationship between humans and swallows is as deep-rooted. Japanese swallows have adapted to nesting in and around human habitation from ancient time. So in Japan, they prohibited people from catching or killing swallows because of their beneficial role as insect eaters. Since the relationship between humans and swallows is close, this font's letter spacing is designed to be very tight.

The Oregon Dingbat Font was created in 1995. It consists of various pictures including plants, footprints, a skyscraper and various forms of nature. The font has been published in Japan’s HyperLib magazine and used as artwork in a novel by Charlotte Vale Allen.

A sans serif with splayed ends, descenders and ascenders of the lower case dropping below the baseline, or above the x-height, very tall x-height.

Digitally engineered by Steve Jackaman. The x-heights are radically different; the x-height on the light version is small, and gets larger as the weights progress.

My son Sam saved all his pennies for a trip to Japan with me. Hi dream came true this year and we traveled around Honshu for 10 days. One of the things on his ‘to do’ list was eating yakitori, so I took him to famous Yakitori Alley in Tokyo. The setting was legendary, the smell was great, but the yakitori, unfortuntely, was so-so.. Yakitori Alley is a fun, scribbly script font with language support and a set of contextual alternates.

I just returned from a short holiday in Japan. I stayed in hostels and small guesthouses and noticed a peculiar thing they all had in common: they love little notes, telling you where to go, what to do, how to use the microwave oven and when to check out. These notes were sometimes printed, but more often they were handwritten. I found that the Japanese way of writing roman characters is a little, well, unusual. The letters are correct, but they have that typical ‘Japanese look’ - most notably the a and A the b, d and g, the p and P and the t and T. I can’t really tell you what makes them look different, maybe it’s the proportions, but I do know that a Nippon Note is highly recognisable. So, here is Nippon Note, a highly recognisable, handmade font. You don’t really have to be in Japan to use it, but it will give your designs that extra cachet. And don’t forget Nippon Note Kawaii - the cute doodle font which is free if you download the Nippon Note family! Comes with extensive language support, but unfortunately not Japanese…

TA-kokoro is very popular in Japanized font. TA-kokoro is designed by Yasushi Saikusa who is famous as typographer and based with Maru-gothic. TA-kokoro expresses yet cuteness. TAこころは、日本語のデザイナーズフォントの中で大変人気の有るフォントです。 タイポグラファで有名な七種泰史がデザインしたフォントで、丸ゴシックのデザインをベースにして更に可愛らしさを表現したフォントです。