Monotype adds Reiwa combined kanji glyph to Tazugane typefaces.
The Japanese government recently announced that the reign of the next Japanese emperor will be called the “Reiwa” era. The era will officially begin when Crown Prince Naruhito is crowned on May 1, succeeding his father, Emperor Akihito.
The start of the Reiwa era is marked by the introduction of the new era glyph to the Japanese writing system, meaning that Japanese font families must be updated to include the new character. Today, Monotype introduced the new glyph design for its popular Tazugane Gothic and Tazugane Info typefaces, which will be immediately available to brands and creative professionals that currently license the typefaces.
Monotype’s Akira Kobayashi, type director, and Ryota Doi, type designer, designed the new glyph to embody Reiwa’s hope of bringing the country forward with a foundation firmly set in Japan’s history, rich culture and beautiful nature.
The new era design offers creative professionals a wide range of possible communications opportunities as they consider how and where to incorporate it into their branding efforts. Current Tazugane Gothic and Tazugane Info customers will receive the Reiwa combined kanji glyph to add to their font inventory, and the glyph will be included in the character sets of those typefaces for new customers. Additionally, the Monotype Studio will work closely with its brand customers to ensure the glyph is added to their custom typeface designs.
To read more about the Reiwa combined kanji glyph, visit our FAQ page (in Japanese) or contact Monotype.
The Studio team.
Ryota Doi.
Ryota Doi is a Senior Type Designer for Monotype. Ryota first became interested in type as a design student while at university in Japan. After receiving his BA in design from Tokyo University of the Arts, he enrolled in the MA typeface design program at the prestigious University of Reading, where he studied the differences between Japanese and Latin type.
