Japan House London’s latest exhibition, Pictograms, explores how humble symbols have become an indispensable global communication tool — with Japan playing an integral role in their design and development.
From ancient Egyptian carvings to contemporary wayfinding, pictograms have shaped how we communicate across cultures. The exhibition highlights Japan’s lasting influence, from the pioneering 1964 Tokyo Olympic pictograms by Nippon Design Center to the global rise of the word ‘emoji’.
Visitors can design their own symbol, move among giant pictograms — from a 2.5-metre torii gate to a sumo wrestler — and see new works by young people from across the UK, invited to represent ‘their London’ in graphic form.
[Open now and free to visit and through to #LDF25. Booking recommended to avoid disappointment.]