15 October 2026 (1pm BST)
Approachable, friendly, and playful – these are the qualities most often associated with rounded sans typefaces in Europe. Yet these associations are far from universal.
In Japan, rounded sans are often the voice of authority – they are not only far more commonly used in public typography than in many other parts of the world, but also appear in places that might surprise European eyes: banks, courts, fire stations, police stations, traffic signs, and public notices – contexts where authority and seriousness are typically expressed through more formal typographic styles.
So why does rounded sans hold such a distinctive place in Japan? In this seminar, Shoko Mugikura explores how rounded sans became the preferred typeface for public typography in Japan and how it came to embody authority rather than informality. Tracing its history through calligraphy, sign painting, and the unique demands of multi-script typography, she reveals the cultural and historical forces that shaped this unexpected typographic tradition.
About the speaker
Shoko Mugikura is a Japanese typographer and type designer based in Germany. She studied Visual Communication Design at Musashino Art University in Tokyo and completed an MA in Book Design at the University of Reading, UK. After working in editorial and information design in London, she joined Just Another Foundry, the type design studio she runs with Tim Ahrens. Recent projects include custom typefaces for Funke Mediengruppe, one of Germany’s largest newspaper publishers. Alongside her design practice, Shoko writes and researches design and typography, with a particular interest in multi-script typography and the relationship between Japanese and Latin writing systems. Shoko has served as a jury member for TDC New York and TDC Tokyo, spoken internationally at events including ATypI, TYPO Berlin and TypeTalks Tokyo, and taught typography and multi-script design in Germany.
About the event
Tickets are free for paid-up SDS members, otherwise £19 per person, available to purchase via the SDS Administrator (please email: enquiries@signdesignsociety.co.uk for more information). Unable to make the seminar on the day? You can buy time-limited access to the talk recording too.
Tickets are non-refundable, unless the seminar is cancelled. We are unable to accept credit card payments over the phone.