Take part, and your creation could be featured in an exhibition at Japan House London! The competition is open to young people aged seven to 16 who are based in the UK. All entries must be approved and supported by a parent or legal guardian.
Pictograms are simple and easy-to-understand symbols – they help us all find our way around without the need for written signs. Japan has played an important role in the development of pictograms. Japanese designers created the first fully comprehensive set of pictograms for sports and services for the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games so that people from all around the world who spoke different languages could understand what to see and where to go. Later, Japan also helped shape the way we communicate online with the first set of emoji created by Kurita Shigetaka, now used by people all over the world.
My London Pictogram competition challenges you to design your own pictogram representing an aspect of London that is important to you. From transport and food to cultural landmarks or iconic symbols of the city such as black cabs or double-deckers, what element of London would you like to show off? Can you design a pictogram that can communicate your chosen view of London across different languages?
Winning designs will be professionally refined by top graphic designers from Nippon Design Center and featured in Pictograms: Iconic Japanese Designs, a major exhibition at Japan House London set to open on 30 July 2025.