"Marks are signs or symbols that convey information with drawings or graphs instead of letters. A mark that uses a specific shape is called a pictogram (a graphic or pictorial symbol). Pictograms can be understood at a glance without any specific knowledge, and can easily convey information to people of different languages and cultures."

(Kidspedia: An Illustrated Book of Marks, “What is a Mark?”)

HIRO-PON, world-famous silent comedian of the Gamarjobat group, directed a kinetic sport pictogram performance at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The performers, dressed in blue and white costumes, generated a great deal of interest with their fast-paced performance of the 50 pictograms produced for the 33 sports of the Olympic Games.

Pictograms, which are designed to visually identify sports without the support of language, are widely used in Japan and abroad, but were first created for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Their design, combining simplicity and strength, is still highly regarded today.

The pictograms designed for Tokyo 2020 evolved to further express movement and speed, while retaining the basic principles of the 1964 design. Also, for the first time in history, the opening ceremony featured a performance of kinetic sport pictograms.

This book contains more than 1,400 everyday marks and symbols, including the popular pictograms for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, but also symbols for athletic equipment, signs to guide you around town, and signs related to the environment and barrier-free activities! Many of the marks in the book are of recent introduction and unique. Newly created signs are featured alongside those that are no longer in use and are disappearing.

Let’s try to find out what kind of marks surround us. Think about the meanings of the colors and shapes, and compare the similarities and differences between past and present signs. The wealth of illustrations and photos makes this book an ideal tool for research and study.

An English translation is provided for all the JIS and ISO signs that you often see in city centers, at the train station, and on the road. A must-have for tourists and foreigners living in Japan!