Toshi Omagari, based in London, is a typeface designer from Japan, whose work is highly regarded worldwide. He has undertaken projects such as reviving classic Western typefaces and recently has been involved in designing non-Latin scripts like Mongolian for Google’s multilingual font development project. He also shows enthusiasm for developing typefaces for regions and countries with limited existing digital fonts.
Toshi is uncompromising in his approach to typeface design, yet he’s also someone who doesn’t compromise in his leisure. His lightness, and sense of humor, which he brings with full force both to work and play, naturally draw people to him. Toshi’s serves as a role model for anyone seeking a fulfilling life of design.
書体デザインとの出会い
Encounter with Typography Design
書体デザインの道を目指すきっかけとなったものや、出来事はありますか？
Do you have any events or factors that sparked your interest in pursuing typography design?
The initial spark came from my desire to work in film art. I aimed for a career in fine arts after being profoundly moved by the world of “Star Wars” as a child. However, with my father being a copywriter, I gradually leaned towards the advertising industry and eventually pursued design at an art university.
That’s right. But, advertising mediums like commercials or posters felt somewhat ephemeral to me. I realized this quite early on during my university days. As I began to aspire to create something enduringly cherished by people, I happened to try typography design in a class. I found that shaping the letters themselves was more enjoyable than just arranging them. That’s how I started on the path of typography design
和文書体ではなく欧文書体を作ろうと思ったきっかけはありますか？
What led you to create Latin fonts instead of Japanese fonts?
It seemed natural for a Japanese person to design Japanese fonts, but I felt that pursuing that path would only make me one among many. Growing up with my father telling me, “It’s boring to do what everyone else does,” I’ve always had a mindset of seeking to do things that others aren't doing.
So, I began studying Latin font design. Latin scripts have the most diverse range of fonts globally. Gradually, I also started exploring the design of “non-Latin” scripts such as Mongolian, Tibetan, Cyrillic, and Greek. In the process of seeking out what others weren’t doing, I found my own path opening up.
デザインに影響を与えている表現や作品はどんなものでしょう？
What kinds of expressions or works have influenced your designs?
Movies and music play a big role. Films like “Star Wars” and those with excellent stage art in genres like sci-fi and fantasy are particularly influential. In terms of music, American and British rock and roll. Although I wasn’t exposed to J-pop or Japanese music, I think I’ve been greatly influenced by Western culture and music.
In terms of the professional mindset toward design, I admired the main character of Osamu Tezuka’s manga “Black Jack”. It’s like the person you most want to meet in the world is Black Jack. Because of that, I might have a somewhat stoic and slightly twisted professional attitude toward work...
In typeface design, there’re many tedious tasks, which can be quite monotonous. Some people manage to automate such tasks successfully, but I think whether you can enjoy these mundane tasks or not is also connected to one's suitability as a typeface designer.
For me, I believe there are important aspects even within tasks that might be automated, so I try to incorporate elements of play to make these tasks enjoyable. Being a big fan of games, I’ve modified game controllers to use as substitutes for keyboards and mouse, for example. To do this, I’ve learned soldering techniques and have even extended my skills to electronics projects now.
In the field of typeface design, typically designers are affiliated with a foundry or font vendor, but at that time, the Japanese typeface design scene was more closed off than it is now, with fewer designers and opportunities available. It was such that a new designer might emerge only once every five or ten years. Given this situation, I didn’t think there would be a place for me if I returned to Japan. Also, since I wanted to work on projects beyond Japanese typography, I thought it would be much more interesting to gain experience in Europe or America.
Initially, I was hired as an intern, and to distinguish myself from the others, I made sure to arrive at work earlier than anyone else and stay later than anyone else. I worked diligently to swiftly complete assigned tasks and make myself out to be competent (laughs). That period might have been the hardest I’ve ever worked in my life. Fortunately, I was able to stay on at Monotype, and as I continued working, I realized that I had been in London for quite some time without even noticing.
日本と海外を比べて、デザインや暮らしへの意識に違いを感じることはありますか？
Do you notice any differences in design or lifestyle awareness between Japan and abroad?
One noticeable difference is in the approach to work-life balance, where in the West, there’s a focus on “life.” If you do your job well, you’ll receive recognition and fair compensation. It's not about saying which is better or worse compared to Japan, but it might be easier to work in Western countries. Also, there seems to be a higher level of recognition for the profession of designer compared to Japanese society.
In the past, I leaned quite heavily towards work. I didn't really have hobbies outside of typography; it felt like work and hobbies were almost the same thing. However, as I discovered other interests, I think my life and work balance started to shift. Lately, I’ve been really into cooking. When I make ramen, I even make the chashu from scratch, and I roast my own coffee beans. I actively allocate time for these kinds of activities now.
海外でフリーランスとして働きながら、そうやって心のバランスを保てるのはすごいですね。
It’s impressive how you manage to maintain that balance while working as a freelancer abroad.
Naturally, prioritizing hobbies means less time for work, and I do feel that my output has decreased as a result. However, if I feel fulfilled personally, I think that leads to greater happiness.
On the other hand, I also consider ways to integrate hobbies into work or find ways for them to contribute to my work. For example, it would be interesting if there were a type foundry that also sold coffee beans. I'm always thinking about how to connect my current interests with my work.
Ideally, every language should have freely available fonts that anyone can use, but many countries or regions don't have that. Not being able to use digital fonts essentially means not being able to speak on the internet. It's like being deprived of a voice to the world.
I believe I feel the most happiness as a designer when I'm creating typefaces for people in such situations. The communication born from having typefaces fills people's hearts. I think typeface design work is involved in these fundamental aspects of living.
デザイナーにとって最も重要なことは何だと思いますか？
What do you think is the most important thing for a designer?
I believe the most important thing for a designer is to serve people through their work, which involves being attentive to what people are seeking. While I don’t think designers necessarily have to be unique in themselves, I do believe in maintaining an attitude of seeking out what others are not doing. It’s about finding what people desire, even if it’s not trending at the moment. It’s challenging, but I strive to strike a balance between the ego and responsibility of a designer with this perspective in mind.
For typeface designers, there are times when they create entirely new designs from scratch, and other times when they renew or refine old typefaces through revivals or modifications.
In the world of music, for example, we still listen to pieces composed decades or even centuries ago. However, I think the number of pieces we continuously listen to is just a small fraction of the whole. Most things in the world, including typefaces, have a lifespan, and I believe that 70-80% of the typefaces currently in use will eventually be forgotten and replaced. Of course, it would be ideal to create a masterpiece, but I also think it's healthy for new things to emerge and for old ones to fade away in this cycle.
美しい文字、あるいは良い文字が名作として使い続けられていくのでしょうか。
Will beautiful or good typefaces continue to be used as masterpieces?
I don't think that's necessarily the case. For example, Comic Sans is often disliked in English-speaking countries, but it does have its merits. Once, when I visited a restaurant in Turkey, I was handed a menu written in English and Turkish. The English menu was in Frutiger, and the Turkish menu was in Comic Sans. Interestingly, the menu written in Comic Sans felt more like "I'm about to enjoy something delicious" compared to the very sterile and unappetizing feel of Frutiger. In this case, I actually thought Comic Sans was superior to Frutiger.
文字の良し悪しは、使われ方次第？
Is the quality of typography dependent on how it’s used?
Yes, that’s right. There’s no inherent good or bad in typefaces themselves, but you could say there’s good or bad typography depending on how they’re used.
That’s a challenging question... In Japan, the context of design is heavily influenced by commercial aspects. There’s a lot of emphasis on graphic design, posters, TV commercials—all focused on selling things, often with disposable expressions. However, design should ideally engage with much broader fields, so I hope there will be a deeper understanding and appreciation for design.
Regarding typeface design, especially for Japanese typefaces, the complexity and time required for development due to the large character set make it costly. Therefore, there are fewer projects in Japan aimed at creating new typefaces from scratch. It would be great if the role of typefaces in society becomes more recognized, leading to more opportunities for typeface designers to thrive.
The first encounter with Omagari was in a renewal project for the identity design of Tokyo Dome City, which was undertaken by &Form. In order to realise the idea of developing a total design system that reflects &Form's concept of design and enables both analogue and digital expression, we contacted Omagari in London through a friend to create a variable font with an unprecedented range of motion, and from there We communicated with each other online.
London is the city where I also spent my student days and started my career as a designer. You can imagine how tough it is to work side by side with the rest of the world there, but I always felt positive energy from Omagari's appearance and lifestyle, which I could see through the monitor of my PC. As we chatted not only about projects, but also about the games he was into, his favourite films and music, and his obsession with coffee, which he even roasts himself, I naturally understood his approach to work and design, and was drawn to his humanity.
Typeface design is not a highly recognised profession, and in fact, it is a field that requires specialised skills. However, if people are exposed to the world of typeface design through people like him, more people will become familiar with the work of typeface design. I was filled with energy from the conversation I had with Omagari with such expectations. （Arata Maruyama)
Works
Tokyo Dome Cityリブランド書体, 大曲都市, カスタム書体
Custom typeface for Tokyo Dome City’s rebranding projec, Toshi Omagari
Toshi Omagari
Typeface designer. He was born in Fukuoka, Japan, in 1984. After graduating from Musashino Art University with a degree in Visual Communication Design, he completed the Typeface Design course at the University of Reading in the UK. In 2012, he joined Monotype where he worked on reviving classic typefaces such as Metro Nova and Neue Plak, as well as creating custom typefaces for brands like H&M and the Premier League. In 2021, he became independent and is currently based in London.
#2
