I work on the future of Inabe City, including formulating a comprehensive plan for the comprehensive and long-term management of the city, and promoting administrative reforms to ensure simple and efficient administrative management in response to changes in social conditions. In recent years, I have also been in charge of regional revitalization, a series of policies aimed at correcting the overconcentration of population in Tokyo, halting the decline in regional populations, and increasing the vitality of Japan as a whole. Inabe does not have a plentiful population like the greater Tokyo area. Therefore, I believe it is extremely important to tackle regional revitalization issues and work in line with a "population vision" that can halt the decline in population. At first glance, it may seem like a very rigid place, but the appeal is that you can take on very challenging tasks. For example, implementing industry-academia collaboration to solve the challenges of regional revitalization requires a lot of internal and external coordination, but the excitement you get from doing so is addictive!
Q. The moment the font switch was turned on
Since the public relations officer was originally a Morisawa user, he was interested in the implications of changing the font. With that much knowledge,Industry-government-academia collaboration presentation held in Otari VillageI was told that there was a program, so I went to see it, and that's when I heard Morisawa's feedback on the students' presentation materials.
To put it simply, the project involved students from Musashi University coming up with a plan to address local issues in Otari Village and presenting it to the people of Otari Village. Morisawa helped make the presentation materials easier to understand.
The feedback included comments I had never heard before, such as, "Why did you use this weight for the title? Is there a reason?" and "Would it be easier to read the text on this color?"
Now that I think about it, Morisawa was speaking from the perspective of brushing up on the layout, so that's absolutely true, but I'd never looked at documents from that perspective before, and I'd never created documents with fonts or layouts in mind, so it was like I'd been struck by lightning. Was there such a secret to documents that "communicate" effectively?! That was the moment I was turned on.
Q. What Morisawa UD fonts do you use most often and in what situations do you use them?
Since installing UD fonts on all PCs in the agency in October of last year (2019), we have not issued any notices, but we have been reaching out to each department, and their use has naturally spread. Inabe City is strengthening its efforts toward the SDGs. Because the concept of universal design matches many of the SDGs' goals, UD fonts are essential for booklets and presentation materials that communicate these efforts.
The one I often use is ・BIZUD New Go ・UD Reimin is. As part of my job, I prepare materials when guiding government officials on inspection tours. The other day, Minister Kitamura was woken up, and for documents like this, I use the UD Digital Textbook Font. I read the text while I explain, so I choose the font that is easiest to read.
In addition, Inabe City was recently selected as an SDGs Future City Municipal SDGs Model Project, and the materials posted here also make full use of UD fonts.
I think it will probably be obvious if you compare it with the documentation.
Q. What would you like to challenge in the future? (Future vision)
I am also taking on new challenges in regional revitalization, and I would like to create a town where young people feel like they want to continue living, and that they want to return someday even if they move away for work or marriage.
I think that a strong vertical division is a characteristic of government, but at the same time, the employees within the government have strong aspirations. If we can create an environment where everyone can demonstrate their strengths beyond the boundaries of vertical divisions, I believe that good initiatives will naturally be possible. I also think that by doing so, we can accelerate government initiatives. Ultimately, if we can create something that is perceived as "attractive," I believe we will be able to better communicate our vision to everyone, so that is what I would like to aim for first.
Q. What do you expect from Morisawa's UD fonts in the future?
Having used UD fonts and worked on various projects with Morisawa, I have come to realise that perhaps no single font will appeal to everyone. Among UD fonts, I hope that fonts will be developed that are suited to each person's vision and environment, such as a font for this type of person.
What's more, I feel that an environment with a wide range of options contributes to people's mental health, and ultimately to their overall health. For example, a poor reading environment can cause stress. By poor, I mean having to look at a monitor for long periods of time or an environment where it's difficult to recognize text. If we can reduce stress by changing the font to make it easier to access information, I believe this will lead to people's health.
We would like to work together to carry out demonstration tests and other initiatives that will contribute to the health of residents, and to help more people understand the greatness of UD fonts.
