Professor Katsumi Asaba, Director of Kuwasawa Design School
VR field: Professor Akira Toyoshima

This time, it's a special version!
This is an interview with Professor Katsumi Asaba, director of Kuwasawa Design School, and Professor Akira Toyoshima, creator of "Suzumushi."

Q. What genre of classes do you teach?

A.
Professor Asaba
In the Asaba Seminar, I am in charge of the one-year graduation project.

Professor Toyoshima
I teach both day and night classes, focusing mainly on typography.

Q. The moment when the font's sensitivity was turned on

A.
Professor Asaba
I'm taking a calligraphy class under the guidance of Takane Kyoko, a student of Ishikawa Kyuyo, where we practice calligraphy for three days and two nights without sleep. She feeds us, but doesn't let us sleep! Of course, I can't sleep either. I have to show her how I write! I think that's when it happens. At first, I was told it has nothing to do with design, but that's not true. The sense of balance between black and white is very important in design. Incidentally, Takahashi Haruka, a graduate of Asaba's seminar who participated in the camp, created a modern cursive style and won the Kuwasawa Newcomer Award.

Professor Toyoshima
Everyone knows about this camp and joins the Asaba Seminar. I think they choose it because they understand that it is an important element in design.

Q. What is your favorite Morisawa font and why?

A.
Professor Asaba
Morisawa often uses Gothic fonts. I went to Shenzhen, China the other day, and apparently Chinese Gothic fonts are called black fonts, which is surprising, isn't it? Black fonts... that's true. That makes sense. What about Toyoshima-sensei?

Professor Toyoshima
After all, it's the typeface I created, "Suzumushi."

Professor Asaba
Did you win this time too?

Professor Toyoshima
Yes! I won an award at Morisawa's competition*. (*Type Design Competition) Professor Asaba, which do you prefer, "Suzumushi" or this font "Natsume"?

Professor Asaba
Well, "Suzumushi" is really good. It's useful...

Professor Toyoshima
It's great that it can be used with MORISAWA PASSPORT.

Professor Asaba
That's true. But it was also great that they created a sake brand using Natsume the other day...

Q. What do you think of the students at this school?

A.
Professor Asaba
All the students who come to Asaba Seminar have a wide range of imagination and individuality. This is the important final year where they will find their own work (=skill). I think it will take a year.

Professor Toyoshima
Children who can find such a weapon will grow.

Professor Asaba
When I spoke on the theme of "Lettering and Me" at a symposium* held during TDC's tour of Shenzhen, China, I talked about expansion and contraction. We have broad ideas, but when it comes to creating a work, we have to contract those ideas. That's what I meant. The students who come to Asaba's seminar are also in their third year at Kuwasawa, and their ideas have expanded, but they are being forced to narrow down the theme for their graduation project. They are at a similar stage.

Professor Toyoshima
I think the students in the Asaba seminar are particularly good at finding them.

*“Tokyo TDC 2012” at the OCT Art & Design Gallery in Shenzhen

Q. The moment the switch turns "OFF"

A.
Professor Toyoshima
Is it table tennis after all?

Professor Asaba
That's true (laughs)
60 years in design, 40 years in table tennis, and 20 years in calligraphy. You need moments to be tense and moments to be relaxed. Mito Komon once said something great: "One step, one relaxation." Do you know that, Toyoshima-san?

Professor Toyoshima
Hmm, I've never met him in person... (laughs)

Professor Asaba
It means tightening and loosening the bowstring. It's the idea that it's important to not only be strict in everything, but also to relax and have fun sometimes. The same goes for design.

Q. What would you like to challenge yourself with in the future? What are you interested in?

A.
Professor Toyoshima
It's always a challenge! Especially for Professor Asaba.

Professor Asaba
(laughs) Nagatomo Hironori passed away the other day. I was a fellow alumnus of Kuwasawa Design School, and I had worked with Aoba Masuteru and Nagatomo Hironori on a three-person exhibition called "○△□ Exhibition" (○=Nagatomo, △=Asaba, □=Aoba), so it was a big event for me. So, for the first time, I tried writing a haiku. "Triangles, circles and squares go to heaven." It doesn't seem to have a seasonal word, but it's spring-like in heaven, so that's okay... (laughs)
So, I had to think of a pen name, so I took the "katsu" from Katsumi and came up with Katcha.

Professor Toyoshima and interview members
nice!

After the special class, we interviewed Professor Toyoshima and his students, who gathered around Professor Asaba for this interview! In the next issue, we will bring you an interview with the students.