One of Japan’s most in-demand graphic designers is neither hip nor an artist by training: He is a septuagenarian security guard who works the graveyard shift at a railway station in Tokyo.
Shuetsu Sato found his hidden passion when in 2004 he was asked help travelers navigate the crowded, labyrinthine Shinjuku Station as it underwent renovations.
His solution was to make signage out of duct tape, covering the station’s walls with directions to the myriad train lines, exits and more. He loved the work, the result was effective and the station master kept asking for more.
Photo: Reuters
“No one would think to ask a security guard to make signs or posters, so when someone requests one, I can’t help but do my best,” said the bespectacled 72-year-old, dressed in a bright-yellow jumpsuit uniform.
As more signs went up, discerning eyes noticed. Soon, Sato was getting requests from all over Japan, to make lettering for movie posters, a museum sign. He even got work from corporate giants such as Nintendo and Suntory.
He last year won the Japan Sign Design Association’s platinum award for his unique typography — now known as “Shuetsu-tai” after his name — characterized by rounded edges aimed at soothing commuters’ irritation.
One of Sato’s latest projects is collaborating on a logo for Nike’s new brick-and-mortar store, which opened last month in the Shinjuku shopping district.
Shun Sasaki, a graphic designer hired by the sporting goods giant, said he immediately thought of Sato when he was asked to come up with a logo that evoked Shinjuku.
“I was blown away by his cool, powerful lettering,” Sasaki said. “He’s overflowing with incredible passion — a strong desire to create.”
For all his work’s popularity, Sato — who sometimes gets so lost in making signs he forgets to eat or sleep — has never charged a set fee, leaving compensation up to his clients.
He only asks for meals to be provided while he works and transportation costs, and the understanding that he would use only duct tape to create his designs.
“For Shinjuku, I think I got a certificate of appreciation from the station master and a shampoo set,” Sato said.
Another station master he did signs for thanked him with new socks.
“I couldn’t help but laugh at that, but for me it’s just fun, and as long as it makes people happy, that’s really all I need,” he said.
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