

Several days ago we highlighted a twitter hashtag (#私の作品もっと沢山の人に広がれ祭り) that Japanese artists were using to share their work. It’s an exhaustive hashtag with thousands of tweets but one project that caught our eye was the “Braille Nueu” typeface created by designer Kosuke Takahashi, a universal typeface that combines braille with existing English and Japanese characters.

Most sighted people can’t read braille. Takahashi, a product and graphic designer working in Tokyo, identified this as a disconnect that has led to a lack of braille in public spaces which, in turn, has led to a decrease in awareness. In response, he created a new typeface that communicates both visually and physically: “Braille Neue Standard” which is for English and “Braille Neue Outline” which is for Japanese and English.

“Our aim is to use this universal typeset for Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics 2020, says Takahashi, “to create a truly universal space where anyone can access information.” Efforts have been made in the past to combine braille with the existing Latin alphabet. Takahashi builds on this work by designing a typeset that corresponds to both Latin and Japanese fonts.

In the designer’s own words, it is “a stepping stone for a sustainable and inclusive future.” You can read more about the project on his website.