Reijiro "Rei" Yoshimura (1939) is an influential Japanese graphic designer renowned for creating some of Japan's most recognizable corporate identities and modernist logos. His career successfully bridged Eastern and Western corporate aesthetics, stemming from his early experience working at the legendary American firm Lippincott & Margulies before establishing his independent practice with offices in New York and Japan.
Yoshimura's design philosophy prioritizes hyper-minimalism, geometric precision, and deep symbolic meaning. He often integrated corporate core principles directly into abstract shapes to develop timeless brand marks.
Major Design WorksMazda Logotype (1975): Working alongside the prominent corporate identity firm PAOS, Yoshimura designed Mazda’s highly successful geometric wordmark. His version famously featured a distinct diagonal cut through the horizontal bars of the letter "Z" to represent dynamism, recovery, and character.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Symbol (1989): Yoshimura won a highly competitive design contest featuring legendary Japanese design masters to create this iconic public crest. Composed of three simple green arcs, the mark beautifully mimics a ginkgo leaf—the official metropolitan tree—while subtly outlining the letter "T" for Tokyo.
Yokogawa Electric Corporation Logo (1986): Inspired by the sun as a fundamental provider of energy, Yoshimura designed a distinctive diamond emblem for Yokogawa. The sharp interior lines convey technological precision, while the outer curves symbolize empathy and partnership.Itoki Logo (1985): For this historic office equipment brand, he arranged nine slanted, diagonal strokes inside a 3x3 square matrix. The layout was inspired by the traditional view of the number nine representing completeness, while the slanted direction captures a sense of forward momentum.
Daiei Supermarket Logo (1975): Developed in collaboration with PAOS, the classic logo features an abstract shape evoking a "waxing moon" to reflect the brand's potential for ongoing growth and evolution.
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| Rei Yoshimura |
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Coca-Cola "Arden Square", 1969
– When at Lippincott & Margulies |
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First Minneapolis Logo, 1971
– When at Lippincott & Margulies |
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| Miroku Firearms Mfg. Co. Logo, 1971 |
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| Barnes Engineering Company Trademark, 1972 |
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| Kyowa Carbon Co. Trademark Logo, 1973 |
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| Chuo Trust & Banking Co. Logo, 1974 |
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| Daiei, Inc. Logo Proposal, 1974 |
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| Daiei food chain logo, 1975 |
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| Daiei food chain logo, 1975 |
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| Kubota Proposed Corporate Emblem, 1975 |
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| Mazda Corporate Identity Manual, 1975 |
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| Jimmy's Corporate Logo, 1978 |
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| Key Bank, 1979 |
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| Kyowa identity, 1981 |
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| Corporate identity, 1985 |
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| Corporate identity, 1985 |
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| Corporate identity, 1985 |
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| Japan Tobacco Inc. Corporate Logo, 1985 |
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| The Bank of Kyoto Corporate Logo, 1985 |
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| The Asahi Shimbun Company Logo Proposal, 1986 |
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| Logo Proposal, 1986 |
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American Motors Corporation Corporate Logo, 1988
– When at Lippincott & Margulies |
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| Corporate Logo, 1988 |
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| Tokyo Metropolitan Government, 1989 |
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