PROJECT: Moral Education & Disaster Preparedness Program
ROLE: Co-Creator, Lead Art Director
EXPERTISE: Creative Direction, Concept Ideation, Art Direction, UI/UX Design, Editorial Design
TIMELINE: 2017 – Present (Long-running initiative)
ROLE: Co-Creator, Lead Art Director
EXPERTISE: Creative Direction, Concept Ideation, Art Direction, UI/UX Design, Editorial Design
TIMELINE: 2017 – Present (Long-running initiative)
OVERVIEW
Launched in 2017, this long-running educational initiative serves as a crucial form of "psychological disaster preparedness," passing down the profound life lesson to the next generation that "tomorrow is never guaranteed."
Serving as the Lead Art Director for nearly a decade, I was responsible for capturing these incredibly delicate movements of the human heart, translating them into tangible visual and interactive experiences with the utmost sincerity and faithful devotion.
Rather than focusing strictly on physical survival, this program invites the younger generation to confront their own lives, effectively preventing the accumulation of unspoken grief and lifelong regrets.
CHALLENGE
Traditional disaster preparedness often emphasizes physical safety protocols—evacuation drills, survival kits, and infrastructure. However, the emotional toll of sudden loss often leaves behind unexpressed feelings, lingering guilt, and broken dialogues.
The objective was to design a platform and communicative medium that empowers individuals to express their hidden appreciation and apologies before it is too late.
APPROACH
Each year, I developed a distinct conceptual angle and bespoke visual identity, translating different real-world human artifacts into national newspaper features and digital interactions.
- Strategic Collaboration:
Partnering closely with the creative director and client, I helped shape core concepts from the ground up, translating complex emotional narratives into clear, dignified visual strategies.
Partnering closely with the creative director and client, I helped shape core concepts from the ground up, translating complex emotional narratives into clear, dignified visual strategies.
- Editorial & On-Site Art Direction:
Working on location with photographers across Iwate prefecture, I art-directed nationwide newspaper spreads that treat delicate subject matter with quiet resonance.
Working on location with photographers across Iwate prefecture, I art-directed nationwide newspaper spreads that treat delicate subject matter with quiet resonance.
- Digital UI/UX Delivery:
Across multiple editions—including public petition platforms and digital archive sites—I designed the web interfaces and visual assets, collaborating directly with developers to bring responsive experiences to life.
Across multiple editions—including public petition platforms and digital archive sites—I designed the web interfaces and visual assets, collaborating directly with developers to bring responsive experiences to life.
SELECTED EDITIONS
Creative Direction & Editorial / The Initial Newspaper Series (2017, 2026)
2019 | The Wind Phone (Kaze no Denwa)
Theme: The quiet dialogue between the living and the deceased.
Creative Direction: Leading on-site art direction alongside the photographer, I framed the quiet, sacred atmosphere of the famous disconnected phone booth. Through restrained typography and expansive white space, I translated a man's solitary words to his lost wife into a dignified, contemplative full-page layout.
Awards: Zenkouren Suzuki Saburosuke Regional Campaign Awards: Selection Committee Special Prize / CCN Awards: Grand Prix (TV CM: Special Jury Prize & CCN Award / Graphic: Special Jury Prize) / JAA Awards (Japan Advertisers Association): Medalist (Newspaper, TV, and Digital)
Art Direction & Editorial / Nationwide Campaign Spreads (2025, 2026)
Original Concept & UI/UX / Interactive Digital Space (2025 – Present)
Art Direction & Editorial / Cross-Media Print Features (2025, 2026)
Project Architecture & UI/UX / Moral Education Digital Archive (2025 – Present)
2025 | A Post for Apologies Unsaid (Gomen-ne Post) + Integration into School Curricula
Theme: An interactive public sanctuary for unsent words.
Creative Direction: Realized from my own original concept, I directed the entire cross-media ecosystem—from the brand identity and nationwide newspaper spreads to the intuitive mobile UI/UX. The digital platform provided a safe, tender space for thousands of users to submit their unspoken words, wrapping a heavy subject in a warm, accessible aesthetic.
Awards: JAA Awards (Japan Advertisers Association): Grand Prix (Print & Film) / Best Partner Award / Zenkouren Suzuki Saburosuke Regional Advertising Awards: Grand Prix / Galaxy Awards: Winner (CM) / Dentsu Inc. Advertising Awards: Silver (Print & Film)
Editorial Design: 15th Anniversary Special Edition (2026)
2026 | 15th Anniversary Retrospective Edition
Theme: A decade-and-a-half anthology uniting all previous chapters.
Theme: A decade-and-a-half anthology uniting all previous chapters.
Creative Direction: Commemorating the 15th anniversary of the disaster, I art-directed a comprehensive 16-page special edition newspaper consolidating the entire series. The limited run of 10,000 copies reached full application almost immediately upon announcement, reflecting immense public resonance and cultural endurance.
Awards: Dentsu Inc. Advertising Awards: Silver (Print)
RESULTS
These initiatives are part of a broader regional revitalization project spanning 15 years.
Today, the published newspaper spreads and documentary videos have been integrated into the "moral education curriculum" across more than 160 schools and organizations nationwide. For a younger generation with no direct memory of the disaster, these materials empower them to learn about life, death, and the preciousness of existence, carrying these heavy truths as lessons for the future.
This profound resonance with the public led the project to achieve historic recognition.
*Note: Since 2018, Iwate Nippo has spearheaded a petition movement titled "Make March 11 a Day to Remember Our Loved Ones." In 2021, this led to the official enactment of "The Day to Pass Down the Memory of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami" under Iwate Prefectural Ordinance.