MY JAPAN RAILWAY

About the Work The physical items we created were part of a campaign celebrating the 150th anniversary of Japan Railway. The campaign was designed to imbue train stations all across Japan with their own unique identity, transforming them from simple access points into destinations of personal significance people could feel a strong emotional connection to. We researched stations across the country, reviewing historical records, newspaper articles, archival and current photos and social media. Based on that research, we created woodcut-style stamps using only six Japan Railway Signature Colors for over 900 stations nationwide, and a web app for collecting the stamps on a smartphone. To support the campaign, our billboards were placed in high-traffic station walkways and featured all of the stamps arranged in the shape of a map of Japan, while the posters were offered as prizes that people could win by completing in-app tasks. Our book is an encyclopaedic compilation of the stamps depicting train stations and railway scenes from across Japan. The stamps are arranged into thematic categories such as the seasons, mountains, animals, and festivals to evoke the romance of travel and remind people of the wide range of scenic attractions and destinations that can be reached via the Japan Railway network.