Digital Exhibit: 30th Anniversary Logo Contest

I explored a couple of motifs that I thought could well represent Canada and Japan, from the English and Japanese alphabets, to the colours red and white that we share in our flags.
However, I kept coming back to the idea of seasons and the roles they play in our cultures. The sakura and the maple leaf represents both a beginning and an end; whether it’s the beginning of a new school year or marking winter in one way or another. Anniversaries are a little like a beginning and an end in themselves. They celebrate the time that has passed but also the good times to come. I liked the cyclical symbolism that both the sakura and the maple leaf held, but also the significance that both trees have in Japanese and Canadian culture. The Japan Foundation acts as a branch between the two cultures, so that both can flourish like the blossoms and leaves of the trees.

My design represents a unifying point of purpose and that is in keeping Canadians informed about Japan and vice versa, informing Japanese about Canada. Consequently, I use a single line to illustrate my point and confirming it with the line “Thirty years of sharing.”

I decided to combine two symbols that represents each country, the Maple and the Sakura. Joining these two together symbolizes the harmony and peaceful union of two great countries in my heart.