JT Logo

JT Logo PNG

The JT logo signifies the fusion of two cultures. It represents a newspaper striving to impartially acquaint the country’s residents with domestic and global events while improving their English skills.

Meaning and History

The newspaper emerged during the Industrial Revolution when Japanese society felt a connection with the outside world and began to take its rightful place on the world stage after a long period of isolation. Therefore, the birth of an English-language publication was entirely in line with the spirit of the times and the needs of the Japanese. The use of special fonts in the newsletter logos further emphasizes the newspaper’s connection with the English language. The absorption of smaller publications and changes in ownership have driven the emblem rebrandings.

What is JT?

It is a Japanese publication in English that includes the daily newspaper The Japan Times, the Sunday weekly The Japan Times On Sunday, the weekly The Japan Times Weekly, and the bilingual issue The Japan Times Alpha. The main publication is a news sheet with a circulation of 44,000 copies.

1897 – 1903

The newspaper’s logo font mirrored the well-known New York publication – The New York Times. However, unlike the foreign media, The Japan Times incorporated a graphic element in its emblem – the image of Mount Fujiyama. The highest peak is located near Tokyo, where the newspaper is published and is a business card of the country. Therefore, even for those who do not know English, one look at the publication’s logo is enough to understand that it refers to Japan.

1903 – 1920s

By the end of the 19th century, Motosada Zumoto, the newspaper’s founder, had become the country’s prime minister’s secretary and could no longer work on the publication. Therefore, he invited a native Japanese who had studied and lived in the US to return and head the paper.

Under the new owner, the visual identity became closer to the usual logos of daily publications—the name in large letters. The inscription’s font is Old English to highlight the newspaper’s main feature: the foreign language.

1920s – 1933

In 1918, the Times absorbed its competitor, the Japan Mail, which an English editor ran. The names of the two publications were combined, leading to a logo update. The emblem letters became thicker to show the merger, and under The Japan Times, they added Mail in small letters.

1933 – 1940

In 1933, the Japanese government finally managed to take control of the newspaper. Hitoshi Ashida, a protégé of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was appointed chief editor. The appointment immediately reflected on the logo’s style. The inscription received a more modern font with clear capital letters. The resemblance of the font to hieroglyphics and the intricate symbolism faded away.

1940 – 1943

In 1940, the Japan Advertiser, a news newspaper for diplomats, traders, and missionaries, was absorbed. The joint publication was renamed The Japan Times and Advertiser. The unified logo returned to the old-fashioned font used by the Advertiser, making the popular publication reminiscent of England. The word “The” is printed in small font at the top center to slightly reduce the inscription’s length.

1943 – 1956

In 1943, the newspaper changed its name again to Nippon Times. The Japanese word Nippon replaced English Japan, as English was banned in the country during World War II. The name represented a synthesis of two cultures and languages, reflecting the editorial board’s stance. The old-fashioned font was retained but became larger.

1956 – 1987

With the advent of Shintaro Fukushima’s administration, the publication’s visual mark transformed. The smooth, almost cursive letters of the Japan Times with a small floating article presented a confident and interesting media that adhered to neutrality in the political sphere. The flying concept hinted at the newspaper’s distribution via airmail to neighboring countries.

1987 – today

Shintaro gave up ownership of the newspaper and sold shares to the automotive parts manufacturer Nifco, remaining as the editor. The new owners drastically changed the style.

The emblem used a modern approach of a semi-transparent article and fused writing with Japan. The publishing house is fully computerized, and the title style resembles an internet version.

Lowercase letters help distinguish between the name of the country and the printed publication. The elegant font with glyphs of varying thickness underscored the multifaceted issues and the ability to please various political forces and major business players.

Above the J, there’s a red dot. It is a prototype of the sun from the country’s flag. It demonstrated the adoption and setup of a color offset press in the publishing house.

Font and Colors

Black is the primary color of the logo. The palette perfectly matches the theme of printing and typographic ink. It indicates the color for this format’s largest, most known, and oldest publication.

The font of the inscription is Blacker Pro Display Extrabold.