History

December: Japan’s top designers, copywriters, and photographers joined together as a creative organization aiming to further develop and improve the quality of advertising design in Japan. NDC was established by investment from 8 companies (Asahi Breweries, Asahi Kasei, Nippon Steel, Toshiba, Toyota Motor, Nikon, NKK, Nomura Securities).
Yamamoto Tamesaburo (chairman), Kamekura Yusaku, Hara Hiromu, Yamashiro Ryuichi, Isobe Kazumitsu, Abe Akihiro, Abe Tatsugoro, Kato Shigeyuki, Tanaka Shiro, Kimura Magohachiro, Shirahama Hiroshi, Suzuki Matsuo.

March: Temporary office established in the Bunsei Bldg., Ginza, Chuo-ku.
June: Office relocated to Akihiro Kokusai Kaikan, Ginza, Chuo-ku.

Split off the Films Division and established it as Nippon Sangyo Eiga Center.

Held an NDC exhibition in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
The Swiss design magazine “Graphis” published an NDC feature article.

Held NDC exhibitions in two cities: New York and London.

Cooperated in the design for each event of the Tokyo Olympics and received a letter of appreciation from the Tokyo Olympics Organizing Committee.

Held an NDC exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany.
Changed the Production Division to a three-division system and launched the Illustration Division and Photography Division.

Published a collection of works in commemoration of our 5th anniversary.
Shotaro Kamiya became president. Nagai Kazumasa designed the logo for the Sapporo Olympics.

Office was relocated to the Chuo Daiwa Bldg., Ginza, Chuo-ku.

Held NDC exhibitions in Seattle, USA and Prague, Czechoslovakia.

April: Hara Hiromu became president.

Hara Hiromu was awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon.
Published a collection of works in commemoration of our 10th anniversary.

Nagai Kazumasa designed the logo for Expo ’75, Okinawa.

January: Nagai Kazumasa became president.
May: Suzuki Matsuo became chairman.

The Swiss design magazine “Graphis” published an NDC feature article.

Established the International Bureau.

Published a collection of works in commemoration of our 20th anniversary.
Held the “Nippon Design Center OB Party” at the Tokyo Prince Hotel.
Launched collaboration with the US advertising agency Dancer Fitzgerald Sample.

Nippon Design Center received a Critics’ Choice Award at the 10th Bruno Graphic Design Biennale.

Established Studio VIG Inc. (now VIG Co., Ltd.)

Held an event celebrating the publications of Nagai Kazumasa at the Tokyo Prince Hotel.

September: Tanaka Hiroshi became president.
Launched JMC, a joint venture by Nippon Design Center, Nippon Research Center, and Nippon Sangyo Eiga Center.

Established Package Design Department.

President Nagai Kazumasa was awarded the 38th Minister of Education’s Art Encouragement Prize.

President Nagai Kazumasa was awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon.

Held an exhibition of works at The Central Museum of Art (Ginza, Tokyo) to commemorate our 30th anniversary.
Published 30 Years of Nippon Design Center, a collecting of works commemorating our 30th anniversary.
Held an exhibition of NDC works at the ADC Gallery in New York.

Established the Hara Design Research Department (now the Hara Design Institute).

Reorganized the company into 3 divisions, the Administration Headquarters(now the Administration Division), Creative Headquarters(now the Creative Division 1), and Creative Research Headquarters(now the Creative Research Division), and separated the general production section and the specialist and R&D section.

Suzuki Kiyofumi became president.

Opened the Nagoya Branch.

Kenya Hara designed the opening and closing ceremony programs for the Nagano Winter Olympics.

Kazumasa Nagai received The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette.

“Re-Design: The Daily Products of the 21st Century” travelling exhibition was held in England, Denmark, China, and Canada.

Contributed to sponsorship of and provided operational support to the Icograda Congress in Nagoya.

Established Beijing NDC Studio, Inc. in Beijing China.

July: Published Design Polylogue: 50 Years of the Nippon Design Center to commemorate our 50th anniversary.
Established the new Produce Headquarters.(now the Produce Division)

Established Irobe Design Institute, and Daikoku Design Institute.

Relocated the head office to Ginza 4-chome, Chuo Ward.
Relocated the Nagoya Branch to Meieki 4-chome, Nakamura-ku.
Established NDC China, Inc. in Beijing, China, and launched its design business.

Established NDC Asterisk, Inc.

Hara Kenya became president.
Established the Misawa Design Institute.

Hara Kenya received the 4th Yamana Award at the Japan Advertising Federation Awards.

Established Production Division 2 (now Production Department 2)

Kenya Hara received the "Jan Lenica Award"
Launched the "Visualize60" project to commemorate the 60th anniversary
Held an exhibition on the 13th floor of headquarters and published the book "Visualize60"

Established Fukao Film Institute and Polylogue Institute

Established Nippon Design Center USA, Inc. in Los Angeles, USA
Transitioned from division system to department system
Established Business Development Office

Established Bussiness Management Section
Kenya Hara, President & CEO of Nippon Design Center, Receives the “Purple Ribbon Medal”