1959

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.

1960

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

1961

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

1962

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

1963

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

1964

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

1965

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

1966

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

1967

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

1968

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

1969

April: Hara Hiromu became president.

1971

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

1973

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

1975

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

1979

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

1980

Established the International Bureau.

1981

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

1982

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

1983

Established Studio VIG Inc.

1985

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

1986

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

1987

Established the CI Design Institute and Package Design Department.

1988

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

1989

President Nagai Kazumasa was awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon.

1990

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.

1992

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

1993

Established the Sasaki Design Strategy Research Department (now the Brand Design Department).

1995

Reorganized the company into 3 divisions, the Management Division, Production Division, and Production Research Division, and separated the general production section and the specialist and R&D section.

1996

Suzuki Kiyofumi became president.

1997

Opened the Nagoya Branch.

1998

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

1999

Kazumasa Nagai received The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette.
Reorganized the Ota CI Design Research Department to create the Ota Corporate Brand Institute.

2002

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

2003

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

2004

Established the Web Design Institute, CG Development Department, and Production Department.

2005

Established Beijing NDC Studio, Inc. in Beijing China.

2006

Opened an NDC studio in Shinonome, Tokyo to strengthen our photography and video production business.
Established the Koiso Design Institute.

2010

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

2011

Established the Onscreen Design Division, Irobe Design Institute, and Daikoku Design Institute.

2012

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.

2013

Established NDC Asterisk, Inc.

2014

Hara Kenya became president.
Established the Misawa Design Institute.

2016

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

2017

Established the On-screen Production Department.