Ichigaya Letterpress Factory

The Ichigaya Letterpress Factory is a cultural facility that preserves the history and techniques of DNP’s letterpress printing division, which closed in 2003. It recreates the workplace of letterpress printing that continued for 127 years, introducing the complete process—from type design to casting, typesetting, composition, printing, and binding.

The museum needed to create an engaging environment for everyone from printing professionals to those unfamiliar with letterpress printing. Additionally, establishing a new design that harmonized with history was essential within a space that restored a Taisho-era building.

We developed a versatile visual system featuring books and movable type. Through three-dimensional icon expressions using isometric projection and signage that meticulously reproduces metal type, we created a spatial design that honors both the physicality and historical significance of letterpress printing.