Sangetsu Corporation, a Japanese interior materials manufacturer headquartered in Nagoya, has used a distinctive symbol mark since 1970, when the company changed its name from Yamagetsudo and refreshed its corporate emblem and logo in the same year.[1] The original mark was created in the 1970s by Yusaku Kamekura, one of Japan’s most celebrated graphic designers, known for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics symbol and posters.[2]
Design and History
Sangetsu’s origins trace to 1849, when fusuma and shoji craftsman Hibi Yasuke founded a shop called Yamagetsudo near Nagoya Castle.[1] The company was incorporated in 1953 as Yamagetsudo Shoten Co., Ltd., and in 1966 the name was shortened to Yamagetsudo Co., Ltd.[1]
In 1970, the company renamed itself Sangetsu and simultaneously introduced a new corporate emblem and logo mark.[1] The original logo was designed by Yusaku Kamekura, whose portfolio also includes the NTT dynamic loop symbol and the Good Design Award G-mark.[2][3]
In 2016, Sangetsu restructured its corporate philosophy and introduced the brand statement “Joy of Design.”[1] A subsequent comprehensive rebranding project, led by the design agency AXHUM, developed a new logotype and color scheme while retaining the structural value of Kamekura’s original mark.[2] The symbolic mark kept its original form but was revitalized with vibrant, fresh colors.[2]
Meaning and Symbolism
Sangetsu’s official description of its current symbol mark states that it expresses the company’s aspiration to become “light” that brings joy and inspiration to people who create spaces, conveyed through fresh, vivid colors and a shape that expands freely.[4] The company’s 2025 annual report cover design similarly describes the symbol mark as representing Sangetsu’s role as light for those who create spaces, layered with a constructive image of forming space and expressing diversity through various colors.[5]
The company name itself derives from the characters for “mountain” (山) and “moon” (月), which were chosen for the original shop name Yamagetsudo because traditional craftsmen’s shop names in the fusuma and screen trade often drew on nature-themed imagery.[6]
Typography and Design
AXHUM developed a new lowercase logotype for the rebrand, described as simple yet humanistic and refined, designed to remain neutral and adaptable across diverse spatial styles.[2] Sangetsu’s official site describes the logotype as having neutrality that allows it to blend into spaces of various styles while flexibly responding to new trends and expressing an attitude of creating new value.[4]
AXHUM also introduced a supporting graphic system called “form language” to strengthen brand recognition and unify Sangetsu’s previously inconsistent visual communications across touchpoints.[2]
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