Kashiwaba Neurosurgery (柏葉脳神経外科病院) was a neurosurgery hospital in Sapporo, Japan, founded in 1971. In December 2024, the institution relocated and renamed itself Sapporo Hakuyokai Hospital (札幌柏葉会病院), operating under the social medical corporation Hakuyokai (柏葉会).[1][2]
Design and History
The hospital’s visual identity underwent a major refresh in March 2020, when the institution received approval as a social medical corporation and changed its legal status to Social Medical Corporation Hakuyokai Kashiwaba Neurosurgery Hospital.[1] According to the hospital’s own recruitment brochure, the logo was renewed at that time.[3]
An earlier mark, dated 1982, has been attributed to designer Shin Ikeda, though this attribution comes from a logo database and has not been independently verified through primary sources.[4] The hospital’s own historical records do not document this earlier logo or its designer.
Meaning and Symbolism
The 2020 logo carries documented symbolism explained in the hospital’s recruitment materials. The green portion represents both the kashiwa oak leaf (from the hospital’s name) and the brain. A light blue crescent expresses trust, while a purple crescent expresses respect. The white circle in the center represents the earth, conveying the hospital’s aim to provide world-standard medical care. The overall logo forms the letter H, the initial of Hakuyokai, layered with the power of a person who has regained vitality.[3]
The hospital’s philosophy at the time of the 2020 rebrand was “medical care of trust and respect,” adopted in 2018, which aligns with the crescent symbolism in the mark.[1]
Following the December 2024 relocation and renaming to Sapporo Hakuyokai Hospital, the Hakuyokai corporate logo continues to represent the organization, with the new hospital name discussed alongside the logo mark in the hospital’s own project documentation.[5]
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