Asunaro Academy is the English-language brand name used by Asunaro Shobo (あすなろ書房), a Japanese publisher of children’s and educational books based in Tokyo’s Shinjuku ward. The company was founded in 1961 by Tsunekatsu Yamaue and specializes in fairy tales, picture books, and translations of overseas children’s literature. [1]
Design and History
The Asunaro Academy symbol was designed by Yoshihiko Kurobe in 1983. [2] The mark is classified as a dot-based, negative-space logo with a square format. [2] Kurobe is also credited as the designer of the Asunaro Academy brand in designer-specific logo archives. [3]
The company name derives from the asunaro tree (Thujopsis dolabrata), a conifer whose Japanese name is often interpreted as “ashita wa hinoki ni narou” (“tomorrow it will become a hinoki cypress”), a phrase associated with aspiration and steady growth. [4]
Meaning and Symbolism
Documented meaning for the Asunaro Academy mark is limited. [2] The connection between the company name and the asunaro tree’s aspirational folk meaning is documented for the name itself, though the publisher has not publicly confirmed that this meaning was carried into the logo design. [4]
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