GREE Holdings, Inc. is a Japanese internet company founded in 2004 by Yoshikazu Tanaka, headquartered in Tokyo. The company began as a social networking service called GREE and later expanded into mobile social games and other internet businesses. In January 2025, the company transitioned to a holding company structure and changed its trade name from GREE, Inc. to GREE Holdings, Inc. [1]
Design and History
The GREE logo consists of a hexagon shape placed next to the wordmark “GREE.” This visual identity has been documented in official trademark registrations filed by the company. A trademark registration from 2012 describes the mark as “a hexagon next to the word GREE.” [2] An earlier trademark application from 2011 similarly describes the mark as “a hexagon design in blue and the letters ‘G’, ‘R’, ‘E’, ‘E’ in blue.” [3]
The company name GREE derives from the hypothesis “Six Degrees of Separation,” which posits that any person can be connected to any other person on Earth through a chain of no more than six acquaintances. This concept was popularized following the small world experiment conducted by social psychologist Stanley Milgram in 1967. The official company history page states that the name GREE carries a message about creating new forms of internet-based fun, convenience, and enjoyment through networks and communication. [4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The hexagon motif in the GREE logo is directly tied to the company name’s origin. The six-sided shape reflects the “six degrees” concept embedded in the name GREE, which comes from “Six De’gree’s of Separation.” [5] The hexagon visually represents the six-step connection theory that inspired the company’s naming, reinforcing the social networking and connectivity themes central to the brand’s origins.
Blue is claimed as a feature of the mark in official trademark filings, with the hexagon and the letters of the wordmark rendered in blue. [3] A later trademark application for the GREE Entertainment sub-brand also describes “a blue hexagon to the left of the word GREE in blue.” [6]
Typography and Design
The GREE wordmark uses a sans-serif lettering style with the four capital letters “GREE” set in a straightforward, legible arrangement. The hexagon symbol sits beside the wordmark rather than replacing any letters, creating a two-part lockup. Official trademark descriptions confirm the layout as a hexagon adjacent to the word GREE, with both elements sharing the same blue color treatment. [2] The specific typeface used for the wordmark has not been publicly documented by the company.
GREE and the GREE logo are registered trademarks of GREE Holdings, Inc. in Japan and other countries. [1]
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