Shiseido (資生堂) is a Japanese cosmetics company founded in 1872 in Ginza, Tokyo as a Western-style pharmacy.[1] The company name derives from the Chinese Yi Jing (Book of Changes), with the phrase “Praise the virtues of the Earth, which nurtures new life and brings forth significant values.”[2]
Design and History
Shiseido’s symbol is the “Hanatsubaki” (camellia) mark. The camellia logo was conceived in 1915 by Shinzo Fukuhara, the company’s first president and son of founder Arinobu Fukuhara, who sketched the design from a camellia floating in a glass of water.[3][2] The Japanese corporate site notes that the mark was developed from Shinzo’s sketch by staff of the design department, with subsequent minor adjustments over the years.[4]
Before the camellia, Shiseido’s early products featured a hawk emblem, which symbolized founder Arinobu Fukuhara’s vision of introducing a Western-style pharmacy to Japan. The camellia replaced the hawk as the company prepared to shift its business from pharmaceuticals to cosmetics.[5][3] Shinzo Fukuhara, who had studied art in Europe and was influenced by Art Nouveau’s stylized floral depictions, chose the camellia, his favorite flower, as the motif.[5]
The camellia logo was registered as a trademark in 1919 after the number of leaves was reduced to seven. Since then it has remained virtually unchanged.[5]
In 2016, the SHISEIDO brand underwent a brand innovation that added “GINZA TOKYO” to the logo, emphasizing the brand’s origins in Ginza, Tokyo, and its identity as the brand most directly carrying Shiseido’s heritage.[6][7]
Meaning and Symbolism
The camellia logo depicts two blooms pointing in different directions, symbolizing both aspiration and modesty.[5] The camellia flower itself has long been associated with spring and new beginnings in Japanese culture.[8]
Shiseido’s corporate color is referred to as “Shiseido Red” (also spelled “Camelia Red” in some brand materials).[1][9] The 150th anniversary logo, used throughout 2022, employed a color gradation starting from Shiseido Red to symbolize “coexistence, harmony, and diversity.”[1]
Typography and Design
In 1923, Shinzo Fukuhara asked his design department to create an original Japanese typeface for SHISEIDO. Designer Mitsugu Maeda drew the lettering under the supervision of department head Choyo Takagi, and the final SHISEIDO typeface was completed in 1927.[5]
Around the same time, a Western-character logo was developed. Initially drawn by Mitsugu Maeda, it was soon redesigned by Yabe Sue, who drew on Shinzo Fukuhara’s Art Nouveau influence for the italicized S (slanting right) and O (slanting left). The design has undergone slight tweaks since but remains true to the original.[5]
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