Fontworks Inc. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Hisahiro Shimizu, hereinafter referred to as Fontworks) has developed two typefaces, including Credit Saison Co., Ltd.'s corporate font, "SAISON Sans."
Credit Saison Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Credit Saison), known for its "Saison Card" since 1983, has set its vision for 2030 as "GLOBAL NEO FINANCE COMPANY - a global comprehensive lifestyle service group with finance at its core" and is expanding its business to approach a wide range of aspects of our lives.
Credit Saison's logotype, created by Ikko Tanaka, a leading figure in Japanese graphic design, remains a symbol of the brand to this day. As the company rapidly expands its global business, a project was launched to develop a Western typeface that follows this historic logotype in order to ensure consistency in the brand image of Credit Saison.
Credit Saison and a team led by Fontworks typeface design director Joachim Müller-Lancé have completed two corporate fonts, "SAISON Sans" and "SAISON Sans Advance."
1. SAISON Sans: A typeface that inherits the historic Credit Saison logotype
SAISON Sans is a geometric sans serif font that follows the existing logotype, which is also familiar from the Saison Card logo. Joachim, font design director at Fontworks, said of this logotype, "It is precisely because it is geometric and unconventional that it has attracted attention and been loved." Joachim saw this as the essence of Credit Saison and incorporated it into the typeface.
Joachim began by carrying out a detailed analysis of the existing logotype and revising the proportions of all letters, slightly chamfering the sharp overshoots* of letters such as the M, making fine adjustments that took optical illusions into account, and smoothing the outlines.
This resulted in a corporate font that is full of the Credit Saison character and can be used in a variety of situations for communicating both inside and outside the company.
*Overshoot: A phenomenon in which a part of a typeface extends slightly beyond the reference line or center line in order to maintain a consistent visual height.
2. SAISON Sans Advance: A typeface that connects Credit Saison's culture to the future. A typeface that combines tradition and modernity.
SAISON Sans Advance is a typeface that pursues even greater readability than SAISON Sans. As an advanced version of SAISON Sans, which is composed of uniform strokes, it adds an element of contrast. By adding subtle changes to Weight of the lines, it expresses a natural intonation while incorporating elements of calligraphy.
This gives the text an elegant and sophisticated impression, and also enhances readability when typesetting long passages in Roman text.
Alternate characters inherit the design identity of Ikko Tanaka
Both SAISON Sans and Advance are available with alternate versions of the double circle "O", which is an iconic presence in the Credit Saison logo. Ikko Tanaka's design identity has been firmly inherited in this typeface.
Going forward, SAISON Sans/Advance will be used across all digital media, including official documents, the company's website, and investor relations site, in order to build a consistent brand image in Credit Saison's internal and external communications.
Japan Typography Yearbook 2025, Type Design Category, Selected
The Japan Typography Yearbook is an award hosted by the NPO Japan Typography Association that is highly regarded overseas. SAISON Sans/Advance was selected in the type design category of the Japan Typography Yearbook 2025 from among 2,045 entries from Japan and abroad.
The appeal of SAISON Sans/Advance is now available on the special website
A special website for SAISON Sans is now open, where you can learn more about the appeal of SAISON Sans/Advance. It features an explanation of the typeface by Joachim Müller-Lancé, who designed it, as well as thoughts on the project from Credit Saison Co., Ltd.'s Branding Strategy Department.
In addition, the Fontworks x Monotype official note features an interview with the Branding Strategy Department in which they discuss in detail the background to the creation of SAISON Sans. Please take a look.
SAISON Sans special website: https://corporate.saisoncard.co.jp/company/brand/font/
Fontworks x Monotype official note: https://note.com/fontworks_note/n/n1862096aa312
Comment from Naoki Yamamoto, Manager/Lead Designer of the Branding Strategy Department at Credit Saison Co., Ltd.
Our company is based on the idea of proposing Styles, not selling products, and to do that we need to have a dialogue with you. Letters are an important element that supports communication, and the impression of a typeface is conveyed to the recipient without them even being aware of it. Sincere letters, fun letters, playful letters - in that sense, SAISON Sans is a typeface that is characteristic of Credit Saison.
We are currently only in the process of streamlining Credit Saison's identity to suit the times. Through the corporate font, we will continue to work together as a unified group and globally to visually communicate our efforts and changes in our brand, and to foster deeper communication both within the company and with consumers.
Comment from Joachim Müller-Lancé Typeface Design Director Fontworks Inc.
When I was creating SAISON Sans, I always had in the back of my mind the famous designer Ikko Tanaka, who designed the Credit Saison logotype, and in a way, he was watching over my shoulder as I worked.
I believe that Tanaka's logo is eye-catching and beloved precisely because of its geometric and unconventional design. However, when turning this historic logotype into a typeface, it was necessary to adjust the shape of the letters to suit the needs of the typeface and to emphasize legibility.
I hope that this typeface will appeal to many people and be used in a wide range of situations.
【profile】
Born in Germany, he studied graphic design at the Basel School of Design in Switzerland, and has received high acclaim for his work, winning typography competitions in various countries, including Japan.
In 2018, he worked as the Roman design director at YOON Design, a font manufacturer in Seoul.
In 2020, he joined Fontworks and took up his current position as typeface director for Western typefaces.