If we compare the Japanese market with the world market, the difference is naturally significant, but it is not simply in terms of population size. Indeed, there is also a difference in terms of culture, standard of living or even of religion. What about design? It depends on people’s sensibility, so is it universal? Some people do think so, but in fact it is not. The differences in terms of design preferences and values are also remarkably important between Japanese people, making it extraordinarily difficult to create design for the world market. While considering the design differences between Japan and the world, let’s also take a look at Mr. Hishinuma’s experience and observation.

What is natural in Japan, is not natural in other countries!?

If you live in one place for a long time, then the common practices of this place, will become your own common practices. Of course, this is not an undesirable thing. But, if you want to compete with the world, you need to keep a broad perspective on design and create design that are not linked to the common practices of the area where you live. This is also the same for graphic design, web design or even universal design.

Let’s take the example of an attendance sheet created before a meeting. In Japan, people who can attend the meeting will fill in the sheet by adding 「◯」, while people who cannot attend will add 「×」. However, in other countries「×」is not used in a negative way. To put it simply, if you write 「×」, you will be considered as attending the meeting, so the meaning is completely opposite. As for 「◯」, the meaning would be that you have not yet decided if you will participate or not. So if we compare with other countries, the explanation of 「◯」 differs in each country.

Let’s take another example: the buttons of the PlayStation controllers. Those buttons 「◯」「△」「□」「×」are used differently in Japan and overseas. In Japan, the button 「◯」is to confirm, while 「×」is used to cancel. But in all the other countries it is the opposite, 「×」is used to confirm and 「◯」to cancel. By the way, you can change the role of each button in the settings whenever you want.

Even the meanings given for each color are different in each country.

Even in terms of color, images and impressions given differ between Japan and other countries. 

For instance, in Japan men are associated with the color blue and women with the color red, so toilet signs, etc. are also made with those representative colors. But this color image exists only in Japan, not overseas. In that sense, in a lot of countries, toilet signs are made with the same color for women and men. However, this is also made to help out slight color-blinded people, and thus this point cannot be considered as a real difference.

Let’s take another example. The number of people buying cars painted with primary colors in Japan is important, but actually black and white cars are the most sold. On the opposite side, in other countries silver color is associated with luxurious cars, but we can feel that cars of other colors are the most sold. We can experience this not only with cars but also with home appliances.

According to Mr. Hishinuma who went in business trip around the world, it seems that advertisements on neon signs are mainly made with primary colors in Asia, while advertisements in England are made with chic colors. Even the color of taxis is different in each country. In England, taxis are black, in Japan Kansai area they are mostly black, while in Kanto area they are colorful. In America, taxis are all yellow. By the way, in Hong Kong taxis are red, and in Singapore, the color is different for each taxi company such as red, or blue or yellow, but most of them are using colorful colors.

Overseas EC sites make you accept mass products as personal products

Even in terms of website designs, the preferences vary between Japan and overseas countries.

For instance, for EC site design, the differences in terms of preferences and images regarding the above-mentioned marks and colors are also proved with the sales figures. Let’s take another example, in Japan, Europe and America, the white color is the symbol of cleanliness, freshness. But in China it is at the same time the symbol of nobility and maliciousness/ominousness. Each country does not have the same image for the same color.

According to Mr. Hishinuma, Japanese websites, especially EC sites, are overloaded with information. However, in Europe and America, only minimal explanations are given, and photos are mainly used to give inspiration for each product. The reason is that it is not possible to prepare explanations for everyone as we all have a different sense of values and a different lifestyle. Therefore, to reach the largest number of people as possible, we are aiming at making people understand our products by showing them symbolic photos and making them use their own imagination. This is a strategy to make mass products be accepted as personal products.

Due to the differences of culture and social context between countries, it is really difficult to proceed abroad with the same products, the same design and the same strategy even if the products you intend to sell are really popular in Japan and best sellers on EC sites. The shortest way to success is to localize products, design and strategy based on the characteristics and cultures of the targeted country.