Tadashi Ohashi (1916-1988) was a pioneer of Japan’s postwar design movement, known for his distinctive and influential illustrations. Born in Kyoto in 1916, Ohashi trained at Tokyo Higher Technical School, graduating in 1937. He quickly built his career in the advertising departments of the Osaka Daimaru and Kyoto Daimaru department stores.
By the early 1940s, Ohashi had joined the Japan Telegraph Communication Company (now Dentsu), where he began to gain recognition for his design work. He won prestigious awards, including the Mainichi Industrial Design Award, and his influence in the industry grew.
During the Second World War, Ohashi worked at the Press Technology Research Institute, affiliated with Dentsu. After the war, he moved into freelance design, which brought new opportunities and further recognition. He won awards at several exhibitions held by the Japan Advertising Association, including prizes for poster design and the Minister of Education Award.
The 1950s were a defining decade for Ohashi. In 1950, he began making memorable advertisements for Kikkoman, Japan’s leading soy sauce manufacturer. It was in 1952, when he became chief designer at Meiji Seika Confectionery, that his style truly came into its own. His refined, modern illustrations for Meiji Seika marked a fresh direction, and they went on to shape Japanese graphic design more widely.
In 1955, Ohashi took part in the landmark Graphic ’55 Exhibition, Japan’s first major graphic design showcase. Alongside designers like Yusaku Kamekura and Takashi Kono, his work earned a firm place in Japan’s design history. His career kept building. He won the ADC Gold Award in 1957 and experimented with printmaking through collaborations with Dai Nippon Printing.
Alongside his design and illustration work, Ohashi was committed to teaching. He lectured at Chiba University and Musashino Art University, and shaped generations of young designers.
Ohashi’s legacy was marked by further exhibitions and awards, including his first solo exhibition at Ginza Matsuya in 1967. Later, the Yamana Award in 1982, the Purple Ribbon Award in 1984, and the International Illustration Award in 1986 recognised his lasting contribution to the field.
Tadashi Ohashi’s impact on Japanese graphic design still holds up. Through his distinctive illustrations, his early exhibitions, and his teaching, he helped shape how Japan sees its own visual culture. What strikes me most is how much of what looks ordinary now, a soy sauce advert, a confectionery illustration, started out as genuinely new work in his hands.
