Tokyo 1964 posters

In 1961, Japanese designer Yūsaku Kamekura (1915–1997) created the first (above) of a triptych of posters in anticipation of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The following year saw the release of the “Runners” one, while the “Swimmer” poster appeared in 1963. All three used Walter Haettenschweiler’s Schmalfette Grotesk and, according to historian Satoshi Shimizu, were supposed to be displayed together as a whole sequence with the first one in the middle (see bottom picture).