Shaken

Shaken (株式会社写研) is a Japanese type foundry and phototypesetting company headquartered in Minami-Otsuka, Toshima-ku, Tokyo. Its origins trace to 1926, when the Photo-Typesetting Machine Research Institute (写真植字機研究所) was founded, following the 1924 patent application by Shigeo Ishii and Nobuo Morisawa for a Japanese-language phototypesetting machine and the 1925 unveiling of the first prototype. The institute was incorporated in 1950 as Kabushiki Kaisha Shashin Shokuji-ki Kenkyūjo and renamed Shaken Co., Ltd. in 1972. For much of the twentieth century Shaken was a central force in Japanese typography. It manufactured phototypesetting machines and related composition equipment, and developed and sold a large library of Japanese typefaces — the Shaken fonts — that shaped the look of Japanese print, advertising and publishing. Its typefaces were designed for the exacting quality demands of photocomposition, and the company's varied designs became part of Japanese visual culture. In the digital era Shaken shifted its business toward digital font development and sales, and also diversified into real-estate leasing and management. In 2021 it announced a joint OpenType font venture with Morisawa Inc., and from 2024 Morisawa began offering Shaken typefaces as OpenType fonts. The company completed a new head-office building in 2023, moving its offices into floors 2–3 and leasing the upper floors, and in 2026 it began leasing a residential apartment building, Sky Terrace Minami-Otsuka, on the site of its former headquarters. Shaken remains a privately held Japanese company. Its stated mission is to carry its letterforms and the culture around them into the future, making Japanese expression richer and communication smoother.

Shaken's history begins with the development of Japanese-language phototypesetting. In 1924 (Taishō 13), Shigeo Ishii and Nobuo Morisawa applied for a patent on a Japanese phototypesetting machine; in 1925 the first prototype was unveiled, and in 1926 the Photo-Typesetting Machine Research Institute (写真植字機研究所) was founded. In 1936 the Ishii-style phototypesetting machine went on sale. In 1950 the enterprise was incorporated as Kabushiki Kaisha Shashin Shokuji-ki Kenkyūjo, with Shigeo Ishii becoming president. In 1952 Ishii began producing the original characters for the Morohashi Daikanwa Jiten (a major Chinese-character dictionary) and received the Blue Ribbon Medal. Development of the computer typesetting machine "SAPTON" began in 1956, and in 1960 Ishii completed the Morohashi Daikanwa Jiten typefaces and received the Kikuchi Kan Prize. Ishii died in 1963 and Yuko Ishii became president. The SAPTON-N computer typesetting machine was announced in 1965. In 1970 the first Ishii Prize creative typeface contest was held. In 1972 the company changed its name to Shaken Co., Ltd. and held the first Kanji Reading and Writing Contest. Yuko Ishii received the Blue Ribbon Medal in 1983, and in 1985 Shaken exhibited a booth at the Tsukuba Expo. Rental font packs went on sale in 1988. The Kanji Reading and Writing Contest ended in 1991 after 20 editions, replaced the following year by the "Let's Play with Japanese" association. In 1996 the multi-typeface rental font pack "N Pack" was launched. In 2004 Yuko Ishii and Kohei Sugiura jointly received the Sato Keinosuke Prize for the "Character Ecosystem Calendar." Yuko Ishii died in 2018 and Kazuya Minamimura became president. In 2020 Minamimura became chairman and Yoshitaka Kasahara became president; the Saitama factory was demolished and the site leased to the food supermarket operator Yaoko Co., Ltd. In 2021 Shaken announced a joint OpenType font business with Morisawa Inc. In 2023 a new head-office building was completed, with the headquarters moving to floors 2–3 and floors 4–10 leased to a student-dormitory operator. In 2024 Morisawa began providing Shaken typefaces as OpenType fonts. In 2026 a rental apartment building, Sky Terrace Minami-Otsuka, was built on the former headquarters site and began leasing.

• 2026

  Sky Terrace Minami-Otsuka rental apartments begin leasing on former HQ site

• 2024

  Morisawa begins offering Shaken typefaces as OpenType fonts

• 2023

  New head-office building completed; headquarters relocated to floors 2–3

• 2021

  Joint OpenType font business announced with Morisawa Inc.

• 2020

  Minamimura becomes chairman and Kasahara becomes president; Saitama factory demolished and site leased to Yaoko

• 2018

  Yuko Ishii dies; Kazuya Minamimura becomes president

• 2004

  Yuko Ishii and Kohei Sugiura receive the Sato Keinosuke Prize

• 1996

  Multi-typeface rental font pack "N Pack" launched

• 1991

  Kanji Reading and Writing Contest ends after 20 editions

• 1988

  Rental font packs go on sale

• 1985

  Shaken exhibits a booth at the Tsukuba Expo

• 1983

  Yuko Ishii receives Blue Ribbon Medal

• 1972

  Company renamed Shaken Co., Ltd.; first Kanji Reading and Writing Contest held

• 1970

  First Ishii Prize creative typeface contest held

• 1965

  SAPTON-N computer typesetting machine announced

• 1963

  Shigeo Ishii dies; Yuko Ishii becomes president

• 1960

  Morohashi Daikanwa Jiten typefaces completed; Kikuchi Kan Prize received

• 1956

  Development of the SAPTON computer typesetting machine begins

• 1952

  Ishii begins producing original characters for the Morohashi Daikanwa Jiten; receives Blue Ribbon Medal

• 1950

  Incorporated as Kabushiki Kaisha Shashin Shokuji-ki Kenkyūjo; Shigeo Ishii becomes president

• 1936

  Ishii-style phototypesetting machine goes on sale

• 1926

  Photo-Typesetting Machine Research Institute founded

• 1925

  First prototype phototypesetting machine unveiled

• 1924

  Shigeo Ishii and Nobuo Morisawa apply for a Japanese phototypesetting machine patent

A heritage Japanese type foundry and phototypesetting pioneer whose typefaces are treated as cultural assets carried into the digital era.

• Ishii-style phototypesetting machine

• SAPTON computer typesetting machine

• SAPTON-N

• Shaken typeface library

• Rental font packs / N Pack

• OpenType fonts (via Morisawa)

1. 1株式会社写研sha-ken.co.jp
2. 2写研について - 株式会社写研sha-ken.co.jp
3. 3Shaken - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4寫研 - 维基百科zh.wikipedia.org