MHK: How did you start your career in the field of art and graphic design? 
Hiromi Inayoshi: I have been drawing since I was three years old. When I was four, people were lining up at my house want- ing me to draw them pictures. At the age of five, I decided to become a painter in the future. I lived in Bangkok from age eleven to fifteen. That was because my father was appointed as a president of Honda Asia Mo- tors Co., Ltd. It was in that period when I studied Asian arts, while traveling through- out most Southeast Asian countries.
After returning to Japan, I was exposed to the world of graphic design through an uncle of mine who was a graphic designer. On his advice, I enrolled in the Depart- ment of Commercial Design at Musashino Art University, and I aspired to become a graphic designer myself. In my college days, I was greatly influenced by jazz. I was in- spired by music more than studying design. After that, I worked at two advertising agencies before establishing an independent design company at the age of twenty-six.
I was twenty-four when I realized the significance of the Corporate Mark and the logo. Although the concept of Corporate Identity design did not exist in Japan at that time, I was convinced that the only way for a designer to work with the top corporate executives was through CI design, working on their Marks and logos. 
Since then, I have established my own style of Corporate Mark and logo designs, which were not yet taught in school, with my strong conviction that Corporate Mark design is a pictorial form of Art. I have been working globally, proclaiming that Mark and logo design are the core of graphic design, and a new form of Art that symbolizes the shape of invisible inner essence––a portrait of corporations, organi- zations, and individuals.

MHK: What attracted you to become a creative, and to the field of graphic design?
Hiromi Inayoshi: I must be a natural-born artist. I couldn’t adapt in the regulated social systems, and did not enjoy studying in school. I was always curious about something new, and influenced by nature and all liv- ing things. Since my childhood, I have been enchanted by the beauty of living crea- tures such as flowers, butterflies, and tropi- cal fishes, and longed to be a creator of beautiful things myself. It’s that longing for beauty that lured me into the way of art, and the way of graphic design.

MHK: What is your most creative work you feel satisfied with?
Hiromi Inayoshi: I always strive to create every piece to be that work, and I would never compromise. Every work is complet- ed with a daunting and extremely intri- cate process. Every design is created with unique themes. Particularly, Personal Mark design––of which I shall claim ownership of the international patent––is about the reflection of diversity of the inner essence within each individual and designing those to be visualized as a form of art, so it makes it impossible to say which one is better than the others. Every work is satisfying. As for Personal Marks, I have created over a few hundred of them for the infamous and the unknowns; nonetheless, I cannot com- ment on superiority or inferiority. 

MHK: You have won many awards, both nationally and internationally. Which award in particular holds the most value to you? 
Hiromi Inayoshi: It would be the New York ADC Award. The organization is called the Academy Award of the design industry because of its hundred-year history, its authority, and its accomplishments as a lead- ing institution of the world of advertise- ment, and it is held in New York, the pinnacle of the design industry. 
I became the first Asian designer to win two gold awards in the same year in their advertising poster section, which is ac- claimed to be the most competitive and dif- ficult, submitted to by world-class advertis- ing agencies, such as posters for Nike, Apple, IBM, etc. On top of that, the awards given were for my CI works for an NPO, and the im- age advertisement poster featuring the NPO’s Corporate Mark, so it made my victory extremely impactful. Since then, New York ADC has even established an advertis- ing award category for NPOs and for so- cial activities. This award positioned me as a world-leading advocate, activist, and social design innovator.
I had proven that the concept of my Cor- porate Marks and logos had evolved further than anyone else’s in the world; thus, it came to the point that it became impossible for someone to judge my works. There- fore, I stopped submitting my works to de- sign contests. The other reason for this is that having judges put grades on Personal Marks based on their personal prefer- ences would have been so imprudent. I have already won over one hundred design awards globally, and that is enough. I am not that greedy.

MHK: Do you think that an innovative and thoughtful person like you can contribute to the development of world peace? 
Hiromi Inayoshi: Yes, I have a strong conviction about it and I will prevail. Design is not a mere tool for business or for money-making. Designers and artists are cre- ators. Creators bring forth new things previously unheard of, or revitalize what al- ready exists. If all of us, especially, de- signers and artists, lived the way I do, had a level of consciousness, and acquired tech- niques as well as tastes, the world would be- come a peaceful place, filled with beauty and all types of tasteful things.
Design is, and Art is, the tool for this very purpose. I feel that I myself am a tool ––a messenger and a pursuer who came to Earth in order to bring peace to the world. The most important thing is to keep be- lieving that I am here to bring peace to the world through my power, my Marks, my designs, and my Art, and to continue to take actions for this purpose. Although the progress may come at a snail’s pace, you have to keep wishing for it, while paying attention to the details of life, not neglecting basics. It’s not an easy task. You must make your decision to devote yourself to your purpose twenty-four hours a day.
I was divorced once and have no children by choice, because I want to, or rather, that I must concentrate myself only on de- sign and Art. I am thinking of my task even while sleeping. I have an unmanage- able number of projects and many cor- porations and individuals are on the waiting list for me to design their Personal Mark.  Besides being a designer, I run two compa- nies and also engage in peace promotion activities as a director general of an NPO.

MHK: What socially impactful welfare activities are you engaged in?
Hiromi Inayoshi: I work as director general of NPO Earth Identity Projects. I started social activities in 1996, when I became de- termined to prove that my design, CI de- sign in particular, is not just a mere tool for business. I have seen so many of my se- niors who wasted their talents and abilities only for commercial purposes till the end of their life. How futile can it be? I don’t de- ny the corporate institution itself––of course I do not; however, it is my belief that designers should be selective about which corporations we should work with, and I my- self am sticking to such principles.
As for me, I evaluate the company’s poli- cies in all areas to see if they are truly ethical, and if their products and services are good for people, for the world and for Earth… then I proceed to the negotiation. It happens to be that the business enti- ties who respect my CI works also have ex- quisite philosophies and ideas. As we say, great minds do think alike.
In 1996, I founded the CI Renaissance Com- mittee and put out advertisements tar- geting corporate clients through newspapers and magazines. It was the first attempt in the world for a designer to screen clients by open calls. I specifically targeted public organizations and NPOs. The advertisement said that I would offer my CI design and logo design free of charge. These types of attempts were unheard of, and I did so because I wanted to go beyond the values of money. 
At that time, my Corporate Mark and logo design fees were said to be the highest in Japan. A logo for one company was priced in the 40,000,000 yen range––equiva- lent to 390,000 USD––which is said to be one of the most expensive Corporate Marks in Asia to date. Therefore, my offer to de- sign free Corporate Marks became a social phenomenon and was placed on a whole page in the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, attracting hundreds of applicants.

Amongst them, I chose two organizations and offered my CI design without fees. This was the beginning of my social activi- ties. Then, I received double gold awards from New York ADC, for one of the two or- ganizations I selected to design for, and for the poster design of the CI Renaissance Committee.
After that experience, I wished to help solve social issues with my techniques of Corporate Identity design and Corporate Mark design; this is how I began my social design activities in Bangladesh with Madam Hiroko Kawahara, the president of NPO Earth Identity Projects. This led me to the Bangladesh National Identity (NI) project. 
In December 1996, thirteen thousand poor children in Bangladesh’s Kurigram Dis- trict drew paintings on one thousand pieces of 1mx10m cloth, which were sewn to- gether by one thousand mothers of children, to create the 100mx100m The Biggest Painting in the World. The event’s guest of honor, His Excellency Humayun Rasheed Choudhury, who was the speaker of the Na- tional Assembly at that time, spoke to the children, saying, “Hail to the golden chil- dren, the makers of the future!” 
Since then, The Biggest Painting in the World project has been held in various coun- tries in the world. Paintings by children across the world, regardless of their nation- ality, race, or religion, are sewn together into one big painting, with an intention to re- alize global peace, as in “平 (flat) 和 (har- mony)” in Japanese kanji, literally meaning “connecting harmoniously on the same plane.” Once completed, The Biggest Paint- ing in the World will become the Symbol Mark of Earth.

In 2000, under the leadership of His Excellency Choudhury, I made the design of the Central Mosque, which was to be constructed next to the National Assembly (architected by Louis I.Kahn), in accor- dance with the Dhaka metropolitan devel- opment planned by Louis I.Kahn, and pre- sented the design to Prime Minister Hasina at her official residence. I also designed the Symbol Marks for the City of Sylhet and for the City of Dhaka. However, with the demise of His Excellency, the government transferred.
The mission of the series of these projects was to change the image of Bangladesh through the power of design and art. The Con- queror Corporate Identity Contest 2010 in Bangladesh, part of the NI project which I produced, was intended for design promo- tion in Bangladesh, and also to disseminate the evolved form of Corporate Identity design and the most innovative Corporate Mark, as well as logo, from Bangladesh to the world.
Having Prof. Muhammad Yunus, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate of 2006 and the founder of the Grameen Bank, as the honor- ary judge greatly raised the significance of the contest, and the event was broadcast- ed all over the world and became big news. Another honorary judge was Mr. Steven Leeper, a director of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, and a chairman of the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation, a sacred place of peace. I served as a chair of this contest. The theme of the contest was “True Peace, World without Poverty, World without Nuclear Weapons.” The contest was a social innovation design pro- ject. The gold award winners of each category were invited to Hiroshima by NPO Earth Identity Projects. The winner’s work “True Peace, World without Poverty, World without Nuclear Weapons,” CI design, and Mark were presented to the mayor of Hiroshima.

MHK: Are there any academic institutions or universities you own or manage that pro- vide graphic design courses?
Hiromi Inayoshi: There is none currently, but I strongly feel that there is a need to cre- ate universities or professional institu- tions which focus on Corporate Identity de- sign and logo design. It does not exist in Japan so far, nor perhaps in the world. Some universities do have a department of graphic design, but their old-fashioned ap- proaches do not provide environments that nurture CI designers. CI design, and its designers, requires skills to direct integra- tion of various fields of design. Moreover, CI designers must know the ins and outs of business, and even corporate management.

MHK: Tell us about your philosophy and future plans.
Hiromi Inayoshi: My philosophy is to lead an artistic life. It means not to be cap- tive to anything or anyone, and to be free, just focusing on resolving issues the world faces and helping mankind’s progress with the power of beauty, utilizing one’s talents as a tool. Also, my most important philosophy is that the Mark is a form of Art. I have many plans for the future, all of which are aligned with my philosophy of using the force of design and Art to lead the world to ultimate peace. I want to contribute all my life only to this purpose.

After the News Today interview, between 2014–2018, Hiromi Inayoshi held a pro- fessorship at the graphic design sanctuary Strzeminski Academy of Fine Arts Lodz, in Poland.
In 2014–2015, the “Master Artist Hiromi Inayoshi Presents Strzeminski Academy of Fine Arts Lodz, Poland CI Design and Social Design Contests” were held with the theme of “The World without War and Nuclear Weapons.”
In 2016–2017, the “Master Artist Hiromi Inayoshi Presents Strzeminski Academy of Fine Arts Lodz, Poland CI Design and Social Design Contests” were held with the theme of “Art of the Asian Union.”