A trailblazer in Japan’s media landscape since the 1990s, Sato Masahiko has created innovative yet approachable content across a wide range of platforms―including TV commercials, educational programs, books, and games. The breadth and diversity of the work is remarkable, especially considering it was created by a single individual.

This first retrospective of Sato’s work provides a rare opportunity to explore the full range of content, shedding light on the unique communication design methodology underpinned by the philosophy of “making the way of making.”

“Making the way of making”

From the 1980s and 1990s, Sato developed graphic design and a series of distinctive TV commercials throughout his tenure at Dentsu Inc., Japan’s leading advertising agency.

Expanding the boundaries of expressions and media

In the late 1990s, Sato tackled new forms of expression by masterfully employing a variety of media based on the concept of “Tone.”

Sato Masahiko Laboratory

From the 2000s onward, Sato produced educational TV programs and other works as a result of research undertaken with his students during his tenure at Keio University and subsequently Tokyo University of the Arts.