A1 Gothic: A Human Touch to Japanese Sans-Serif Type
- morisawausa
- May 2
- 8 min read
Since its release in 2017, A1 Gothic has been widely used across Japan in packaging, advertising, posters, and other visual media—quickly gaining support among designers. Its strong yet balanced impression, coupled with a modern sensibility that subtly evokes traditional Japanese aesthetics, has earned it widespread praise.
But what exactly makes A1 Gothic more than just “a well-made gothic typeface”?
The answer lies in its expressive flexibility and adaptability to changing times—backed by Morisawa’s deep well of design expertise accumulated over many years. In this article, we take a closer look at how A1 Gothic came to be, and unpack the ideas and intentions woven into its design.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
4. To Conclude
1. An Old Style Gothic with a Little Bit of Blotchiness
The A1 Gothic family has four weights (L/R/M/B) suitable for anything from main headings to body text. This typeface falls in the gothic category. While it is a standard typeface, it also features some design components and excels at conveying a feeling of warmth.
Now, let’s unravel the “somewhat comforting” design characteristics of A1 Gothic.
• The Old Style Structure
“Style” defines the structure of Japanese typefaces. There are two main categories: “modern style” and “old style.”
Compared to Shin Go, Morisawa’s signature modern style gothic typeface, A1 Gothic has narrower rectangular spaces within the character and is grouped as an old style with an organic structure.
Out of all the old style typefaces, A1 Gothic stands out with a slight handwritten flare and a not-too-tidy structure.
• Treatment of Elements
A1 Gothic has the usual gothic typeface outline, with a thickness uniform in height and width. Furthermore, the rounded square corners and ink blot effect are integral to A1 Gothic’s design features.
When you zoom in, you’ll notice that although A1 Gothic is a square gothic typeface, the corners of its strokes are just slightly rounded.
What’s more, the intersections of lines are treated with a unique technique that gives the impression of “ink blots” where the outlines seem to melt—arguably one of the font’s most distinctive characteristics.
The radii of the stroke’s inner and outer curves are designed to be nearly equal, creating a balanced, organic structure.
Thanks to these careful adjustments, when set in text, A1 Gothic doesn’t come across as overly stark or clinical like many gothic fonts. Instead, it has a soft, gentle, and approachable feel.
We hope you’ll enjoy these subtle design distinctions as much as we do.
2. The DNA of the Naming “A1”
Phototypesetting was the primary method for printing in Japan during the 1960s through the 1980s. The process burned individual characters from a font board onto photographic paper, a mechanical yet deeply handcrafted approach that influenced the look and feel of the fonts created during this period.
Originally released in 1960, Futo Mincho A1 became a widely used typeface during the phototypesetting era and remained popular for decades. In 2005, it was digitized and re-released as A1 Mincho, with its defining characteristics preserved in digital form.
The naming of A1 Gothic reflects this lineage. The “A1” designation links it directly to A1 Mincho’s visual DNA—soft curves, ink blot textures, and a slightly imperfect but comforting rhythm. The “Gothic” indicates that it is a sans-serif style, building on tradition but reinterpreted for modern expression.
Now that precise and clear printing is commonplace, the blur and unevenness once caused by phototypesetting now carry a nostalgic charm.
Building upon the A1 Mincho kanji (Chinese character) foundation and its distinctive blotchy quality, the A1 Gothic family was born as a new typeface in the Gothic category.
Interestingly, not all characters in A1 Gothic come from A1 Mincho. Take the kana (Japanese syllabary), for instance—despite A1 Gothic being rooted in A1 Mincho, the kana appears much more free-flowing and handwritten, doesn’t it?
In fact, the kana design for A1 Gothic was inspired by a completely different source: a phototypesetting typeface called Gothic Medium BB1.
At first, A1 Mincho’s kana structure was also tested, but because kana is more organic than kanji, it was not a good fit for a gothic font.
Consequently, the kana structure of Gothic Medium BB1, which was used by MC-type phototypesetting machines, was chosen as a typeface that would work well with the nostalgic, handwritten tone.
We can say that to A1 Gothic, Futo Mincho A1 is like a grandfather or grandmother, and A1 Mincho and Gothic Medium BB1 are like a father or mother.
And so, the typeface was named A1 Gothic after A1 Mincho and Futo Mincho A1.
In Morisawa’s phototypesetting days, typefaces were categorized with the prefix “A” for Mincho and “B” for Gothic. Traces of this system can still be found in names of digitalized fonts like Futo Min A101 and Midashi Go MB31. So you might wonder: “Why ‘A’ if it’s Gothic?”
The answer lies in its intended pairing. A1 Gothic was developed to match with A1 Mincho, and because there was also a phototypesetting typeface called Futo Go B1 that never became a digital font, the name “A1 Gothic” was chosen.
It’s a rare Gothic typeface—labeled with an A—because of its deep connection to Mincho lineage.
3. A1 Gothic Designer Interview
To dig deeper into the unknown parts of A1 Gothic’s story, we talk to the designer who was involved in its planning and the development and supervision of its kanji characters!
Interviewee: Type Designer Hideyuki Oda
Profile: Graduated from a technical high school in 1974. Joined Morisawa Bunken Inc. In 1977 after working in the shipbuilding industry and experiencing a growing interest in jobs related to printing. He was involved in the production of phototypesetting letter boards and was subsequently assigned to character design. He has been part of the development and supervision of many Morisawa fonts, such as Folk and Reimin.
—Please start by telling us the sequence of events leading up to the project.
Oda: The project came about because we wanted a gothic font that would complement the well-received A1 Mincho released in 2005.
It is not uncommon to develop a Mincho/Gothic pairing with corresponding styles, as we did for Shin Go when we created Reimin to be a matching Mincho font.
—I see! That’s why the concept of a gothic typeface based on the structure and blotchiness of A1 Mincho was born.
Many people from within and outside of the company have fondly commented, “A1 Gothic is so cute!” Were you thinking of cuteness when working on the font’s concept?
Oda: Hmm, rather than cuteness, I was thinking of how conventional gothic fonts have a hard and strong image.
I thought, “Wouldn’t it be nice to have a gothic font that is warm and friendly?” and settled on the idea.
It might be that the softness created by the blotchiness and handwritten style that everyone finds so cute.
—I was quite surprised to hear that it took you up to ten years from the onset of the A1 Gothic project until its release... What exactly did the design entail?
Oda: When we say ten years, please keep in mind that the company had multiple projects lined up and had to decide which typeface release to prioritize (laughs).
At the time, we were developing the Reimin Gradation Family and other typefaces simultaneously.
Although there are almost no typefaces that take ten years to make, it does take at least two years to create a typeface from planning to release.
When you compare it to the final release, the differences might seem minor—but they’re definitely there, aren’t they?
This level of refinement came from repeated testing and revision, ultimately leading to the final design we released.
Interestingly, A1 Gothic is consideed the last Morisawa typeface in which all characters were originally drawn by hand.
—So, you actually drew all those characters by hand?
Oda: A1 Gothic follows the StdN (Adobe-Japan1-3) character set, which contains 9,354 characters. Of course, I didn’t draw them all myself! We had a great team working on it, including many younger designers. So while it took quite some time, I believe the A1 Gothic project also played a part in nurturing the next generation.
—I had the opportunity to photograph some of the valuable original drawings just before our interview. Looking closely, it seems like the originals didn’t include any rounded corners or ink blot effects?
Oda: Right, those elements were added digitally afterward. We turned the analog drafts into digital data, then applied adjustments like the ink blotting using software.
—Despite digital tools being available, you decided to stick with drawing by hand. Do you still think that leads to better results?
Oda: Well, I don’t think the final result changes much either way (laughs), but drawing by hand sharpens your eye for detail. It’s essential training, especially for young designers. You can’t just copy existing shapes and expect to grow. That’s why Morisawa still emphasizes hand-drawing during training—it’s the fastest way to build that sensitivity. When in doubt, just try picking up a pen instead of a mouse.
—That makes sense. We see A1 Gothic all the time, but can you think of any instances where you were particularly happy to see it used?
Oda: I always notice it when I see it, but I tend to forget because I don’t necessarily keep any record... Only, sometimes when I see it used and feel like I really want to change it, I know that’s not possible, so I try to remember that it’s better to give up on a font after its released. We reiterate over and over, but if we did not limit our obsession, there would be no end, so there is nothing we can do once it’s been released (laughs).
—Recently, we have noticed an increasing number of TV programs and blog posts highlighting letters and typefaces. As someone who has worked as a type designer for many years, what are your thoughts on this?
Oda: In the phototypesetting days, the use of movable type was limited to publishers and printing companies, so I am really happy that the use of digital fonts opened the market up. And even though the term “type designer” is considered cool now, in the past, we were called “letter writers,” and I still strive to be such a craftsman. Although typeface design is changing with the times, the wonderful thing about the work that I have continued for so long is that my creation will be long-lasting.
Note: The above refers to the situation in Japan.
—Oda-san, thank you so much for sharing your valuable story with us today!
4. To Conclude
If you’re working on multilingual design or looking to expand into Asian markets, or if you’re aiming to strengthen your creative system through Japanese typography—we may be able to support your goals.
If you’re facing any challenges related to font use in Asia, feel free to reach out.
You can explore the font designs featured in this article through the links below
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