Pictograms: Iconic Japanese Designs explores how Japan has shaped the global use of pictograms as a universal visual language. Used daily in transportation, technology, and public spaces, pictograms communicate across cultures through clarity and simplicity. The exhibition highlights Japan’s design tradition, focused on precision, balance, and refinement, and its lasting influence on visual communication worldwide.

Pictograms—pictures or symbols that represent an idea, action, or message through imagery rather than words—have become intricately woven into the fabric of our daily lives. They greet us as we turn on our phones, step into our cars, and navigate our world. Transforming global travel, pictograms transcend cultural and language barriers creating a universal, instantly recognizable visual language. JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles’ presentation of Pictograms: Iconic Japanese Designs, demonstrates how the beauty and precision of Japanese design has shaped the art of visual communication and continues to build pathways to sharing culture through pictograms.

While pictograms are used across the globe, no country has embraced, refined, and elevated them quite like Japan. In Japan, pictograms are not merely functional—they are part of a deep visual culture that values clarity, beauty, and refinement. From the form of a tea bowl to the arrangement of a Zen garden, Japanese design is known for its simplicity and meticulous attention to detail. That

There will be an Academy Awards-Related Closure
on Saturday, March 14 and Sunday, March 15, 2026.

More information