The National Institutes for the Humanities logo is comprised of a circle and the Japanese kanji character representing humankind. The circle represents strength, harmony and permanence, and gently wraps itself around “humankind”. The powerfully brush stroked character “humankind” in the circle is the calligraphy of Kukai (774-835), a famous Japanese monk, scholar, poet and artist.
It is used here as a symbol for humanity and knowledge. The color green represents nature and peace of mind while the logo in its entirety expresses the old and the new and softness alongside sharpness.
* The kanji character “humankind” as written by Kukai is taken from one of his works titled “Cui Zi-Yu’s Beliefs” which has been designated an important cultural property and is kept by the Houkiin Temple on Mount Kōya. The character is used with the permission of the Houkiin Temple.