Asahi Print Co., Ltd. Renews Covers of Approximately 100 Abacus Education Textbooks Related to Three Major Organizations

Asahi Print Co., Ltd., specializing in abacus teaching materials in Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture, will sequentially begin renewing the cover designs for approximately 100 textbooks related to the three major abacus education organizations starting from the summer of 2026. The materials subject to this renewal include those associated with the Japan Abacus Federation, the National Abacus Education Federation, and the National Abacus School Federation.

For many years, these teaching materials have been used in abacus education settings and possess high practical utility in terms of content. However, opportunities to update their cover designs have been limited over a long period.

Asahi Print Co., Ltd. aimed to not only focus on the content of the teaching materials but also to re-evaluate the impression of the covers—the first point of contact for children, parents, and instructors—to better suit the present age, leading to this renewal initiative.

This renewal features graphic designer Tomohiro Yokogawa as the art director, developing a new cover series incorporating works by young artist Taichi (Taichi Takahashi).

In this series, the process of children progressing through each textbook is viewed as an accumulation of learning. By arranging multiple textbooks side-by-side, a single picture emerges, aiming for cover designs that visually convey the daily learning progress and sense of achievement.

Liberation from Babel, Noah's Paradise

A major characteristic of this renewal is that when the textbook covers from lower to advanced levels are arranged, one large picture comes to life. While each cover stands alone as a complete design, as learning progresses, the overall worldview of the series gradually becomes visible. The act of accumulating and using the textbooks itself connects to the experience of completing a single work of art.

Abacus learning is a form of study where daily repetition and accumulation build strength. Therefore, with these new covers, we wanted to visually convey the very process of advancing through grades and levels. We aimed for a cover series that would create small moments of joy each time children pick up their textbooks, and where the flow of learning would feel natural even within the classroom.

New covers for Japan Abacus Federation related materials.

New covers for National Abacus Education Federation related materials.

Asahi Print Co., Ltd. believes that teaching materials are not merely tools for learning but also entities that foster children's motivation and shape the atmosphere of the classroom. Through this renewal, while valuing the merits of abacus, a traditional Japanese learning method, we propose a new form of teaching material suitable for the coming era by layering modern sensibility and the power of art onto it.

Collecting the covers reveals one large picture, conveying the accumulation of abacus learning.

《Asahi Print Co., Ltd. Comment》

The goal of this cover renewal was not merely to make the textbooks look new, but to instill the desire for children to genuinely enjoy the time they spend with their teaching materials.

The composition where collecting covers from lower to advanced levels forms a single large picture embodies our wish for students to feel the accumulation of abacus learning in a positive way. We hope that the joy of learning will be conveyed more naturally as their daily practice and progress through grades intertwine with the experience of gradually completing a single work of art.

Furthermore, a significant appeal of this project is that children can naturally engage with art in their daily lives and cultivate diverse sensibilities. Abacus is an analog and steady form of learning, and precisely for this reason, it fosters the ability to work with one's hands, concentrate, and build up knowledge. While cherishing the essence of such abacus education, we will continue to deliver new expressions for teaching materials that are fitting for the present era.

《Renewal Outline》

■ Start Date: Sequentially from summer 2026

■ Number of Items: Approximately 100 types

■ Target Materials: Japan Abacus Federation related materials / National Abacus Education Federation related materials / National Abacus School Federation related materials

■ Feature: A series design where collecting covers from lower to advanced levels forms one large complete picture.

《Artist》

Taichi Takahashi (TAICHI)

Born in 2005, based in Tokyo. Since childhood, he has enjoyed drawing and has gained attention for his style of embodying the mysterious worldview within his mind into artworks. His works, drawn with gentle and vibrant colors and motifs of warm stories, express the subtle joys and humor of everyday life as a modern reinterpretation of masterpieces and historical motifs.

He is a young artist who leaves a deep warmth and lingering impression on viewers.

Web: https://taichi-takahashi.jp/

Instagram: @taipopo729

《Design》

Tomohiro Yokogawa

Graphic Designer / Art Director

Official website for Jiyu Gakuen Myonichikan, an important cultural property designed by Frank Lloyd Wright; main visual for La Folle Journée TOKYO 2026, one of the world's largest classical music festivals; Amsterdam...