Design / Public Art

After the war, Inokuma undertook numerous design projects, including posters, magazine covers, illustrations, and book bindings. His works reflected his belief in “design for living,” and the idea that “painting should not be exclusive, but should benefit the general public by providing delight and insights to many people.” Inokuma’s philosophy evidently fueled his desire to bring beauty into everyday spaces through painting.

In 1950, Inokuma designed the Mitsukoshi Department Store’s signature wrapping paper Hana-hiraku for that year’s Christmas season. The curving red forms were arranged with careful deliberation so that boxes of any shape and size could be elegantly wrapped. The design became so popular that it was adopted as the store’s standard wrapping paper, and has been in continuous use for over 70 years.

He also produced public art that brought beauty to shared spaces, including the ceramic mural Wa Kei Sei Jaku at the Kagawa Prefectural Government Office East Building and the mosaic mural The City, Windows at Tokyo Kaikan. The latter was in the second-generation Tokyo Kaikan building, which closed in 2015, but Inokuma’s mural was transferred to the third-generation building that reopened in 2019.

In 1951, Inokuma painted the monumental mural Freedom for the central ticket gates of JR Ueno Station. Cherished by the public and preserved through multiple restorations, the mural remains in its original location today.