Japan invites logo designs to mark 75 years of diplomatic ties with Pakistan
Abdullah Jan
Islamabad: Japan thus week announced a digital logo design competition to mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Pakistan, inviting people from both countries and around the world to submit creative designs reflecting the enduring friendship between the two nations.
The landmark anniversary will be observed in 2027, providing an opportunity for Japan and Pakistan to celebrate more than seven decades of diplomatic relations and highlight the longstanding ties between their peoples.
The Japanese Embassy said the competition was aimed at finding an original logo that captured the spirit of friendship, partnership and close relations that have developed between Japan and Pakistan over the years.
The winning entry will be adopted as the official logo for the 75th anniversary and will feature prominently in events, programmes and activities organised throughout 2027 to commemorate the milestone.
The competition is open to participants of all ages, regardless of where they live. Citizens of Japan and Pakistan are particularly encouraged to take part, although the competition is not restricted to residents of either country.
Participants have been asked to create an original logo representing the 75th anniversary and reflecting the character of the Japan-Pakistan relationship.
The deadline for submissions is October 23, 2026, while the winning design is expected to be announced on the website of Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs around the end of December 2026.
The selected logo will subsequently become a visual symbol of the anniversary celebrations and will be used across official events and activities during the commemorative year.
Entrants must submit their designs digitally in JPEG, PDF or EPS format by email.
Entries are to be sent with the subject line “Logo Entry” to the Southwest Asian Division of Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the designated competition email address.
Each submission must also be accompanied by a separate explanation of approximately 80 words describing the concept and inspiration behind the design.
The organisers have stressed that all entries must be original and previously unpublished. Designs must not violate the copyright or other intellectual property rights of any third party.
The competition guidelines also set out a number of restrictions on the content of submissions.
Designs containing offensive or unlawful material will not be considered. Entries featuring political or religious promotion, culturally or socially insensitive content, commercial messaging or other inappropriate material will also be disqualified.
One of the most notable conditions is a specific prohibition on the use of generative artificial intelligence in creating the logo.
The requirement is intended to ensure that the winning design is an original human-created work and that the competition reflects the creativity and artistic contribution of its participants.
The 75th anniversary provides Japan and Pakistan with an opportunity to reflect on the development of their bilateral relationship since diplomatic ties were established.
Over the decades, cooperation between the two countries has expanded across a wide range of areas, including economic development, trade, education, infrastructure, investment, culture and people-to-people exchanges.
The anniversary celebrations in 2027 are expected to provide a platform for highlighting these longstanding connections while also looking towards the future of Japan-Pakistan relations.
The logo competition offers members of the public an opportunity to contribute directly to those celebrations by creating a visual identity that can represent the friendship between the two countries throughout the anniversary year.
With the submission deadline approaching, aspiring designers in Japan, Pakistan and elsewhere now have the opportunity to compete for the distinction of having their work selected as the official symbol of 75 years of Japan-Pakistan diplomatic relations.