About
I’m an Osaka based type designer, video maker and scholar who goes by Daniel Kaihatsu, or just Kaihatsu (my full Western name is too long for Japan)!
I am passionate about “creativity through culture”- whether that is creating novel typefaces based on the intersections of different writing systems, or examining how cultures are represented within interactive media. I spend a considerable amount of time with the Nibutani Ainu community in Hokkaido – owing to their historic ties with Scotland – and as a result am undertaking a master’s degree in Indigenous Studies, specialising in the representation of Ainu culture and history in video games. My first academic piece on the subject is set to be published very soon.
Culture in games is one of my specialties, and I create content based upon that theme for several platforms. I also frequently post about Ainu-related news in English – perhaps the only source to do so. The other type of content I create is about Japanese font design, specifically fonts in games. I used to run a Twitter about that called Fontendo (archive here), but due to it overlapping with my day job I don’t cover it as much anymore. I’ll talk about anything that interests me, as I have managed to cultivate a small but significant following online that will take an interest in whatever I cover.
While the Internet is a powerful medium for communication and sharing, AI-generated material and the persistent inaccessibility of various fields are obstacles to genuine connection and knowledge acquisition. As a result, I pride myself on being an approachable presence across all that I do – don’t hesitate to reach out!
Accomplishments
↗ BAFTA Young Game Designers Award Finalist 2017
BA (Hons) Game Design and Production (2022)
↗ Thomas Blake Glover Scholarship 2020-2023
Interviews
↗ Wii Was a Celebration of TV’s Visual Culture – 30pin
↗ Working as a Type Designer in Japan – Japan Station
↗ Japanese Fonts in Games – Tokyo Game Life
↗ Understanding Ainu Culture in Ghost of Yōtei – AJ+
↗ Ainu in Video Games – Tokyo Game Life
Lectures and Talks
↗ Neil Gordon Munro: Connecting Scotland and the Ainu (2025)
What I do
Osaka-based type designer, videomaker, and scholar/graduate student focused on culture in interactive media.