Japan AirlinesThe 2001 merger of the international Japan Airlines with the domestic-serving Japan Air System introduced a new logo, visual system, and unified fleet of aircraft liveries. Japan Airlines was positioned to be the flag-carrier for Japan, using a cropping of the rising sun on every aircraft tail.
A complementary JAL logotype with a silver and red upward arc, dubbed The Arc of the Sun, was the primary identity, supporting the JAL brand tagline of Dream Skyward.
Initial sketches for the Arc of the Sun concept done during breakfast at the Akasaka Prince Hotel in Tokyo. Once we flipped the arc on the A — a suggestion by designer Annika Kappenstein — we saw the connection to the shape of the Japanese archipelago.