00:00One of Japan's most in-demand graphic designers is neither a hip nor an artist by training.
00:06He's a 72-year-old security guard at a train station in Tokyo, making signage out of duct tape.
00:12Shoe Tsu Sato said it all started when he was asked in 2004 to help travelers navigate the sprawling Shinjuku
00:18Station.
00:19During construction work at Shinjuku Station, they were looking for someone to help guide people when they widened the underground
00:26passageways.
00:27So I raised my hand.
00:31Back then, the station had become like a maze, so I thought it would probably be easier for commuters to
00:37understand if I made signs out of duct tape, rather than giving verbal directions.
00:42And that's how I first got started.
00:48Soon, Sato was getting requests from all over Japan for movie posters to work for corporate giants.
00:54One of his latest projects is collaborating on a logo for Nike's new store in Shinjuku Shopping District.
01:00It was really surprising and honestly, kind of shocking.
01:06These days, I get many requests even outside the station, like for CD covers or book titles.
01:15Last year, Sato even won the Japan Sign Design Association's Platinum Award for his unique typography, now known as Shoe
01:22Tsu Tai, after his name.
01:24But for all his popularity, the Septuagenarian has never charged a set fee, leaving compensation up to his clients.
01:31One time, a station master thanked him with a pair of new socks.
01:35Sato merely asks for meals and transportation costs, and understanding that he will use only duct tape.
01:42I'm not doing it to get awards or recognition.
01:47As long as someone enjoys it, it doesn't matter who it is.
01:50That's enough for me, honestly.
01:55I'm just happy doing something I enjoy.
01:57And if even one person sees it and smiles, that's really all I need.
02:01So, I'm just happy doing something I enjoy.
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