What if your office hours, your not-as-straight-as-you-had-imagined career path, or even your lunch break nap became a playful mirror of Japanese work life?
Commissioned by Wieden+Kennedy Tokyo for Persol Career Ltd., HATARAQUIZ reframes the mundane -and the existential - realities of Japan’s workplace through a bold visual quiz.
Over the course of three months last year, I created 100 bespoke illustrations, each paired with a provocative question ranging from “Is it a problem if you have a gap in your résumé?” to “Why isn’t there parental or caregiver leave for pets?” The illustrations were released across poster campaigns, quiz cards, an interactive web experience, social media channels, and a public exhibition in Tokyo.
By blending playful absurdity with sincere emotion, HATARAQUIZ invited people across Japan to pause, reflect, and share their personal stories about why, how, and for whom they work.
Since its launch in April 2024, HATARAQUIZ has achieved impressive public impact. The campaign drew in tens of thousands of participants and nearly 388,000 quiz responses online, sparked widespread discussions across social media, and was featured in a broad range of media -from business magazines and HR news sites to creative industry journals.
Now, HATARAQUIZ has been officially shortlisted for the World Illustration Awards 2025 - highlighting how illustration can illuminate complex societal issues with nuance and impact, while also cutting through cultural norms to spark conversations about the systems that shape our lives.
