Daniel Kaihatsu (開発 妥仁得)
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kaihat.su
Daniel Kaihatsu (開発 妥仁得)
@kaihat.su
Videomaker, scholar, type designer in Osaka.
在阪タイプデザイナー、動画制作者と学者。

English/日本語/Español/العربية
Aynu'itak ponno k=eraman.
Videos: kaih.at/youtube
Writing: afkary.ae

Views = my own. 内容は私個人の見解。
Some people are acting like Nintendo's custom Mario typeface is going to disappear because of this. No - Nintendo holds the full rights to this typeface, not Fontworks/Monotype.
December 7, 2025 at 6:07 AM
What it might mean, is that live-service games that used the subscription model might be impacted. Also any re-releases of older games might have their fonts switched out if Monotype Japan does more than end LETS and increase general customer pricing.
December 7, 2025 at 6:05 AM
MBC! I remember watching movies on MBC. Almost tried to get a job with them back in Dubai before I graduated.
December 4, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Living in Japan, I hold out hope that one day Japan’s regional minority languages will also be afforded more recognition and support, but I feel like that is still a while off from happening.
(Aside from the limited recognition and support that Ainu recently obtained)
December 3, 2025 at 3:37 AM
Last time I was in Nibutani I had dinner with Koichi-san.
I haven't really spoken to him much about his views for an independent Ainu future but he's asked me before if I want independence for Scotland. I answered that "If we can get some people in charge who aren't idiots, then perhaps".
December 2, 2025 at 8:54 AM
Nomura Giichi said something similar when making a speech at the United Nations in 1992 - that they wish to seek a "high level of automony based on our fundamental values of 'coexistence with nature' and 'peace through negotiation.'".
This could potentially be a model for Okinawa/Ryukyu as well.
December 2, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Monotype left Fontworks mostly alone for two years after their acquisition but then it all started going downhill pretty rapidly earlier this year.
Big news from the font industry in Japan:
Famous foundry Fontworks is no more. Acquired by Monotype in 2023, it was just announced that it will be completely absorbed into Monotype Japan. From March 31 it will no longer operate as Fontworks Co., Ltd, but Monotype Co., Ltd.
prtimes.jp/main/html/rd...
フォントワークス株式会社、2025年3月31日に「Monotype株式会社」へ商号変更
フォントワークス株式会社のプレスリリース(2025年2月13日 10時00分)フォントワークス株式会社、2025年3月31日に「Monotype株式会社」へ商号変更
prtimes.jp
December 1, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Monotype has been run by private for years and has a history of buying foundries for their IP before hollowing them out and firing all their staff.
I saw this coming when they announced their acquisition of Fontworks but sadly many in the industry in Japan took a more naïve view of things.
A famous type foundry’s sale to a PE-backed giant has rattled the font industry
To outsiders, it seemed like a straightforward sale.
qz.com
December 1, 2025 at 11:35 PM
They’ve been controlled by a private equity firm since 2019 and this has resulted in them buying up foundries left and right to extract value in any way they can from the mass of IP they’ve come to own.
December 1, 2025 at 7:32 PM
I think a lot of people in Japan took a naïve approach to Monotype - especially when the company claimed that they would leave Fontworks to do its own thing. I saw right through that. I felt bad when I said “told you so” to people here.

Next step is the hollowing out of Fontworks’ staff.
A famous type foundry’s sale to a PE-backed giant has rattled the font industry
To outsiders, it seemed like a straightforward sale.
qz.com
December 1, 2025 at 7:25 PM
This story ends up echoing somewhat in a later part of the series when House ends up in prison and is made to work as a prison janitor, where he attempts to advise/intervene in cases in the prison clinic/sick bay while on cleaning duties.
November 30, 2025 at 7:01 AM