Bank combines history, commerce, art in one amazing article

 

 

The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ is a multinational company with employees all over the world, but it’s also a very old company—more than 200 years—with deep ties to the history and culture of Japan. In fact, it was founded by a former samurai.

To help employees understand a little bit more about that history, the company published a primer in the December 2013 issue of its newsletter, Crossroads. In particular, the article focused on a series of ukiyo-e woodcut prints published in the 1830s by Japanese artist Utagawa Hiroshige. The bank owns a full set of those prints, titled “The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido.”

The article included beautiful images of the artwork, blended seamlessly with text to make the piece feel a bit like a museum exhibit. It’s an aesthetic powerhouse. It’s also a fascinating story about how art, commerce, and history all came together under the roof of the bank. Andrew Rasanen, director of the company’s communications group, and Yuichi Sasada, chief manager for the public relations division, came together to create something truly epic.

For that reason, the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ is the winner of Ragan’s 2013 Employee Communications Award for Best Feature Article (Print).

The article even ends with information for employees who would like to visit the museum where the artworks are kept.

 

 

The article even ends with information for employees who would like to visit the museum where the artworks are kept.

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