Minimalist editorial design for Trinität by Japanese designer Yuta Takahashi

A mathematician, philosopher and ordained priest, Debus presented his ideas and theories to the Japanese people, but failed to convince them. And so he wrote two volumes of what is known as 'Trinität' – a book to reflect upon his travels in the Land of the Rising Sun as well as his unsuccessful mission to gain acceptance of his doctrine.

Takahashi used a simple black and white palette and minimalist symbols to create two separate books for the two volumes. In Japan, when a book is published in this way, it's called Joh – for the upper part – and Ge, for the lower. These two aspects formed a central theme for Takahashi's work, with each cover individually designed and stacked on top of one another to form one complementary product.

Discover more about Takahashi at www.yutatakahashi.jp.