MCPInstall

awesome-design-md-jp

Create accurate Japanese UI DESIGN.md files for AI agents with proper CJK typography, font stacks, line-height, kinsoku shori, and mixed typesetting rules.

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Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/reason-machines/trending-skills --skill awesome-design-md-jp
  1. 01

    Install

    Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.

  2. 02

    Describe the task

    Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads awesome-design-md-jp automatically when relevant.

  3. 03

    Review the result

    The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.

SKILL.md

The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.

Awesome Design MD JP

Skill by ara.so — Daily 2026 Skills collection.

A curated collection of DESIGN.md files for Japanese web services, extending the Google Stitch DESIGN.md format with CJK typography, Japanese font stacks, kinsoku shori (禁則処理), and mixed typesetting (混植) rules — enabling AI agents to generate accurate Japanese UI.


What This Project Does

DESIGN.md is a plain-text markdown file AI coding agents read to generate consistent UI. This project extends that format for Japanese services, covering:

  • CJK font-family fallback chains (和文 → 欧文 → generic)
  • Higher line-height (1.5–2.0 vs Western 1.4–1.5)
  • Japanese letter-spacing (0.04em–0.1em for body text)
  • Kinsoku shori (禁則処理) — CJK punctuation line-break rules
  • OpenType features (palt, kern) for proportional typesetting
  • Mixed typesetting (混植) — combining Japanese and Latin typefaces

24 reference DESIGN.md files are included: Apple Japan, MUJI, Mercari, SmartHR, freee, note, LINE, Rakuten, Qiita, Zenn, pixiv, and more.


Installation / Setup

Clone or reference the repository directly — no build step required.

git clone https://github.com/kzhrknt/awesome-design-md-jp.git
cd awesome-design-md-jp

Copy the template into your project:

cp template/DESIGN.md your-project/DESIGN.md

Or reference an existing service as a starting point:

cp design-md/muji/DESIGN.md your-project/DESIGN.md
# then edit for your brand

Place DESIGN.md at your project root alongside AGENTS.md:

your-project/
├── AGENTS.md       # how to build
├── DESIGN.md       # how it should look and feel  ← add this
├── src/
└── ...

DESIGN.md Template Structure

The template extends the standard Google Stitch 9-section format with Japanese typography subsections.

Full Template

# DESIGN.md

## 1. Overview
Brief description of the product, target users, and overall visual direction.

## 2. Color Palette

| Token           | Value     | Usage            |
|-----------------|-----------|------------------|
| `--color-primary` | `#0066CC` | CTAs, links      |
| `--color-bg`     | `#FFFFFF` | Page background  |
| `--color-text`   | `#1A1A1A` | Body text        |
| `--color-muted`  | `#666666` | Secondary text   |

## 3. Typography

### 3.1 Font Families

**和文(Japanese)**
```css
font-family:
  "Noto Sans JP",       /* Google Fonts — preferred web font */
  "Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN", /* macOS / iOS */
  "Hiragino Sans",      /* macOS newer */
  "Meiryo",             /* Windows */
  "Yu Gothic",          /* Windows 8.1+ */
  sans-serif;

欧文(Latin / alphanumeric)

font-family:
  "Inter",              /* preferred web font for Latin */
  -apple-system,
  BlinkMacSystemFont,
  "Segoe UI",
  sans-serif;

混植(Mixed typesetting) Use Japanese font as base; Latin glyphs rendered by Inter layered on top via @font-face unicode-range.

3.2 Type Scale

RoleSizeWeightLine-heightLetter-spacing
Display2.5rem7001.4-0.02em
Heading 12rem7001.5-0.01em
Heading 21.5rem6001.50
Body1rem4001.80.04em
Small0.875rem4001.70.04em
Caption0.75rem4001.60.06em

3.3 Japanese Typography Rules

Line-height: Use 1.7–2.0 for body text (wider than Western 1.4–1.5).

Letter-spacing: Apply 0.04em–0.1em to body Japanese text; headings may use 0 or slightly negative.

Kinsoku shori (禁則処理):

word-break: normal;
overflow-wrap: break-word;
line-break: strict;          /* enforce JIS kinsoku rules */
  • 行頭禁則文字 (cannot start a line): )」』】、。・:;?!…―
  • 行末禁則文字 (cannot end a line): (「『【

OpenType features:

font-feature-settings: "palt" 1, "kern" 1;
/* palt = proportional alternate widths for punctuation */
/* kern = kerning */

Text rendering:

-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;
-moz-osx-font-smoothing: grayscale;
text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;

4. Spacing & Layout

Base unit: 8px

TokenValue
--space-xs4px
--space-sm8px
--space-md16px
--space-lg32px
--space-xl64px

Max content width: 1200px with 24px horizontal padding on mobile.

5. Components

[Describe buttons, inputs, cards, navigation patterns]

6. Icons & Imagery

[Icon set, image ratios, illustration style]

7. Motion & Animation

[Transition durations, easing curves]

8. Responsive Breakpoints

NameWidth
Mobile< 768px
Tablet768–1024px
Desktop> 1024px

9. Accessibility

  • Contrast ratio: minimum 4.5:1 for body text
  • Focus indicators: visible outline
  • Tap targets: minimum 44×44px

---

## Reference DESIGN.md Examples

### MUJI Style (Minimalist Retail)

```markdown
## Color Palette
| Token              | Value     |
|--------------------|-----------|
| `--color-primary`  | `#000000` |
| `--color-bg`       | `#F5F5F0` |
| `--color-text`     | `#333333` |
| `--color-border`   | `#DDDDDD` |

## Typography

### Font Stack
```css
font-family:
  "Noto Serif JP",
  "Hiragino Mincho ProN",
  "Yu Mincho",
  "MS Mincho",
  Georgia,
  serif;

Body

  • font-size: 15px
  • line-height: 2.0
  • letter-spacing: 0.08em
  • font-feature-settings: "palt" 1

Design Principles

  • 徹底した余白(generous whitespace as design element)
  • 無彩色を基調(achromatic base palette)
  • 装飾を排除(eliminate decoration)

### SmartHR Style (B2B SaaS)

```markdown
## Color Palette
| Token             | Value     |
|-------------------|-----------|
| `--color-primary` | `#0077C8` |
| `--color-success` | `#28A745` |
| `--color-warning` | `#FFC107` |
| `--color-danger`  | `#DC3545` |
| `--color-bg`      | `#F8F9FA` |
| `--color-text`    | `#212529` |

## Typography

### Font Stack
```css
font-family:
  "Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN",
  "Hiragino Sans",
  Meiryo,
  "Yu Gothic",
  sans-serif;

Type Scale

  • Display: 28px / weight 700 / line-height 1.4 / ls 0
  • Body: 14px / weight 400 / line-height 1.8 / ls 0.04em
  • Label: 12px / weight 500 / line-height 1.6 / ls 0.06em
  • Note: Dense information layout — prioritize readability at small sizes

### note Style (Media / Publishing)

```markdown
## Typography

### Font Stack
```css
/* Heading */
font-family: "Noto Serif JP", "Hiragino Mincho ProN", serif;

/* Body */  
font-family: "Noto Sans JP", "Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN", sans-serif;

Reading Typography

  • Body: 18px / line-height 1.9 / letter-spacing 0.04em
  • Max line length: 38–40 chars (約38文字で折り返し)
  • Paragraph spacing: 1.5em
  • Drop cap on first paragraph of long-form content

---

## CSS Boilerplate for Japanese UI

Use this as a starting point in any project informed by these DESIGN.md files:

```css
/* ===== Japanese Typography Base ===== */

:root {
  /* Font families */
  --font-ja-sans: "Noto Sans JP", "Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN",
    "Hiragino Sans", "Meiryo", "Yu Gothic", sans-serif;
  --font-ja-serif: "Noto Serif JP", "Hiragino Mincho ProN",
    "Yu Mincho", "MS Mincho", Georgia, serif;
  --font-en: "Inter", -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont,
    "Segoe UI", sans-serif;

  /* Type scale */
  --text-display: 2.5rem;
  --text-h1: 2rem;
  --text-h2: 1.5rem;
  --text-h3: 1.25rem;
  --text-body: 1rem;
  --text-sm: 0.875rem;
  --text-xs: 0.75rem;

  /* Line heights */
  --lh-tight: 1.4;   /* headings */
  --lh-normal: 1.8;  /* body */
  --lh-loose: 2.0;   /* long-form reading */

  /* Letter spacing */
  --ls-tight: -0.02em;
  --ls-normal: 0.04em;
  --ls-wide: 0.08em;
}

/* Base Japanese text rendering */
body {
  font-family: var(--font-ja-sans);
  font-size: var(--text-body);
  line-height: var(--lh-normal);
  letter-spacing: var(--ls-normal);
  font-feature-settings: "palt" 1, "kern" 1;
  -webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased;
  -moz-osx-font-smoothing: grayscale;
  text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;
}

/* Kinsoku shori */
p, li, td, th {
  word-break: normal;
  overflow-wrap: break-word;
  line-break: strict;
}

/* Headings */
h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6 {
  line-height: var(--lh-tight);
  letter-spacing: var(--ls-tight);
  font-feature-settings: "palt" 1;
}

/* Mixed typesetting — Latin numerals and ASCII via Inter */
@font-face {
  font-family: "Inter-for-JP";
  src: url("https://fonts.gstatic.com/s/inter/v13/...") format("woff2");
  unicode-range: U+0020-007E; /* Basic Latin only */
}

Font Loading (Google Fonts)

<!-- In <head> — preconnect for performance -->
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com">
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin>

<!-- Noto Sans JP (recommended for most Japanese UI) -->
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Noto+Sans+JP:wght@400;500;700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">

<!-- Noto Serif JP (for editorial / reading-focused UI) -->
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Noto+Serif+JP:wght@400;700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">

<!-- Combined with Inter for mixed typesetting -->
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Inter:wght@400;500;600;700&family=Noto+Sans+JP:wght@400;500;700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">

Common Patterns by Service Category

Consumer App (LINE, Mercari)

- Font: Noto Sans JP + system fallbacks
- Line-height body: 1.7
- Letter-spacing: 0.04em
- Primary color: brand-specific bold color
- Mobile-first, 375px base
- Tap targets: 48px minimum

B2B SaaS (SmartHR, freee, Cybozu)

- Font: Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN preferred (system), Noto Sans JP web
- Line-height body: 1.8 (dense data tables may use 1.5)
- Letter-spacing: 0.04em
- Neutral palette with clear action color
- Information density: high
- Data tables with sticky headers

Editorial / Media (note, WIRED.jp, Qiita, Zenn)

- Font: Noto Serif JP or Hiragino Mincho for body; sans for UI chrome
- Line-height body: 1.9–2.0
- Letter-spacing: 0.06em
- Max line length: 38–42 characters (約40文字)
- Code blocks: monospace with JIS-compatible fallback

Retail / Lifestyle (MUJI, Toyota)

- Font: Serif for premium feel; sans for utility text
- Line-height: 2.0 (generous whitespace)
- Letter-spacing: 0.08em (airy)
- Achromatic or very restrained palette
- High-quality imagery as primary content

Viewing Previews

Each DESIGN.md has an accompanying preview.html that visualizes design tokens:

# Open any preview locally
open design-md/muji/preview.html
open design-md/smarthr/preview.html

# Or view the full gallery
open design-md/gallery.html
# or visit: https://kzhrknt.github.io/awesome-design-md-jp/gallery.html

Telling an AI Agent to Use DESIGN.md

When the file is at your project root, reference it explicitly in your prompt:

Read DESIGN.md and create a Japanese landing page hero section following 
the typography and color specifications defined there. Use the exact 
font-family fallback chain, line-height, and letter-spacing values specified.
Implement kinsoku shori with line-break: strict.

For Claude Code / Cursor, you can also reference specific sections:

Following DESIGN.md section 3.3 (Japanese Typography Rules), update the 
global CSS to add proper kinsoku shori, font-feature-settings, and 
-webkit-font-smoothing for all text elements.

Troubleshooting

AI generates wrong Japanese fonts

Problem: Agent uses "MS Gothic" or generic sans-serif only.
Fix: Make font-family fallback chain explicit in DESIGN.md with comments explaining each fallback's platform target.

### Font Stack (REQUIRED — do not simplify)
```css
font-family:
  "Noto Sans JP",              /* web font — always load via Google Fonts */
  "Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN", /* macOS / iOS system */
  "Hiragino Sans",             /* macOS 10.11+ */
  "Meiryo",                    /* Windows */
  "Yu Gothic",                 /* Windows 8.1+ */
  sans-serif;                  /* absolute fallback */

### Line-height too tight on Japanese text
**Problem:** Agent uses `line-height: 1.5` from a Western design system.  
**Fix:** Specify explicitly in DESIGN.md with a note:

```markdown
**IMPORTANT:** Japanese body text requires line-height 1.7–2.0, 
NOT the Western default of 1.4–1.5. Use 1.8 for standard body copy.

Punctuation appearing at line start/end incorrectly

Problem: 。 or 、 wraps to start of next line; 「 hangs at end.
Fix: Add kinsoku rules explicitly:

### Kinsoku Shori (禁則処理) — REQUIRED
```css
p { line-break: strict; word-break: normal; overflow-wrap: break-word; }

Characters that MUST NOT start a line: )」』】、。・:;?!…― Characters that MUST NOT end a line: (「『【


### Proportional punctuation not activating
**Problem:** Japanese commas and periods render full-width, looking too spaced.  
**Fix:** Ensure font-feature-settings is applied:

```markdown
font-feature-settings: "palt" 1, "kern" 1;
/* palt = proportional alternates — narrows full-width punctuation */
/* Required for Noto Sans JP, Hiragino fonts */

Mixed Japanese/Latin spacing looks wrong

Problem: Latin letters inside Japanese text have no breathing room.
Fix: Document the spacing rule in DESIGN.md:

### Mixed Typesetting (混植)
- Insert a thin space (U+202F or 0.25em margin) between Japanese and Latin runs
- OR use CSS: `ruby { margin: 0 0.1em; }` pattern
- Preferred: use a font that handles this (Noto CJK with auto-spacing)

Contributing a New DESIGN.md

# 1. Create directory
mkdir design-md/your-service

# 2. Copy template
cp template/DESIGN.md design-md/your-service/DESIGN.md

# 3. Fill in all 9 sections including Japanese typography subsections
# 4. Create preview.html from the preview template
cp template/preview.html design-md/your-service/preview.html

# 5. Take a screenshot at 1280×800 → preview-screenshot.png

Required sections for acceptance:

  • ✅ Color palette with CSS custom property names
  • ✅ Japanese font-family fallback chain with platform comments
  • ✅ Type scale table with line-height AND letter-spacing columns
  • ✅ Kinsoku shori CSS rules
  • ✅ font-feature-settings specification
  • ✅ Responsive breakpoints

FAQ

What does the awesome-design-md-jp skill do?

Create accurate Japanese UI DESIGN.md files for AI agents with proper CJK typography, font stacks, line-height, kinsoku shori, and mixed typesetting rules.

How do I install awesome-design-md-jp?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/reason-machines/trending-skills --skill awesome-design-md-jp in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/awesome-design-md-jp/ (personal) or .claude/skills/awesome-design-md-jp/ (project).

Which AI agents can use awesome-design-md-jp?

Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.

Is awesome-design-md-jp safe to install?

No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.

Who maintains awesome-design-md-jp?

It is published by reason-machines in reason-machines/trending-skills. It has 670 recorded installs.

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