Engrish.com

Hisshou – “Must Win!”

Literal Translation: “Certain Victory”; “Must Win”

Overview: “Hisshou”, meaning “must win!” or “certain victory” is used most often for sporting events, and school entrance exams where students sport their “hisshou” headbands (also known as “hachimaki”). It is a testament to the single-minded drive to succeed and win challenges.

Details/Background:
Hisshou in essence means “I/we WILL win” and is associated with the successful accomplishment of an important goal or venture. It is often done so with the single-minded application of one’s will. Students sporting a “hisshou hachimaki” (headband) when studying for college entrance exams do so to keep focus on their ultimate goal – to pass the exam. Distraction is not an option and the hisshou headbands are a constant reminder of this.
The word hisshou can also be seen at sporting events – such as large signs sported by cheerleaders associated with a team or even the flip cards used at large stadium events (wherein many people hold up a card at once to form a word or image).

Design Notes: A simple calligraphy-style font was used for this design – similar to the font used in producing the traditional “hisshou” headbands.