The effort to secure Taiwan''s vaccine supply continues. Japan recently donated about one and a quarter million AstraZeneca doses to the country, prompting an outpouring of appreciation. Taiwanese designer Lin Kuo-ching has come up with a new artwork to thank Japan. His previous works found word games through rotating Chinese characters. Now he''s combined Taiwan and Japan in one image.

From one direction, "Taiwan" in Chinese. Flip it 90 degrees, and it becomes "Japan." This creative melding of two writing systems embodies the deep friendship between Taiwan and Japan. Lots of viewers are astonished.

The background of the image is Mt. Fuji engulfed by water, an homage to "The Great Wave off Kanagawa," the famous print by Japanese master Hokusai. Japan has donated over a million doses of the COVID vaccine to Taiwan, prompting this design filled with gratitude.

Lin Kuo-ching
Designer
I melded the word Taiwan together with Japan, which we used to call Dongying東瀛. And I wanted to use this work by the Japanese master Hokusai to embody the mutual reliance and mutual aid that we enjoy as good neighbors, and as ocean nations.

On first glance this looks like the Chinese for "Gratitude." On closer inspection, you can spot the English words, "Taiwan Thank." The whole series of designs includes many such hidden word games.

Lin Kuo-ching
Designer
The Tohoku earthquake and tsunami occurred 10 years ago. The Taiwanese people resonated with that and many of us donated to relief efforts. I think the Japanese government and people really saw that. And so now they''ve donated 1.24 million vaccine doses to Taiwan.

Lin first began his rotating word games in 2007, with the now-classic "Hello Taiwan" design. Now he''s extended his pen toward Japan, commemorating the lasting solidarity between the two nations.