Zen Kaku Gothic Antique
Type with Purpose
Good typography guides attention, improves understanding, and makes communication effortless.
The Anatomy of a Typeface
By FontSide · June 2026
Every typeface is a system of decisions — about stroke contrast, x-height, spacing, and rhythm. The best ones feel invisible: you stop seeing the letters and start hearing the voice behind them. That transparency is the hardest thing to design.
A high x-height opens up the counters and makes small text breathe. Tight tracking pulls a headline together; loose tracking gives a caption room to exhale. None of these choices are accidents — they are arguments about how reading should feel.
Uppercase
Lowercase
Numerals
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Configuration
Select the weights and styles you want to include in your project.
Weights
Package Manager
The recommended way to use fonts in modern web projects.
1. Install Package
pnpm add @fontsource/zen-kaku-gothic-antique2. Import in App
// Please select at least one weight and style3. CSS Usage
body {
font-family: "Zen Kaku Gothic Antique", sans-serif;
}Google Fonts CDN
Use Google's CDN to embed the fonts directly via HTML.
HTML <head>
<!-- Please select at least one weight and style -->Fontsource CDN
Skip the build step by adding this directly to your global CSS file.
Global CSS
/* Please select at least one weight and style */Background & Story
Zen Kaku Gothic New is a contemporary Japanese gothic (san serif) typeface family. With this font, you can express fine typesetting without any professional detailed arrangements. Because of the unique yet simple design, it gives naturally high legibility. Easy to use and read.
Zen Kaku Gothic Antique is a classical yet simple and stylish version. Highly legible due to orthodox letterform design, and great for various usage, from title to text, and even captions.
To contribute to the project, visit github.com/googlefonts/zen-kakugothic
Zen Kaku Gothic New はベーシックな日本語のサンセリフ(ゴシック体)ファミリーです。 この書体を用いれば、特に専門家のような細かい作業をしなくても、高品位な文字組を実現することができます。 独自のシンプルなデザインが自然な読みやすさをもたらします。 使いやすく読みやすい書体です。
Zen Kaku Gothic Antique は古典的で、しかもシンプルで洒落たサンセリフ書体のファミリーです。 文字のデザインがオーソドックスで、きわめて判読しやすい書体です。 タイトルから本文、キャプションまで、さまざまな用途で効果的にご利用いただけます。
このプロジェクトに参加して貢献したい方は、次の URL をご参照ください github.com/googlefonts/zen-kakugothic
Say Hello to our big new Japanese collection with Zen Fonts: Learn about the complex beauty of Japanese fonts
In 2019, Google Fonts started an ambitious project to expand its font library with a variety of typeface designs for Japanese. At that point Google Fonts had fewer than 10 Japanese families, most of which were basic Mincho (serif) and gothic (sans) designs. Since then the collection of Japanese fonts within the library has grown, now with 38 font families from 18 designers, in a variety of styles – from formal text types to fun display fonts. All these Japanese fonts are now live on Google Fonts for anyone to test out and use in any project.
The Zen Fonts collection is the largest set of Japanese fonts on Google Fonts
As part of this larger effort to expand Japanese offerings, Google Fonts collaborated with type designer Yoshimichi Ohira to open his prestigious collection of Zen Fonts typefaces to the public. With 23 Japanese and three Latin fonts in various styles of mincho (serif), gothic (sans serif), maru (rounded), and display styles, the Zen Fonts collection is now the largest set of Japanese fonts in Google Fonts’ expansive library, and is also available in Adobe Fonts. Check out The Story of Zen Fonts - interview with Yoshimichi Ohira to learn more.
To learn more, read:
Say Hello to our big new Japanese collection with Zen Fonts (English)
The Story of Zen Fonts - interview with Yoshimichi Ohira (English)
Zenフォント: 新しい日本語フォントコレクションの登場 - 日本語フォントの複雑な美しさについて - (Japanese)
Zenフォントのおはなし：大平善道さんとのインタビュー (Japanese)
Tags & Moods
Subsets
Install
pnpm add @fontsource/zen-kaku-gothic-antiqueDesigned by
Yoshimichi Ohira
Links
License
OFL-1.1