I’d also like to invite any of your readers who may be interested to take a gander at my blog. And, specifically, if there’s anyone reading who is a practicing book designer, please participate in my survey Four (Sometimes Multi-Part) Questions for Book Designers.

As a book layout artist I’ve learned to be content with the types my clients have chosen. I even have my favorites from what’s been presented to me. As a book designer, however, I’ve only realized of late that selecting the exact right typeface for a book can sometimes be like having an itch I can’t scratch.

I think it started when I somewhat innocently—just wondered in print, really—asked: What’s the first font comes to mind for body text each time you begin a book design project; and do you usually stick with that choice or say something like, “Yes, I really like that font, but it’s time to work with something else”? That was question number 3 in my Four (Sometimes Multi-Part) Questions for Book Designers.

I got a number of expected answers and some surprising ones. (Anybody who designs books and hasn’t taken part should still feel free to follow my link and take part in the survey.) Lately—I look the survey over periodically—it’s gotten me to starting to explore just what it would take to begin to design some type of my own. And to thinking about what I would want in my ideal text body type.

So your blog is, for me, a most welcome addition to the -osphere.

That’s why I couldn’t find it! I’m surprised they don’t have a web site. Perhaps I could visit them, or take a step-ladder and some tracing paper out onto the road this evening. Not sure how I’d explain that one, if the police drove by.
Thanks again for solving the mystery. You deserve a medal, or at least an iLT T-Shirt!

I forgot to mention that ナールD is a font for phototypesetting, and not available as a “digital font” (a computer font file).

I guess the only way to get the outline data (in .eps format) is to place an order at a local Sha-Ken agency, because somehow Sha-Ken does not have a web site.

There’s an entry in Wikipedia (Japanese only), where in the last paragraph it says that Naru-D is used on Japanese traffic signs.

また、文字としての可視性の高さから、一般国道に掲げられている道路標識（青看板）や、取扱説明書の注意書きにも使われている。

Since you named the font, I was able to find out that it was designed by Hiroshi Nakamura (I think).

Unfortunately, I cannot find examples of the numerals, and neither can I find Naru-D for download. Anyone out there have it?

That’s impressive. It makes this blog worth all the effort when people comment, and your comment is certainly worthy of note. I really appreciate it. Pennsylvania Regular certainly looks very close. However, I took a close look at the original high-res photo (in hindsight, I should have posted a link to that) and noticed this (Pennsylvania Regular at about 388pt (left); original photo (right):

Note the lack of a curve at the top of the counter (perhaps that’s just the photo) and—more significantly—the extension of the cross bar beyond the stem.

Here’s a better angle and high-res photo.