diff --git a/.github/workflows/freebsd.yml b/.github/workflows/freebsd.yml
index 9dc8fe0b..b777e26b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/freebsd.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/freebsd.yml
@@ -27,6 +27,12 @@ jobs:
     timeout-minutes: 300
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      # Optional font build input, so the Japanese font tests run (they skip without it).
+      - uses: actions/checkout@11d5960a326750d5838078e36cf38b85af677262 # v4
+        with:
+          repository: storytold/craft-fonts
+          ref: abb83316d96aa59c1cf64784289e378fe9fa5695
+          path: craft-fonts
       - name: Build and test in a FreeBSD VM
         uses: vmactions/freebsd-vm@c46abacb49f09938ca4e1702d15d836285d694cc # v1
         with:
@@ -44,5 +50,6 @@ jobs:
             # The checkout is synced in under another owner; let tests that call git read it.
             git config --global --add safe.directory "*"
             rustc --version
+            export CRAFT_FONTS_DIR="$PWD/craft-fonts" CRAFT_FONTS_REQUIRED=1
             CARGO_PROFILE_DEV_DEBUG=0 cargo build --workspace --all-targets --locked
             CARGO_PROFILE_DEV_DEBUG=0 cargo test --workspace --locked
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 97cf75d5..cae4a17d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -70,6 +70,12 @@ jobs:
       LIGHTCRAFT_BUILD_DATE: ${{ needs.version.outputs.date }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      # Fonts (optional build input; required for releases): see craftrules standards/fonts.md.
+      - uses: actions/checkout@11d5960a326750d5838078e36cf38b85af677262 # v4
+        with:
+          repository: storytold/craft-fonts
+          ref: abb83316d96aa59c1cf64784289e378fe9fa5695 # bump deliberately
+          path: craft-fonts
       - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
         with:
           targets: aarch64-apple-darwin, x86_64-apple-darwin
@@ -87,6 +93,8 @@ jobs:
         run: packaging/macos/import-cert.sh
       - name: Build, sign, notarize
         env:
+          CRAFT_FONTS_DIR: ${{ github.workspace }}/craft-fonts
+          CRAFT_FONTS_REQUIRED: "1"
           APPLE_ID: ${{ secrets.APPLE_ID }}
           APPLE_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.APPLE_PASSWORD }}
           APPLE_TEAM_ID: ${{ secrets.APPLE_TEAM_ID }}
@@ -120,6 +128,12 @@ jobs:
       LIGHTCRAFT_BUILD_DATE: ${{ needs.version.outputs.date }}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      # Fonts (optional build input; required for releases): see craftrules standards/fonts.md.
+      - uses: actions/checkout@11d5960a326750d5838078e36cf38b85af677262 # v4
+        with:
+          repository: storytold/craft-fonts
+          ref: abb83316d96aa59c1cf64784289e378fe9fa5695 # bump deliberately
+          path: craft-fonts
       - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
         with:
           targets: ${{ matrix.target }}
@@ -136,6 +150,8 @@ jobs:
       - name: Build, sign, package
         shell: pwsh
         env:
+          CRAFT_FONTS_DIR: ${{ github.workspace }}/craft-fonts
+          CRAFT_FONTS_REQUIRED: "1"
           WINDOWS_CERTIFICATE: ${{ secrets.WINDOWS_CERTIFICATE }}
           WINDOWS_CERTIFICATE_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.WINDOWS_CERTIFICATE_PASSWORD }}
           AZURE_TENANT_ID: ${{ secrets.AZURE_TENANT_ID }}
@@ -170,6 +186,12 @@ jobs:
       NFPM_VERSION: 2.47.0
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      # Fonts (optional build input; required for releases): see craftrules standards/fonts.md.
+      - uses: actions/checkout@11d5960a326750d5838078e36cf38b85af677262 # v4
+        with:
+          repository: storytold/craft-fonts
+          ref: abb83316d96aa59c1cf64784289e378fe9fa5695 # bump deliberately
+          path: craft-fonts
       - name: Install build and packaging tools
         run: |
           sudo apt-get update
@@ -187,6 +209,9 @@ jobs:
         if: inputs.version != ''
         run: cargo xtask version set "$LIGHTCRAFT_VERSION"
       - name: Build and package (AppImage, deb, rpm, tar.gz)
+        env:
+          CRAFT_FONTS_DIR: ${{ github.workspace }}/craft-fonts
+          CRAFT_FONTS_REQUIRED: "1"
         run: packaging/linux/package.sh
       - name: Check the packages
         run: |
@@ -215,6 +240,12 @@ jobs:
       WASM_BINDGEN_VERSION: 0.2.129
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      # Fonts (optional build input; required for releases): see craftrules standards/fonts.md.
+      - uses: actions/checkout@11d5960a326750d5838078e36cf38b85af677262 # v4
+        with:
+          repository: storytold/craft-fonts
+          ref: abb83316d96aa59c1cf64784289e378fe9fa5695 # bump deliberately
+          path: craft-fonts
       - uses: dtolnay/rust-toolchain@stable
         with:
           targets: wasm32-unknown-unknown
@@ -232,6 +263,9 @@ jobs:
         if: inputs.version != ''
         run: cargo xtask version set "$LIGHTCRAFT_VERSION"
       - name: Build and zip
+        env:
+          CRAFT_FONTS_DIR: ${{ github.workspace }}/craft-fonts
+          CRAFT_FONTS_REQUIRED: "1"
         run: packaging/web/package.sh
       - uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
         with:
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index fe958866..823f9276 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -7,3 +7,4 @@ plan/
 /log
 .DS_Store
 .claude/
+/craft-fonts
diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index fdda2e93..393db2b1 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -62,10 +62,21 @@ of it. Full standard: `../craftrules/standards/never-crash.md`
 ## Assets: icons, images, fonts (ABSOLUTE RULE — never violate)
 - **Never use any iconography, image, artwork, font, sound or other asset from Adobe products** (no Lightroom/Creative Cloud icons, no screenshots, no presets/profiles/LUTs, no UI bitmaps — not even as a temporary placeholder or "reference copy"). Observing Adobe's UI to imitate *layout and behaviour* is allowed; copying or tracing its assets is not.
 - **This includes Adobe's open-licensed assets**: no Source Sans/Serif/Code or Source Han fonts, no Adobe Fonts, no
-  Adobe-published icon sets, sample photos, colour profiles or LUTs — even when OFL/MIT. The UI font is Inter (OFL).
+  Adobe-published icon sets, sample photos, colour profiles or LUTs — even when OFL/MIT. The UI font is Inter (OFL);
+  Japanese fonts come from craft-fonts (below).
 - Every asset in the repository must be one of: **our own original work** (e.g. icons drawn in code as vectors, procedurally generated demo photos), **public domain / CC0**, **Creative Commons** (CC-BY / CC-BY-SA with attribution honoured), **OFL** (fonts), or **permissive open-source** (MIT/Apache-2.0/BSD/ISC) — or contributed by a person who created the asset and licenses it openly.
 - **Exception: `docs/brand/`.** The ArtCraft name, wordmark and logos there are ArtCraft Team trademarks, not open source and not covered by LightCraft's MIT OR Apache-2.0 licence (`LICENSE-MIT`, `LICENSE-APACHE`, `NOTICE`); their terms are in `docs/brand/LICENSE-brand.txt`. Use them only unmodified and never redraw, recolour or derive from them.
 - **Every asset must have an entry in `assets/ATTRIBUTION.md`** (path, title, author/creator, source URL or "original work", licence, date added, modifications) and its licence text when required (e.g. `assets/fonts/OFL-*.txt`). Add the entry in the same commit as the asset. Assets without an attribution entry must not be committed.
+- **Fonts live in [storytold/craft-fonts](https://github.com/storytold/craft-fonts), never in this repo.** Don't commit
+  font files here (Inter, already in `assets/fonts/`, is the one exception); add new fonts to craft-fonts. LightCraft
+  uses it as the optional build input `CRAFT_FONTS_DIR`: `git clone https://github.com/storytold/craft-fonts ../craft-fonts`
+  then `CRAFT_FONTS_DIR=../craft-fonts cargo run -p lightcraft` (or any cargo/xtask command). `crates/engine/build.rs`
+  embeds the manifest's fonts as `lightcraft_engine::CRAFT_FONTS` (wasm32: BIZ UDPGothic Regular only); the UI
+  (`theme::font_definitions`) and the export watermark renderer use its Japanese faces as fallbacks after Inter. Unset,
+  `CRAFT_FONTS` is empty: everything builds, tests and runs, but Japanese text has no glyphs. Releases always build
+  with it (`release.yml`, `CRAFT_FONTS_REQUIRED=1`) and ship the fonts' OFL licences. Tests that need these fonts skip
+  without it; the FreeBSD CI job runs them with it. Rules: craftrules
+  [`standards/fonts.md`](https://github.com/storytold/craftrules/blob/main/standards/fonts.md).
 - Icons drawn in code (e.g. `crates/ui-egui/src/icons.rs`) are original work and are recorded in `assets/ATTRIBUTION.md` as such; do not trace them from Adobe icons.
 - Demo/test images: generated procedurally by `lightcraft-scenes`, or CC0 downloads kept in the gitignored `corpus/` with their source recorded. Screenshots of Adobe apps live only in the gitignored `plan/` and are never committed or published.
 - **Enforced:** `cargo xtask assets` (in `ci`) fails when an image/icon/font/sound/video/raw/ICC/XMP file is not matched
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index fdda2e93..393db2b1 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -62,10 +62,21 @@ of it. Full standard: `../craftrules/standards/never-crash.md`
 ## Assets: icons, images, fonts (ABSOLUTE RULE — never violate)
 - **Never use any iconography, image, artwork, font, sound or other asset from Adobe products** (no Lightroom/Creative Cloud icons, no screenshots, no presets/profiles/LUTs, no UI bitmaps — not even as a temporary placeholder or "reference copy"). Observing Adobe's UI to imitate *layout and behaviour* is allowed; copying or tracing its assets is not.
 - **This includes Adobe's open-licensed assets**: no Source Sans/Serif/Code or Source Han fonts, no Adobe Fonts, no
-  Adobe-published icon sets, sample photos, colour profiles or LUTs — even when OFL/MIT. The UI font is Inter (OFL).
+  Adobe-published icon sets, sample photos, colour profiles or LUTs — even when OFL/MIT. The UI font is Inter (OFL);
+  Japanese fonts come from craft-fonts (below).
 - Every asset in the repository must be one of: **our own original work** (e.g. icons drawn in code as vectors, procedurally generated demo photos), **public domain / CC0**, **Creative Commons** (CC-BY / CC-BY-SA with attribution honoured), **OFL** (fonts), or **permissive open-source** (MIT/Apache-2.0/BSD/ISC) — or contributed by a person who created the asset and licenses it openly.
 - **Exception: `docs/brand/`.** The ArtCraft name, wordmark and logos there are ArtCraft Team trademarks, not open source and not covered by LightCraft's MIT OR Apache-2.0 licence (`LICENSE-MIT`, `LICENSE-APACHE`, `NOTICE`); their terms are in `docs/brand/LICENSE-brand.txt`. Use them only unmodified and never redraw, recolour or derive from them.
 - **Every asset must have an entry in `assets/ATTRIBUTION.md`** (path, title, author/creator, source URL or "original work", licence, date added, modifications) and its licence text when required (e.g. `assets/fonts/OFL-*.txt`). Add the entry in the same commit as the asset. Assets without an attribution entry must not be committed.
+- **Fonts live in [storytold/craft-fonts](https://github.com/storytold/craft-fonts), never in this repo.** Don't commit
+  font files here (Inter, already in `assets/fonts/`, is the one exception); add new fonts to craft-fonts. LightCraft
+  uses it as the optional build input `CRAFT_FONTS_DIR`: `git clone https://github.com/storytold/craft-fonts ../craft-fonts`
+  then `CRAFT_FONTS_DIR=../craft-fonts cargo run -p lightcraft` (or any cargo/xtask command). `crates/engine/build.rs`
+  embeds the manifest's fonts as `lightcraft_engine::CRAFT_FONTS` (wasm32: BIZ UDPGothic Regular only); the UI
+  (`theme::font_definitions`) and the export watermark renderer use its Japanese faces as fallbacks after Inter. Unset,
+  `CRAFT_FONTS` is empty: everything builds, tests and runs, but Japanese text has no glyphs. Releases always build
+  with it (`release.yml`, `CRAFT_FONTS_REQUIRED=1`) and ship the fonts' OFL licences. Tests that need these fonts skip
+  without it; the FreeBSD CI job runs them with it. Rules: craftrules
+  [`standards/fonts.md`](https://github.com/storytold/craftrules/blob/main/standards/fonts.md).
 - Icons drawn in code (e.g. `crates/ui-egui/src/icons.rs`) are original work and are recorded in `assets/ATTRIBUTION.md` as such; do not trace them from Adobe icons.
 - Demo/test images: generated procedurally by `lightcraft-scenes`, or CC0 downloads kept in the gitignored `corpus/` with their source recorded. Screenshots of Adobe apps live only in the gitignored `plan/` and are never committed or published.
 - **Enforced:** `cargo xtask assets` (in `ci`) fails when an image/icon/font/sound/video/raw/ICC/XMP file is not matched
diff --git a/NOTICE b/NOTICE
index a95eb76a..e6f95a8a 100644
--- a/NOTICE
+++ b/NOTICE
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ list (author, source, license) is in assets/ATTRIBUTION.md.
 Inter (assets/fonts/Inter-*.ttf) — SIL Open Font License 1.1. See assets/fonts/OFL-Inter.txt.
 Showcase photographs by Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange and NASA (docs/images/) — public domain. See assets/ATTRIBUTION.md.
 
-BIZ UDMincho: Copyright 2022 The BIZ UDMincho Project Authors
-(https://github.com/googlefonts/morisawa-biz-ud-mincho). SIL Open Font License 1.1;
-see assets/fonts/OFL-BIZUDMincho.txt.
+Builds made with craft-fonts (the optional CRAFT_FONTS_DIR build input; all official releases)
+also embed the fonts listed in https://github.com/storytold/craft-fonts/blob/main/ATTRIBUTION.md
+(the Japanese fonts BIZ UDPGothic, BIZ UDMincho and Shippori Mincho; the web build embeds only BIZ
+UDPGothic Regular), under the SIL Open Font License 1.1. Release packages include each font's
+licence as OFL-<family>.txt.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 28fc1ac0..e7454f24 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -334,6 +334,16 @@ cargo run --release -p lightcraft-cli -- render photo.jpg -o out.jpg --set light
 cargo xtask ci                                          # fmt, clippy, tests, layering, wasm checks
 ```
 
+**Japanese text** needs the shared font repo, an optional build input (official releases always include it):
+
+```sh
+git clone https://github.com/storytold/craft-fonts ../craft-fonts
+CRAFT_FONTS_DIR=../craft-fonts cargo run --release -p lightcraft
+```
+
+Without it LightCraft builds and runs the same, but Japanese text has no glyphs. Fonts are never committed to this
+repo; see [craftrules `standards/fonts.md`](https://github.com/storytold/craftrules/blob/main/standards/fonts.md).
+
 The web build needs the `wasm32-unknown-unknown` target and the matching `wasm-bindgen` CLI
 (`cargo xtask web` prints the exact install command); see [docs/web.md](docs/web.md).
 
@@ -356,7 +366,8 @@ Humans and agents follow the same rules, so read [AGENTS.md](AGENTS.md) first. T
   work from public specs and black-box observation.
 - **No Adobe assets, ever:** no icons, screenshots, presets, profiles, LUTs or fonts from Adobe products. Every
   image, icon and font in the repo is original, public domain, Creative Commons, OFL or permissively licensed, and has
-  an entry in [assets/ATTRIBUTION.md](assets/ATTRIBUTION.md) added in the same commit.
+  an entry in [assets/ATTRIBUTION.md](assets/ATTRIBUTION.md) added in the same commit. New fonts go to
+  [storytold/craft-fonts](https://github.com/storytold/craft-fonts), not here.
 - **Pure Rust**, enforced crate layering, everything is a command, and `cargo xtask ci` green before every commit
   (one task id per commit).
 - **Never crash.** Non-test code returns errors instead of panicking: no `unwrap()`, `expect()`, `panic!` or
@@ -420,7 +431,9 @@ with its author, source and license in [assets/ATTRIBUTION.md](assets/ATTRIBUTIO
 Showcase photographs are public-domain works, used via Wikimedia Commons: Ansel Adams, *The Tetons and the Snake River*
 (1942, U.S. National Archives); Dorothea Lange, *Migrant Mother* (1936, Library of Congress); Bill Anders / NASA,
 *Earthrise* (1968); NASA, *The Blue Marble* (1972). The demo library is procedurally generated by LightCraft. UI font:
-Inter (SIL OFL 1.1). All icons are original.
+Inter (SIL OFL 1.1). Builds made with [craft-fonts](https://github.com/storytold/craft-fonts) (all official releases)
+also embed its Japanese fonts (BIZ UDPGothic, BIZ UDMincho, Shippori Mincho; SIL OFL 1.1), listed in its
+[ATTRIBUTION.md](https://github.com/storytold/craft-fonts/blob/main/ATTRIBUTION.md). All icons are original.
 
 The ArtCraft name, wordmark and logos in [`docs/brand/`](docs/brand/) are trademarks of the
 ArtCraft Team and are not covered by this license. They may be used only unmodified, and only as
diff --git a/ROADMAP.md b/ROADMAP.md
index a0836d77..693f06b0 100644
--- a/ROADMAP.md
+++ b/ROADMAP.md
@@ -194,8 +194,9 @@ own chart-based calibration (M11.4). Adobe matrices are never used.
 ## Japanese interface and text watermarks
 
 English/Japanese interface language is persisted in UI state. Core menus have Japanese
-translations; untranslated panels and dialogs retain English. BIZ UDMincho is bundled
-under OFL for Japanese glyph coverage without system fonts. Text watermarks now accept
+translations; untranslated panels and dialogs retain English. Japanese glyphs (UI: BIZ UDPGothic;
+watermarks: BIZ UDMincho) come from storytold/craft-fonts, embedded by builds made with the
+optional `CRAFT_FONTS_DIR` input (all releases), so no system fonts are needed. Text watermarks now accept
 `vertical: true` in export JSON/presets and expose an orientation selector. Japanese
 characters stay upright in top-to-bottom columns, with newlines starting columns to the
 left. This is basic lettering, without tate-chu-yoko, ruby, kinsoku, or general vertical
diff --git a/assets/ATTRIBUTION.md b/assets/ATTRIBUTION.md
index 3d2133c5..654f9002 100644
--- a/assets/ATTRIBUTION.md
+++ b/assets/ATTRIBUTION.md
@@ -9,8 +9,6 @@ covers a whole directory), or if a licence file referenced in the Licence column
 | Path | Asset | Creator | Source | Licence | Added | Modifications |
 |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | `assets/fonts/Inter-*.ttf` (Regular, Medium, SemiBold) | Inter | Rasmus Andersson | https://github.com/rsms/inter | SIL Open Font License 1.1 (`assets/fonts/OFL-Inter.txt`) | 2026-09-30 | none |
-| `assets/fonts/BIZUDMincho-Regular.ttf` | BIZ UDMincho Regular | The BIZ UDMincho Project Authors (Morisawa Inc., design TypeBank Co., Ltd.) | https://github.com/google/fonts/tree/63833b7d10bb1f86a8f0b91cba2d3ae1f68d1aa3/ofl/bizudmincho | OFL-1.1 (`assets/fonts/OFL-BIZUDMincho.txt`) | 2026-10-05 | none |
-| `assets/fonts/OFL-BIZUDMincho.txt` | BIZ UDMincho licence | The BIZ UDMincho Project Authors | https://github.com/google/fonts/blob/63833b7d10bb1f86a8f0b91cba2d3ae1f68d1aa3/ofl/bizudmincho/OFL.txt | OFL-1.1 | 2026-10-05 | none |
 | `assets/app-icon/` (`lightcraft.svg` and the PNG/ICNS/ICO/SVG files derived from it) | LightCraft app icon (lynx) | LightCraft project owner (drawn in ArtCraft) | original work (vectorised from the owner's drawing; see `assets/app-icon/README.md`) | MIT OR Apache-2.0 (`assets/app-icon/LICENSE.txt`) | 2026-10-02 | vectorised to SVG; rendered to PNG/ICNS/ICO by `packaging/icons.sh` |
 | `crates/scenes/` (generated images) | Procedural demo photographs | LightCraft contributors | original work (generated at runtime, no source imagery) | MIT OR Apache-2.0 | 2026-09-30 | n/a |
 | `crates/ui-egui/src/icons.rs` | UI icons drawn as vector paths in code | LightCraft contributors | original work | MIT OR Apache-2.0 | 2026-09-30 | n/a |
@@ -20,9 +18,12 @@ covers a whole directory), or if a licence file referenced in the Licence column
 | `docs/images/*-blue-marble.jpg`, `docs/images/grid-pd.jpg` | "The Blue Marble" (AS17-148-22727) | NASA, Apollo 17 crew (1972) | https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Earth_seen_from_Apollo_17.jpg | Public domain (NASA) | 2026-09-30 | developed in LightCraft; shown inside app screenshots |
 | `docs/images/*.jpg` (UI) | LightCraft application screenshots | LightCraft contributors | original work (captured with `docs/showcase/`) | MIT OR Apache-2.0 | 2026-09-30 | n/a |
 | `docs/brand/` (artcraft-logo and artcraft-mark, SVG and PNG) | ArtCraft wordmark and mark | ArtCraft Team | original work (https://getartcraft.com/) | ArtCraft trademark, see `docs/brand/LICENSE-brand.txt` (not open source) | 2026-10-01 | none |
-
-| `assets/fonts/BIZUDPGothic-*.ttf` | BIZ UDPGothic (Regular, Bold) | Morisawa / BIZ UDGothic Project Authors | https://github.com/googlefonts/morisawa-biz-ud-gothic/tree/18934af56b9c003ca58c54bffbf226848cb11032 | SIL Open Font License 1.1 (`assets/fonts/OFL-BIZUDGothic.txt`) | 2026-10-05 | none |
+| craft-fonts: optional build input, not files in this repository | BIZ UDPGothic (Regular, Bold), BIZ UDMincho Regular, Shippori Mincho Regular | Morisawa Inc. / The BIZ UDGothic and BIZ UDMincho Project Authors; The Shippori Mincho Project Authors (per craft-fonts' attribution) | https://github.com/storytold/craft-fonts/blob/main/ATTRIBUTION.md | SIL Open Font License 1.1 (each font's OFL.txt in craft-fonts; release packages ship it as OFL-<family>.txt) | 2026-10-06 | none; embedded only in builds made with `CRAFT_FONTS_DIR` (all official releases); the web (wasm32) build embeds BIZ UDPGothic Regular only |
 
 Notes
 - Fonts authored or published by Adobe (Source Sans/Serif/Code, Source Han, …) are not used, even though some are
   OFL-licensed: the asset rule excludes anything from Adobe. Source Sans 3 was removed on 2026-09-30 and replaced by Inter.
+- Japanese fonts (BIZ UDPGothic, BIZ UDMincho, Shippori Mincho) are not in this repository. They live in
+  [storytold/craft-fonts](https://github.com/storytold/craft-fonts), with their licences and attribution in its
+  `ATTRIBUTION.md`, and are embedded only in builds made with the optional `CRAFT_FONTS_DIR` build input (all official
+  releases). Never commit font files here; add new fonts to craft-fonts (craftrules `standards/fonts.md`).
diff --git a/assets/fonts/BIZUDMincho-Regular.ttf b/assets/fonts/BIZUDMincho-Regular.ttf
deleted file mode 100644
index b5a3f4cc..00000000
Binary files a/assets/fonts/BIZUDMincho-Regular.ttf and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/assets/fonts/BIZUDPGothic-Bold.ttf b/assets/fonts/BIZUDPGothic-Bold.ttf
deleted file mode 100644
index 8cfe3455..00000000
Binary files a/assets/fonts/BIZUDPGothic-Bold.ttf and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/assets/fonts/BIZUDPGothic-Regular.ttf b/assets/fonts/BIZUDPGothic-Regular.ttf
deleted file mode 100644
index 0753da09..00000000
Binary files a/assets/fonts/BIZUDPGothic-Regular.ttf and /dev/null differ
diff --git a/assets/fonts/OFL-BIZUDGothic.txt b/assets/fonts/OFL-BIZUDGothic.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 4df8604d..00000000
--- a/assets/fonts/OFL-BIZUDGothic.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,93 +0,0 @@
-Copyright 2022 The BIZ UDGothic Project Authors (https://github.com/googlefonts/morisawa-biz-ud-mincho)
-
-This Font Software is licensed under the SIL Open Font License, Version 1.1.
-This license is copied below, and is also available with a FAQ at:
-https://scripts.sil.org/OFL
-
-
------------------------------------------------------------
-SIL OPEN FONT LICENSE Version 1.1 - 26 February 2007
------------------------------------------------------------
-
-PREAMBLE
-The goals of the Open Font License (OFL) are to stimulate worldwide
-development of collaborative font projects, to support the font creation
-efforts of academic and linguistic communities, and to provide a free and
-open framework in which fonts may be shared and improved in partnership
-with others.
-
-The OFL allows the licensed fonts to be used, studied, modified and
-redistributed freely as long as they are not sold by themselves. The
-fonts, including any derivative works, can be bundled, embedded, 
-redistributed and/or sold with any software provided that any reserved
-names are not used by derivative works. The fonts and derivatives,
-however, cannot be released under any other type of license. The
-requirement for fonts to remain under this license does not apply
-to any document created using the fonts or their derivatives.
-
-DEFINITIONS
-"Font Software" refers to the set of files released by the Copyright
-Holder(s) under this license and clearly marked as such. This may
-include source files, build scripts and documentation.
-
-"Reserved Font Name" refers to any names specified as such after the
-copyright statement(s).
-
-"Original Version" refers to the collection of Font Software components as
-distributed by the Copyright Holder(s).
-
-"Modified Version" refers to any derivative made by adding to, deleting,
-or substituting -- in part or in whole -- any of the components of the
-Original Version, by changing formats or by porting the Font Software to a
-new environment.
-
-"Author" refers to any designer, engineer, programmer, technical
-writer or other person who contributed to the Font Software.
-
-PERMISSION & CONDITIONS
-Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining
-a copy of the Font Software, to use, study, copy, merge, embed, modify,
-redistribute, and sell modified and unmodified copies of the Font
-Software, subject to the following conditions:
-
-1) Neither the Font Software nor any of its individual components,
-in Original or Modified Versions, may be sold by itself.
-
-2) Original or Modified Versions of the Font Software may be bundled,
-redistributed and/or sold with any software, provided that each copy
-contains the above copyright notice and this license. These can be
-included either as stand-alone text files, human-readable headers or
-in the appropriate machine-readable metadata fields within text or
-binary files as long as those fields can be easily viewed by the user.
-
-3) No Modified Version of the Font Software may use the Reserved Font
-Name(s) unless explicit written permission is granted by the corresponding
-Copyright Holder. This restriction only applies to the primary font name as
-presented to the users.
-
-4) The name(s) of the Copyright Holder(s) or the Author(s) of the Font
-Software shall not be used to promote, endorse or advertise any
-Modified Version, except to acknowledge the contribution(s) of the
-Copyright Holder(s) and the Author(s) or with their explicit written
-permission.
-
-5) The Font Software, modified or unmodified, in part or in whole,
-must be distributed entirely under this license, and must not be
-distributed under any other license. The requirement for fonts to
-remain under this license does not apply to any document created
-using the Font Software.
-
-TERMINATION
-This license becomes null and void if any of the above conditions are
-not met.
-
-DISCLAIMER
-THE FONT SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
-EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTIES OF
-MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT
-OF COPYRIGHT, PATENT, TRADEMARK, OR OTHER RIGHT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
-COPYRIGHT HOLDER BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY,
-INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
-DAMAGES, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
-FROM, OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE FONT SOFTWARE OR FROM
-OTHER DEALINGS IN THE FONT SOFTWARE.
diff --git a/assets/fonts/OFL-BIZUDMincho.txt b/assets/fonts/OFL-BIZUDMincho.txt
deleted file mode 100644
index 1664f9f6..00000000
--- a/assets/fonts/OFL-BIZUDMincho.txt
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,93 +0,0 @@
-Copyright 2022 The BIZ UDMincho Project Authors (https://github.com/googlefonts/morisawa-biz-ud-mincho)
-
-This Font Software is licensed under the SIL Open Font License, Version 1.1.
-This license is copied below, and is also available with a FAQ at:
-https://scripts.sil.org/OFL
-
-
------------------------------------------------------------
-SIL OPEN FONT LICENSE Version 1.1 - 26 February 2007
------------------------------------------------------------
-
-PREAMBLE
-The goals of the Open Font License (OFL) are to stimulate worldwide
-development of collaborative font projects, to support the font creation
-efforts of academic and linguistic communities, and to provide a free and
-open framework in which fonts may be shared and improved in partnership
-with others.
-
-The OFL allows the licensed fonts to be used, studied, modified and
-redistributed freely as long as they are not sold by themselves. The
-fonts, including any derivative works, can be bundled, embedded, 
-redistributed and/or sold with any software provided that any reserved
-names are not used by derivative works. The fonts and derivatives,
-however, cannot be released under any other type of license. The
-requirement for fonts to remain under this license does not apply
-to any document created using the fonts or their derivatives.
-
-DEFINITIONS
-"Font Software" refers to the set of files released by the Copyright
-Holder(s) under this license and clearly marked as such. This may
-include source files, build scripts and documentation.
-
-"Reserved Font Name" refers to any names specified as such after the
-copyright statement(s).
-
-"Original Version" refers to the collection of Font Software components as
-distributed by the Copyright Holder(s).
-
-"Modified Version" refers to any derivative made by adding to, deleting,
-or substituting -- in part or in whole -- any of the components of the
-Original Version, by changing formats or by porting the Font Software to a
-new environment.
-
-"Author" refers to any designer, engineer, programmer, technical
-writer or other person who contributed to the Font Software.
-
-PERMISSION & CONDITIONS
-Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining
-a copy of the Font Software, to use, study, copy, merge, embed, modify,
-redistribute, and sell modified and unmodified copies of the Font
-Software, subject to the following conditions:
-
-1) Neither the Font Software nor any of its individual components,
-in Original or Modified Versions, may be sold by itself.
-
-2) Original or Modified Versions of the Font Software may be bundled,
-redistributed and/or sold with any software, provided that each copy
-contains the above copyright notice and this license. These can be
-included either as stand-alone text files, human-readable headers or
-in the appropriate machine-readable metadata fields within text or
-binary files as long as those fields can be easily viewed by the user.
-
-3) No Modified Version of the Font Software may use the Reserved Font
-Name(s) unless explicit written permission is granted by the corresponding
-Copyright Holder. This restriction only applies to the primary font name as
-presented to the users.
-
-4) The name(s) of the Copyright Holder(s) or the Author(s) of the Font
-Software shall not be used to promote, endorse or advertise any
-Modified Version, except to acknowledge the contribution(s) of the
-Copyright Holder(s) and the Author(s) or with their explicit written
-permission.
-
-5) The Font Software, modified or unmodified, in part or in whole,
-must be distributed entirely under this license, and must not be
-distributed under any other license. The requirement for fonts to
-remain under this license does not apply to any document created
-using the Font Software.
-
-TERMINATION
-This license becomes null and void if any of the above conditions are
-not met.
-
-DISCLAIMER
-THE FONT SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
-EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTIES OF
-MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND NONINFRINGEMENT
-OF COPYRIGHT, PATENT, TRADEMARK, OR OTHER RIGHT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE
-COPYRIGHT HOLDER BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY,
-INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
-DAMAGES, WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
-FROM, OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE FONT SOFTWARE OR FROM
-OTHER DEALINGS IN THE FONT SOFTWARE.
diff --git a/crates/engine/build.rs b/crates/engine/build.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6665cf44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/engine/build.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+//! Optional build input: with `CRAFT_FONTS_DIR=<storytold/craft-fonts checkout>`, embed every font
+//! in its `fonts/manifest.txt` as `CRAFT_FONTS` (see src/fonts.rs). Unset, `CRAFT_FONTS` is empty.
+//! Recipe from craft-fonts' docs/integration.md; craft-fonts is never a Cargo dependency, and this
+//! script only reads a local directory (no network).
+//!
+//! wasm32 (the web build) embeds only the UI font, BIZ UDPGothic Regular (~4.5 MB), to keep the
+//! `.wasm` within the web size budget (Cloudflare serves at most 25 MiB per file); the export
+//! watermark falls back to it there. Native builds embed every font.
+use std::fmt::Write as _;
+use std::path::PathBuf;
+
+fn main() {
+    println!("cargo::rerun-if-changed=build.rs");
+    println!("cargo::rerun-if-env-changed=CRAFT_FONTS_DIR");
+    println!("cargo::rerun-if-env-changed=CRAFT_FONTS_REQUIRED");
+    let mut src = String::from("pub static CRAFT_FONTS: &[CraftFont] = &[\n");
+    if let Some(dir) = std::env::var_os("CRAFT_FONTS_DIR").map(PathBuf::from) {
+        match craft_fonts(&dir) {
+            Ok(entries) => src.push_str(&entries),
+            Err(e) if std::env::var_os("CRAFT_FONTS_REQUIRED").is_some() => {
+                println!("cargo::error=CRAFT_FONTS_DIR={}: {e}", dir.display());
+            }
+            Err(e) => println!("cargo::warning=building without craft-fonts: CRAFT_FONTS_DIR={}: {e}", dir.display()),
+        }
+    }
+    src.push_str("];\n");
+    let out = PathBuf::from(std::env::var_os("OUT_DIR").unwrap_or_default()).join("craft_fonts.rs");
+    if let Err(e) = std::fs::write(&out, src) {
+        println!("cargo::error=writing {}: {e}", out.display());
+    }
+}
+
+/// One `CraftFont { .. }` initialiser per manifest line.
+fn craft_fonts(dir: &std::path::Path) -> Result<String, String> {
+    let manifest = dir.join("fonts/manifest.txt");
+    println!("cargo::rerun-if-changed={}", manifest.display());
+    let text = std::fs::read_to_string(&manifest).map_err(|e| format!("{}: {e}", manifest.display()))?;
+    let wasm = std::env::var("CARGO_CFG_TARGET_ARCH").is_ok_and(|a| a == "wasm32");
+    let mut out = String::new();
+    for line in text.lines().map(str::trim).filter(|l| !l.is_empty() && !l.starts_with('#')) {
+        let f: Vec<&str> = line.split(" | ").map(str::trim).collect();
+        let [family, style, file, scripts, ..] = f.as_slice() else {
+            return Err(format!("malformed manifest line: {line}"));
+        };
+        if wasm && (*family, *style) != ("BIZ UDPGothic", "Regular") {
+            continue;
+        }
+        let path = dir.join(file).canonicalize().map_err(|e| format!("{file}: {e}"))?;
+        println!("cargo::rerun-if-changed={}", path.display());
+        let scripts: Vec<String> = scripts.split(',').map(|s| format!("{:?}", s.trim())).collect();
+        let _ = writeln!(
+            out,
+            "    CraftFont {{ family: {family:?}, style: {style:?}, scripts: &[{}], bytes: include_bytes!({:?}) }},",
+            scripts.join(", "),
+            path.display().to_string(),
+        );
+    }
+    Ok(out)
+}
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/export.rs b/crates/engine/src/export.rs
index 6c30b1a0..860c4d7c 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/export.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/export.rs
@@ -244,14 +244,23 @@ impl Default for Watermark {
 
 /// Inter SemiBold (OFL, see assets/ATTRIBUTION.md).
 static WATERMARK_FONT: &[u8] = include_bytes!("../../../assets/fonts/Inter-SemiBold.ttf");
-/// BIZ UDMincho (OFL), Japanese fallback on both native and web.
-/// Bundled OFL Japanese font bytes, shared by watermarks and UI glyph fallback.
-pub static WATERMARK_JAPANESE_FONT: &[u8] = include_bytes!("../../../assets/fonts/BIZUDMincho-Regular.ttf");
+
+/// The watermark faces: Inter first, then the craft-fonts Japanese faces (Mincho first, the
+/// watermark's serif look; then any other Japanese face). Without craft-fonts that is Inter alone,
+/// and Japanese characters draw as Inter's missing-glyph box.
+fn watermark_fonts(craft: &'static [crate::fonts::CraftFont]) -> Vec<ab_glyph::FontRef<'static>> {
+    let mut japanese: Vec<_> = crate::fonts::japanese(craft).collect();
+    japanese.sort_by_key(|f| !f.is_mincho());
+    std::iter::once(WATERMARK_FONT)
+        .chain(japanese.into_iter().map(|f| f.bytes))
+        .filter_map(|bytes| ab_glyph::FontRef::try_from_slice(bytes).ok())
+        .collect()
+}
 
 /// Draw `wm` onto `img` (straight alpha blending of the encoded values).
 pub fn draw_watermark(img: &mut Rgba8, wm: &Watermark) {
     let width = img.width;
-    watermark_coverage(img.width, img.height, wm, |x, y, k, col| {
+    watermark_coverage(img.width, img.height, wm, crate::fonts::CRAFT_FONTS, |x, y, k, col| {
         let p = &mut img.data[y * width + x];
         for c in 0..3 {
             p[c] = (p[c] as f32 + (col[c] as f32 - p[c] as f32) * k).round() as u8;
@@ -264,14 +273,14 @@ pub fn draw_watermark(img: &mut Rgba8, wm: &Watermark) {
 pub fn draw_watermark_deep(img: &mut DeepImage, wm: &Watermark) {
     let (width, trc) = (img.width, img.space.trc());
     match &mut img.samples {
-        DeepSamples::U16(v) => watermark_coverage(img.width, img.height, wm, |x, y, k, col| {
+        DeepSamples::U16(v) => watermark_coverage(img.width, img.height, wm, crate::fonts::CRAFT_FONTS, |x, y, k, col| {
             let i = (y * width + x) * 3;
             for c in 0..3 {
                 let p = v[i + c] as f32;
                 v[i + c] = (p + (col[c] as f32 * 257.0 - p) * k).round().clamp(0.0, 65535.0) as u16;
             }
         }),
-        DeepSamples::F32(v) => watermark_coverage(img.width, img.height, wm, |x, y, k, col| {
+        DeepSamples::F32(v) => watermark_coverage(img.width, img.height, wm, crate::fonts::CRAFT_FONTS, |x, y, k, col| {
             let i = (y * width + x) * 3;
             for c in 0..3 {
                 let target = trc.decode(col[c] as f32 / 255.0);
@@ -282,9 +291,16 @@ pub fn draw_watermark_deep(img: &mut DeepImage, wm: &Watermark) {
 }
 
 /// Lay out `wm` on a `width × height` image and call `blend(x, y, coverage × opacity, colour)` for
-/// every covered pixel (shadow pass first).
-fn watermark_coverage(width: usize, height: usize, wm: &Watermark, mut blend_px: impl FnMut(usize, usize, f32, [u8; 3])) {
-    use ab_glyph::{Font, FontRef, PxScale, ScaleFont, point};
+/// every covered pixel (shadow pass first). `craft` is [`crate::fonts::CRAFT_FONTS`] (a parameter
+/// so tests can render without it).
+fn watermark_coverage(
+    width: usize,
+    height: usize,
+    wm: &Watermark,
+    craft: &'static [crate::fonts::CraftFont],
+    mut blend_px: impl FnMut(usize, usize, f32, [u8; 3]),
+) {
+    use ab_glyph::{Font, PxScale, ScaleFont, point};
     if !wm.image.trim().is_empty() {
         logo_coverage(width, height, wm, blend_px);
         return;
@@ -293,9 +309,8 @@ fn watermark_coverage(width: usize, height: usize, wm: &Watermark, mut blend_px:
     if text.is_empty() || width == 0 || height == 0 {
         return;
     }
-    let Ok(font) = FontRef::try_from_slice(WATERMARK_FONT) else { return };
-    let Ok(japanese) = FontRef::try_from_slice(WATERMARK_JAPANESE_FONT) else { return };
-    let fonts = [font, japanese];
+    let fonts = watermark_fonts(craft);
+    let Some(latin) = fonts.first() else { return };
     let short = width.min(height) as f32;
     let px = (wm.size.clamp(0.005, 0.5) * short).max(6.0);
     let mut glyphs = Vec::new();
@@ -333,9 +348,11 @@ fn watermark_coverage(width: usize, height: usize, wm: &Watermark, mut blend_px:
             '…' => '︙',
             other => other,
         };
-        let ch = if wm.vertical && fonts[1].glyph_id(vertical_form).0 != 0 { vertical_form } else { original };
-        let face = usize::from(fonts[0].glyph_id(ch).0 == 0);
-        let sf = fonts[face].as_scaled(PxScale::from(px));
+        let has = |font: &ab_glyph::FontRef<'_>, c: char| font.glyph_id(c).0 != 0;
+        let ch = if wm.vertical && fonts.iter().skip(1).any(|f| has(f, vertical_form)) { vertical_form } else { original };
+        // The first face with the glyph; Inter (its missing-glyph box) when none has it.
+        let face = fonts.iter().position(|f| has(f, ch)).unwrap_or(0);
+        let sf = fonts.get(face).unwrap_or(latin).as_scaled(PxScale::from(px));
         let id = sf.glyph_id(ch);
         if wm.vertical {
             let left = columns.saturating_sub(column.saturating_add(1)) as f32 * px;
@@ -1334,21 +1351,46 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(ExportOptions::from_json(&serde_json::json!({"watermark": ""})).watermark.is_none());
     }
 
-    #[test]
-    fn japanese_watermarks_support_vertical_columns_and_legacy_defaults() {
-        use ab_glyph::Font;
-        let font = ab_glyph::FontRef::try_from_slice(WATERMARK_JAPANESE_FONT).unwrap();
-        for c in "日本語".chars() {
-            assert_ne!(font.glyph_id(c).0, 0);
-        }
-        let old = ExportOptions::from_json(&json!({"watermark": {"text": "日本語"}}));
-        assert!(!old.watermark.unwrap().vertical);
+    fn vertical_japanese() -> Watermark {
         let options =
             ExportOptions::from_json(&json!({"watermark": {"text": "日本語", "vertical": true, "size": 0.1, "shadow": false, "opacity": 1.0}}));
-        let wm = options.watermark.unwrap();
+        options.watermark.unwrap()
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn japanese_watermark_options_and_legacy_defaults() {
+        let old = ExportOptions::from_json(&json!({"watermark": {"text": "日本語"}}));
+        assert!(!old.watermark.unwrap().vertical);
+        let wm = vertical_japanese();
         assert!(wm.vertical);
         let round: Watermark = serde_json::from_value(serde_json::to_value(&wm).unwrap()).unwrap();
         assert!(round.vertical);
+    }
+
+    /// Built without craft-fonts, a Japanese watermark still lays out and draws (Inter's
+    /// missing-glyph boxes), and Latin text is unaffected.
+    #[test]
+    fn watermarks_work_without_craft_fonts() {
+        assert_eq!(watermark_fonts(&[]).len(), 1, "Inter only");
+        for wm in [vertical_japanese(), Watermark { text: "LightCraft 日本語".into(), ..Watermark::default() }] {
+            let mut covered = 0usize;
+            watermark_coverage(400, 300, &wm, &[], |_, _, k, _| covered += usize::from(k > 0.0));
+            assert!(covered > 0, "{:?} draws something", wm.text);
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn japanese_watermarks_support_vertical_columns() {
+        use ab_glyph::Font;
+        let fonts = watermark_fonts(crate::fonts::CRAFT_FONTS);
+        if fonts.len() < 2 {
+            eprintln!("skipped: built without CRAFT_FONTS_DIR, so there is no Japanese watermark face");
+            return;
+        }
+        for c in "日本語の文字".chars() {
+            assert!(fonts[1..].iter().any(|f| f.glyph_id(c).0 != 0), "a craft-fonts face has {c}");
+        }
+        let wm = vertical_japanese();
         let mut img = Rgba8::new(400, 300);
         img.data.fill([0, 0, 0, 255]);
         draw_watermark(&mut img, &wm);
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/fonts.rs b/crates/engine/src/fonts.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..954d9263
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/engine/src/fonts.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+//! Fonts from the optional craft-fonts build input (storytold/craft-fonts).
+//!
+//! Built with `CRAFT_FONTS_DIR=<craft-fonts checkout>`, [`CRAFT_FONTS`] holds every font in its
+//! manifest (today: the Japanese UI and document fonts); otherwise it is empty and LightCraft uses
+//! only its own bundled fonts (Inter). Both the egui UI and the export watermark renderer read it
+//! from here. See craftrules `standards/fonts.md`.
+
+/// A font from the optional craft-fonts build input (empty unless built with `CRAFT_FONTS_DIR`).
+pub struct CraftFont {
+    pub family: &'static str,
+    pub style: &'static str,
+    /// ISO 15924 scripts the font is for, e.g. `"Jpan"`.
+    pub scripts: &'static [&'static str],
+    pub bytes: &'static [u8],
+}
+
+include!(concat!(env!("OUT_DIR"), "/craft_fonts.rs"));
+
+impl CraftFont {
+    /// Whether the font is meant for `script` (ISO 15924, e.g. `"Jpan"`).
+    pub fn covers(&self, script: &str) -> bool {
+        self.scripts.contains(&script)
+    }
+
+    /// Mincho (serif) faces, the preferred Japanese faces for document-like text.
+    pub fn is_mincho(&self) -> bool {
+        self.family.contains("Mincho")
+    }
+}
+
+/// The craft-fonts faces for Japanese, in `fonts`' order (empty without craft-fonts).
+pub fn japanese(fonts: &'static [CraftFont]) -> impl Iterator<Item = &'static CraftFont> {
+    fonts.iter().filter(|f| f.covers("Jpan"))
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn craft_fonts_are_well_formed_or_absent() {
+        if CRAFT_FONTS.is_empty() {
+            eprintln!("built without CRAFT_FONTS_DIR: no craft-fonts to check");
+            return;
+        }
+        for f in CRAFT_FONTS {
+            assert!(!f.family.is_empty() && !f.style.is_empty() && !f.scripts.is_empty(), "{}", f.family);
+            assert!(ab_glyph::FontRef::try_from_slice(f.bytes).is_ok(), "{} {} parses", f.family, f.style);
+        }
+        assert!(japanese(CRAFT_FONTS).next().is_some(), "craft-fonts carries Japanese faces");
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/engine/src/lib.rs b/crates/engine/src/lib.rs
index b76d7a15..68200a35 100644
--- a/crates/engine/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/engine/src/lib.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ pub mod demo;
 pub mod devices;
 pub mod export;
 pub mod files;
+pub mod fonts;
 pub mod guard;
 pub mod import;
 mod import_move;
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ mod view;
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
 pub use cmd::{CommandInfo, CommandSpec, command_specs, find_command};
+pub use fonts::{CRAFT_FONTS, CraftFont};
 use lightcraft_catalog::{Catalog, Filter, Op, PhotoId, Sort};
 use lightcraft_develop::DevelopSettings;
 pub use media::{RenderJob, SourceLevel};
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/i18n.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/i18n.rs
index 92355c30..0e2389a4 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/i18n.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/i18n.rs
@@ -143,20 +143,82 @@ mod tests {
         }
         assert!(text.contains("マイフォト"), "{text}");
         assert!(text.contains("すべての写真"), "{text}");
-        ctx.fonts_mut(|fonts| {
-            for family in [egui::FontFamily::Proportional, egui::FontFamily::Name(crate::theme::FONT_SEMIBOLD.into())] {
-                let font = egui::FontId::new(13.0, family);
-                for message in japanese().values() {
-                    for ch in message.chars().filter(|ch| !ch.is_whitespace()) {
-                        assert!(fonts.has_glyph(&font, ch), "Missing glyph {ch} in {message}");
+        if lightcraft_engine::fonts::japanese(lightcraft_engine::CRAFT_FONTS).next().is_none() {
+            eprintln!("skipped glyph coverage: built without CRAFT_FONTS_DIR, so there is no Japanese UI font");
+        } else {
+            ctx.fonts_mut(|fonts| {
+                for family in [egui::FontFamily::Proportional, egui::FontFamily::Name(crate::theme::FONT_SEMIBOLD.into())] {
+                    let font = egui::FontId::new(13.0, family);
+                    for message in japanese().values() {
+                        for ch in message.chars().filter(|ch| !ch.is_whitespace()) {
+                            assert!(fonts.has_glyph(&font, ch), "Missing glyph {ch} in {message}");
+                        }
                     }
                 }
-            }
-        });
+            });
+        }
         // Locale affects presentation only: command ids remain the same.
         let ids = |app: &crate::LightcraftApp| crate::menus::menu_entries(app).into_iter().map(|entry| entry.id).collect::<Vec<_>>();
         let japanese_ids = ids(&app);
         set_language(Language::En);
         assert_eq!(japanese_ids, ids(&app));
     }
+    /// The UI families, after one frame so the font definitions are loaded.
+    fn fonts_ctx(craft: &'static [lightcraft_engine::CraftFont]) -> egui::Context {
+        let ctx = egui::Context::default();
+        ctx.set_fonts(crate::theme::font_definitions(craft));
+        let mut out = ctx.run_ui(egui::RawInput::default(), |_| {});
+        out.textures_delta.clear();
+        ctx
+    }
+
+    fn ui_families() -> [egui::FontFamily; 3] {
+        [egui::FontFamily::Proportional, egui::FontFamily::Name(crate::theme::FONT_SEMIBOLD.into()), egui::FontFamily::Monospace]
+    }
+
+    /// Built with craft-fonts, Japanese renders with real glyphs (no tofu) in every UI family.
+    #[test]
+    fn craft_fonts_render_japanese_in_the_ui() {
+        if lightcraft_engine::fonts::japanese(lightcraft_engine::CRAFT_FONTS).next().is_none() {
+            eprintln!("skipped: built without CRAFT_FONTS_DIR, so there is no Japanese UI font");
+            return;
+        }
+        let ctx = fonts_ctx(lightcraft_engine::CRAFT_FONTS);
+        ctx.fonts_mut(|fonts| {
+            for family in ui_families() {
+                let font = egui::FontId::new(13.0, family);
+                for ch in "日本語の文字".chars() {
+                    assert!(fonts.has_glyph(&font, ch), "{ch} in {font:?}");
+                }
+                let galley = fonts.layout_no_wrap("日本語の文字".into(), font.clone(), egui::Color32::WHITE);
+                assert!(galley.size().x > 13.0 * 5.0, "{font:?}: six full-width glyphs, {:?}", galley.size());
+            }
+        });
+    }
+
+    /// Built without craft-fonts, the UI (in Japanese, too) still installs its fonts and runs;
+    /// Latin text keeps Inter.
+    #[test]
+    fn the_ui_works_without_craft_fonts() {
+        let ctx = fonts_ctx(&[]);
+        ctx.fonts_mut(|fonts| {
+            // (Not Monospace: egui's `has_glyph` reports false for glyphs of the family's
+            // replacement-glyph face, which there is Hack, the face that draws Latin.)
+            for family in [egui::FontFamily::Proportional, egui::FontFamily::Name(crate::theme::FONT_SEMIBOLD.into())] {
+                let font = egui::FontId::new(13.0, family);
+                assert!("LightCraft".chars().all(|ch| fonts.has_glyph(&font, ch)), "{font:?}");
+            }
+        });
+        let mut app = crate::LightcraftApp::new(lightcraft_engine::Session::with_demo(), Default::default());
+        app.ui.language = Language::Ja;
+        for frame in 0..3 {
+            let input = crate::headless::HeadlessView::raw_input(egui::vec2(1200.0, 800.0), 1.0, frame as f64 / 60.0, vec![]);
+            let mut out = ctx.run_ui(input, |ui| {
+                app.logic(ui.ctx());
+                app.ui(ui);
+            });
+            out.textures_delta.clear();
+        }
+        set_language(Language::En);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/dialogs.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/dialogs.rs
index 6f94330e..fe8b0478 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/dialogs.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/dialogs.rs
@@ -708,7 +708,7 @@ pub fn show(app: &mut LightcraftApp, ctx: &egui::Context) {
                 Dialog::About => {
                     ui.label(egui::RichText::new("LightCraft").font(t.semibold(20.0)).color(t.text));
                     ui.label(crate::i18n::tr_format!("Version {} — a clean-room, pure-Rust photo library and raw developer.", env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION")));
-                    ui.label("MIT OR Apache-2.0. Fonts: Inter / BIZ UDPGothic (OFL). Icons: original.");
+                    ui.label(format!("MIT OR Apache-2.0. Fonts: {} (OFL). Icons: original.", crate::theme::font_credits()));
                     ui.add_space(10.0);
                     let discord = egui::Button::new(egui::RichText::new("Join the ArtCraft Discord").font(t.semibold(15.0)).color(egui::Color32::WHITE))
                         .fill(t.accent)
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/theme.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/theme.rs
index a62e8313..b5db692d 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/theme.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/theme.rs
@@ -107,20 +107,53 @@ impl Tokens {
 }
 
 pub fn install_fonts(ctx: &egui::Context) {
+    ctx.set_fonts(font_definitions(lightcraft_engine::CRAFT_FONTS));
+}
+
+/// Inter (bundled) for Latin text, egui's default fonts, then the craft-fonts Japanese faces as
+/// the last fallback of every family (BIZ UDPGothic first; Bold first for the semibold family).
+/// Without craft-fonts (`craft` empty) Japanese text has no glyphs and shows as boxes.
+pub fn font_definitions(craft: &'static [lightcraft_engine::CraftFont]) -> FontDefinitions {
     let mut fonts = FontDefinitions::default();
     fonts.font_data.insert("Inter".into(), Arc::new(FontData::from_static(include_bytes!("../../../assets/fonts/Inter-Regular.ttf"))));
     fonts.font_data.insert("Inter-SemiBold".into(), Arc::new(FontData::from_static(include_bytes!("../../../assets/fonts/Inter-SemiBold.ttf"))));
-    fonts.font_data.insert("Japanese".into(), Arc::new(FontData::from_static(include_bytes!("../../../assets/fonts/BIZUDPGothic-Regular.ttf"))));
-    fonts.font_data.insert("Japanese-Bold".into(), Arc::new(FontData::from_static(include_bytes!("../../../assets/fonts/BIZUDPGothic-Bold.ttf"))));
-    let fallback: Vec<String> = fonts.families.get(&FontFamily::Proportional).cloned().unwrap_or_default();
-    let mut prop = vec!["Inter".to_string(), "Japanese".to_string()];
-    prop.extend(fallback.clone());
+    let japanese: Vec<_> = lightcraft_engine::fonts::japanese(craft).collect();
+    for f in &japanese {
+        fonts.font_data.insert(craft_font_name(f), Arc::new(FontData::from_static(f.bytes)));
+    }
+    // Craft-fonts faces in preference order for a family drawn in `style`.
+    let fallback = |style: &str| {
+        let mut faces = japanese.clone();
+        faces.sort_by_key(|f| (f.family != "BIZ UDPGothic", f.style != style, f.family.contains("Mincho")));
+        faces.into_iter().map(craft_font_name).collect::<Vec<_>>()
+    };
+    let defaults: Vec<String> = fonts.families.get(&FontFamily::Proportional).cloned().unwrap_or_default();
+    let mut prop = vec!["Inter".to_string()];
+    prop.extend(defaults.iter().cloned());
+    prop.extend(fallback("Regular"));
     fonts.families.insert(FontFamily::Proportional, prop);
-    let mut semi = vec!["Inter-SemiBold".to_string(), "Japanese-Bold".to_string()];
-    semi.extend(fallback);
+    let mut semi = vec!["Inter-SemiBold".to_string()];
+    semi.extend(defaults);
+    semi.extend(fallback("Bold"));
     fonts.families.insert(FontFamily::Name(FONT_SEMIBOLD.into()), semi);
-    fonts.families.entry(FontFamily::Monospace).or_default().push("Japanese".into());
-    ctx.set_fonts(fonts);
+    fonts.families.entry(FontFamily::Monospace).or_default().extend(fallback("Regular"));
+    fonts
+}
+
+/// The embedded font families for the About box: Inter, plus the craft-fonts families when built
+/// with them.
+pub fn font_credits() -> String {
+    let mut families = vec!["Inter"];
+    for f in lightcraft_engine::CRAFT_FONTS {
+        if !families.contains(&f.family) {
+            families.push(f.family);
+        }
+    }
+    families.join(" / ")
+}
+
+fn craft_font_name(f: &lightcraft_engine::CraftFont) -> String {
+    format!("craft-fonts {} {}", f.family, f.style)
 }
 
 pub fn apply(ctx: &egui::Context) {
diff --git a/docs/localization-ja.md b/docs/localization-ja.md
index 1cd41b46..4d1aa627 100644
--- a/docs/localization-ja.md
+++ b/docs/localization-ja.md
@@ -5,7 +5,10 @@ LightCraft は日本語と英語（English）の表示に対応しています
 
 - 「編集 → 言語」または「設定 → 一般 → 言語」で日本語とEnglishを切り替えます。選択は次回起動にも引き継ぎます。
 - メニュー、写真編集、マスク、切り抜き、設定、読み込み、書き出し、主な処理状況を翻訳しています。
-- 通常表示と太字の双方に、SIL OFLのBIZ UDPGothicを組み込みました。
+- 通常表示と太字の双方に、SIL OFLのBIZ UDPGothicを使います。日本語フォントはこのリポジトリではなく
+  [storytold/craft-fonts](https://github.com/storytold/craft-fonts) にあり、任意のビルド入力
+  `CRAFT_FONTS_DIR=../craft-fonts` を指定したビルド（公式リリースはすべて）に組み込まれます。
+  指定しない場合も動作しますが、日本語の文字は表示されません。
 - 翻訳は表示層で行います。操作コマンドのID、写真のファイル名、入力したメタデータを変更しません。
 - 翻訳されていない技術的なエラー、追加情報、リリースノートは英語で表示します。
 
@@ -18,4 +21,4 @@ LightCraft は日本語と英語（English）の表示に対応しています
 `LIGHTCRAFT_LANGUAGE=ja lightcraft-cli snapshot ...` で日本語の画面を描画できます。
 
 表示・フォント・言語の切り替え・設定の保存・コマンドIDの保持は
-`cargo test -p lightcraft-ui-egui i18n::tests` で検証します。
+`cargo test -p lightcraft-ui-egui i18n::tests` で検証します（グリフの検査は `CRAFT_FONTS_DIR` 指定時のみ実行）。
diff --git a/docs/parity.md b/docs/parity.md
index cfc61c96..aaffc4f6 100644
--- a/docs/parity.md
+++ b/docs/parity.md
@@ -797,7 +797,7 @@ From `08-lightroom-classic-extras.md` (Classic-only features) and part 2 of `06-
 ### Japanese text watermarks
 
 `app.export` watermark objects accept `vertical` (boolean, defaults to false). The export
-dialog offers Horizontal/Vertical and multiline text. Japanese glyphs fall back to bundled
-BIZ UDMincho. Vertical lettering uses upright em cells and right-to-left newline columns;
+dialog offers Horizontal/Vertical and multiline text. Japanese glyphs fall back to the craft-fonts
+Mincho faces (BIZ UDMincho; on the web build, BIZ UDPGothic) when built with `CRAFT_FONTS_DIR`. Vertical lettering uses upright em cells and right-to-left newline columns;
 Latin stays upright. Advanced Japanese composition remains open. Regression coverage:
-`export::tests::japanese_watermarks_support_vertical_columns_and_legacy_defaults`.
+`export::tests::japanese_watermarks_support_vertical_columns`, `japanese_watermark_options_and_legacy_defaults`, `watermarks_work_without_craft_fonts`.
diff --git a/docs/web.md b/docs/web.md
index ed3efcfe..6d3283c8 100644
--- a/docs/web.md
+++ b/docs/web.md
@@ -52,6 +52,14 @@ codecs) at opt-level 3 and the rest (egui, eframe, serde, glue) at "s". What goe
 is the brotli column: 3.1 MB, 11 % less than the old build's brotli size and 41 % less than its
 gzip size (5.25 MB). `wasm-opt -Oz`, when installed, shrinks it further.
 
+**Fonts.** The browser has no system fonts to fall back on, so Japanese text comes from
+[craft-fonts](https://github.com/storytold/craft-fonts), the optional `CRAFT_FONTS_DIR` build
+input (`CRAFT_FONTS_DIR=../craft-fonts cargo xtask web`; release builds always set it). On wasm32
+`crates/engine/build.rs` embeds only BIZ UDPGothic Regular (UI, and the watermark fallback), so
+the module stays well under Cloudflare's 25 MiB per-file limit: measured 2026-10-06, 17.1 MB
+without craft-fonts and 21.8 MB with it (brotli 3.8 MB / 6.3 MB). Without it the web build
+works, but Japanese text has no glyphs.
+
 ## Deploying: headers
 
 `cargo xtask web --serve` sends these on every response. A production server may send them too;
diff --git a/packaging/env.sh b/packaging/env.sh
index 297f41a7..11221a5e 100644
--- a/packaging/env.sh
+++ b/packaging/env.sh
@@ -44,12 +44,26 @@ warn() {
   if [ -n "${GITHUB_ACTIONS:-}" ]; then echo "::warning::$*"; else echo "warning: $*" >&2; fi
 }
 
-# Copy licence and readme files that exist into a package directory.
+# Copy licence and readme files that exist into a package directory (plus the craft-fonts licences
+# when building with CRAFT_FONTS_DIR).
 copy_docs() {
   local dest="$1" f
-  for f in README.md LICENSE LICENSE-MIT LICENSE-APACHE COPYRIGHT; do
+  for f in README.md LICENSE LICENSE-MIT LICENSE-APACHE COPYRIGHT NOTICE; do
     if [ -f "$ROOT/$f" ]; then cp "$ROOT/$f" "$dest/"; fi
   done
+  copy_font_licences "$dest"
+}
+
+# Builds made with CRAFT_FONTS_DIR (storytold/craft-fonts, an optional build input) embed its fonts;
+# their OFL licences go with the package as OFL-<family-dir>.txt. Nothing to do without it.
+copy_font_licences() {
+  local dest="$1" lic family
+  [ -n "${CRAFT_FONTS_DIR:-}" ] || return 0
+  for lic in "$CRAFT_FONTS_DIR"/fonts/*/OFL.txt; do
+    [ -f "$lic" ] || continue
+    family="$(basename "$(dirname "$lic")")"
+    cp "$lic" "$dest/OFL-$family.txt"
+  done
 }
 
 # Portable SHA-256 of a file (prints just the hash).
diff --git a/packaging/macos/package.sh b/packaging/macos/package.sh
index b46187d7..c6070055 100755
--- a/packaging/macos/package.sh
+++ b/packaging/macos/package.sh
@@ -108,6 +108,9 @@ sed -e "s/@VERSION@/$VERSION/g" -e "s/@SHORT_VERSION@/$SHORT_VERSION/g" \
   "$HERE/Info.plist.in" >"$APP/Contents/Info.plist"
 plutil -lint "$APP/Contents/Info.plist"
 printf 'APPL????' >"$APP/Contents/PkgInfo"
+# Licences (and the craft-fonts font licences when built with CRAFT_FONTS_DIR) inside the bundle.
+mkdir -p "$APP/Contents/Resources/Licenses"
+copy_docs "$APP/Contents/Resources/Licenses"
 
 # Sign inside-out: nested code first, then the bundle itself (no --deep on the final signature).
 # Today the only nested code is the main executable; frameworks/helpers would be signed here too.
diff --git a/packaging/windows/package.ps1 b/packaging/windows/package.ps1
index 45ced0e5..dae31757 100644
--- a/packaging/windows/package.ps1
+++ b/packaging/windows/package.ps1
@@ -106,10 +106,16 @@ $Portable = Join-Path $TargetDir "windows-package\lightcraft-$Version-windows-$A
 Remove-Item -Recurse -Force $Portable -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
 New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $Portable | Out-Null
 Copy-Item (Join-Path $Stage '*.exe') $Portable
-foreach ($f in 'README.md', 'LICENSE', 'LICENSE-MIT', 'LICENSE-APACHE') {
+foreach ($f in 'README.md', 'LICENSE', 'LICENSE-MIT', 'LICENSE-APACHE', 'NOTICE') {
   $p = Join-Path $Root $f
   if (Test-Path $p) { Copy-Item $p $Portable }
 }
+# Builds made with CRAFT_FONTS_DIR (storytold/craft-fonts) embed its fonts: ship their OFL licences.
+if ($env:CRAFT_FONTS_DIR) {
+  Get-ChildItem -Path (Join-Path $env:CRAFT_FONTS_DIR 'fonts\*\OFL.txt') -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | ForEach-Object {
+    Copy-Item $_.FullName (Join-Path $Portable "OFL-$($_.Directory.Name).txt")
+  }
+}
 $Zip = Join-Path $Dist "lightcraft-$Version-windows-$Arch-portable.zip"
 Remove-Item -Force $Zip -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
 Compress-Archive -Path $Portable -DestinationPath $Zip