Sakura Cup by Takanori Urata is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2023 Golden A' Design Award in Bakeware, Tableware, Drinkware and Cookware Design Competition Category.
GoldKitchenware· 2023
Sakura Cup
Client: Sunsetclimax
Golden A' Design Award Winner in Kitchenware Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #148207The Design
About Sakura Cup
He designed the Sakura in order to make efficient use of wooden materials without wasting natural resources. The symmetry shape features curved surfaces that offer a natural both-hands fit and it enhances a beautiful wooden grain. A fine finish of the rim creates a soft reaching to the mouth, which is handmade individually by Japanese traditional craftsmen. The white and beige mixed color rope is decorated as a cup holder with a tiny tied snake knot is an accent of the design not to be simple.
The Recognition
About the Golden A' Design Award
Sakura Cup is a Golden A' Design Award winner, an immensely prestigious recognition granted to first-rate, marvelous, and outstanding designs. Golden winners are exceedingly innovative, visionary, and glamorously dazzling creations that reflect the prodigy, wisdom, and prowess of their designers. Sakura Cup is expected to be a highly praised, trendsetting, and monumental invention that delivers unprecedented value. This Golden A' Design Award-winning design is a spectacular, respected project that highly benefits and advances the boundaries of art, science, design, and technology. Sakura Cup creates intense feelings of desire, evokes passion, encourages creativity, and fascinates us.
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Design Interview
What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?
I am the designer and president of a camping gear brand called sunsetclimax, and I created this cup as one of the sunsetclimax products.
I designed this cup for campers, many of whom appreciate and enjoy nature, by making effective use of natural resources.
This cup is made from rare thinned cherry trees, which are not easily caught even during the year.
What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?
We considered what shape would best express the beautiful grain of cherry wood in the simplest possible form.
We also considered the shape to fit in your hand when you hold it.
After much consideration, I came up with this design, which I believe is exactly what I had in mind.
What are your future plans for this award winning design?
I am already selling them under my brand sunsetclimax. My brand is very small, but I want to connect directly with users, so I sell only through direct sales.
I have already received inquiries from many potential buyers, so I am currently working on production.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- Takanori Urata studied and finally found how to show the most beautiful wooden grain in the cup. So it looks so smooth like a river. The shape of the cup is easy holding. The design is inspiration from wrapping by the both hands. Its unique shape expresses the love for natural resources. When you use the cup to drink something and it close to your mouth, soft wooden scent flow in the air. White and beige mixed color rope attached as a cup holder. A tiny tied snake knot is an accent of the design not to be too simple. Handmade finished individually. More often you use it, more and more charm it has.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Width 95mm x Depth 95mm x Height 72mm
volume : 145ml - Tags
- cup, wooden cup, camping gear, product design, kitchen equipment, cherry blossom, thinned wood, sustainable
- Production Technology
- Tochigi in Japan is a blessed land to grow a beautiful and healthy forest while well plan and manage the number of trees by thinning. Skilled carpenters and craftsmen were used to gather to build Nikko Toshogu shrine which is now very popular as a World Heritage site and their skills have taken root in Kanuma, Tochigi. Japanese craftmen made and finished by hand individually. A manufacture of the cup has been challenging environmental issues since 1945. They are passing on Japanese tradition and accurate knowledge to the next generation how wooden materials are important.
- Design Challenge
- Since it suffered Covid pandemic, camping activities has been getting popular in Japan because of well air circulation outside. He believes that a special experience through outdoor activities not only make people relaxed but also make family and friendship ties stronger. He doesn't want to finish this positive movement in a short time so that he is trying to create something high quality and a long life product which fascinates people until this movement becoming a kind of culture.
- Research
- People have to cut some trees properly to keep a forest healthy. We should not misunderstand about it. Cutting tree is not a bad behavior if it can be controlled and managed well. There are Sakura trees which are thinned to keep a beautiful and healthy forest while well plan and manage the number of trees. The design, Sakura cup in order to make efficient use of them which have various looking of beautiful grain pattern without wasting those thinned wooden materials. This is the vision he wants to appeal through Sakura cup. Firstly, it took a much time to find a factory that would help produce Sakura cup which was exactly same as his drawing. Because his design looks simple but it is difficult to make it. It have to be made individually with high skilled craftsman's hand made. While carefully sharing his vision with a manufacture, he finally found craftsmen who understood the vision and accepted our deal to start manufacturing Sakura cup.Secondly, it took a lot of time to reach the final design of joint between the detachable handle and the cup. He discussed about the shape with the craftsmen and considered to make the samples. Finally, they made it. Its shape is just fit in hands and a thin lip of the cup makes a soft touching, which is created by Japanese traditional craftsmanship. He thinks that Sakura cup never make it without Japanese craftsmen skill. He wants to serve some tea which is served with Sakura cup in break time. While enjoying tea break, let's start talking about a natural resources which people must hand over to the future generation.
- Inspiration
- Takanori Urata designed it for Japanese outdoor brand, which is called sunsetclimax. They has their own concept, such as a portable villa. As one of their outdoor items, Sakura has a beautiful and exclusive shape to be used in an extraordinarily situation. Sakura must be used in a long time because of its simple and beautiful shape which you never tired of. sunsetclimax is stick to the quality instead of mass production. Products are not only wasted, those must be loved by users. Any natural resources must have a story which impress people to realize how there are so important. He believes a long life product is a best solution against environmental problems. This cup tells the branding story to people use the cup in future.
- Project Duration
- This cup was released in June, 2022, which has been on sale by sunsetclimax in Japan.
- Operation Flow
- There are Sakura trees which are thinned to keep a beautiful and healthy forest while well plan and manage the number of trees. We design Sakura in order to make efficient use of them which have various looking of beautiful grain pattern without wasting those thinned wooden materials. Its shape is just fit in hands and a thin lip of the cup makes a soft touching, which is created by Japanese traditional craftsmanship. A cup handle made by a rope is a beautiful snake knot. While making a cup of tea, we shall start talking about a natural resources which we must hand over to the future generation.
- Image Credits
- Main image: Takanori Urata (2022)
Optional Image #01: Takanori Urata (2022)
Optional Image #02: Takanori Urata (2022)
Optional Image #03: Takanori Urata (2022)
Optional Image #04: Takanori Urata (2022)
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