Utsuroi Sake Packaging

The design is inspired by the idea of experiencing time itself. Each bottle represents a different era of aged sake, not through literal visuals, but through a quiet atmosphere that unfolds when the box is opened. I wanted the act of opening the set to feel like entering a special moment — something that works both as a gift and as a personal ritual. The principle behind the design is to let people enjoy the rarity of aged sake in a way that feels intimate, calm, and slightly ceremonial.

My main focus was to design a structure and pacing that guides the user into a quiet, special moment. I paid particular attention to how the box opens, how the bottles sit inside, and how the colors shift subtly between eras. Rather than decoration, I focused on creating an experience — something that feels intentional, calm, and worthy of the rarity of aged sake.

I plan to continue developing this concept as a way to communicate the quiet beauty of aged sake. The award gives the project more visibility, so I hope to collaborate with breweries and craft producers who value time and subtlety. I would like to expand the series to include other expressions of aged sake, creating a small collection that allows people to experience different eras in a calm, intentional way.

The slit animation embedded in the Utsuroi package was designed to convey the passage of time—not through technology or illustration, but through a simple, tactile motion triggered during the act of opening. As the user gently slides the outer sleeve, the year indicator changes, evoking the subtle yet constant movement of time itself. This visible transformation becomes an abstract metaphor for aging—a core element of sake itself.Rather than merely preserving sake in a box, I wanted the package to serve as a witness to time. The motion invites reflection, encouraging the recipient to feel the gap between when the gift was given and when it is finally opened. The device is simple, but intentional. By asking the user to interact physically—to draw time into motion with their own hands—it breathes life into what would otherwise be a static object.This design is meant not just to house a bottle, but to shape an experience: a poetic device that quietly connects sender and recipient across the years. It invites them into a small ceremony of memory and anticipation, making the moment of opening not the end of a gift, but the culmination of shared time.

For the vintages of 2004, 2012, and 2019, Utsuroi expresses the temporal depth of aged sake not through ornate decoration, but through restraint. To emphasize the subtle transformation across time, the year labels were printed solely with silver foil and clear varnish—deliberately omitting any excessive ornamentation. This visual economy reflects the quiet dignity of aged sake itself.The clear varnish was designed to reveal itself only under shifting light, making the year appear almost ethereal. Because of this delicacy, we were especially careful about the balance of transparency and contrast—ensuring the print would be perceptible without being overpowering. I personally attended the printing sessions, collaborating closely with the press technicians to make countless subtle adjustments to ink density, foil pressure, and finish quality until every layer aligned as intended.Printing, often considered a technical step, became a deeply sensory and intuitive part of the design process. We weren't just transferring ink onto paper—we were attempting to give visible form to something typically intangible: the gentle accumulation of time. The year—barely visible, yet undeniably present—emerges quietly through silver and light, offering a poetic representation of maturation, memory, and the beauty of restraint.

During my time in Kamo, observing the traditional process of washi paper-making left a quiet but lasting impression on how I approach design. It wasn’t about technique—it was about attitude. I was struck by the rhythm of repetition, the stillness of labor, and the profound attention to every invisible detail that makes the final piece speak without raising its voice.This sensibility lives on in the way I developed Utsuroi. Although there was no direct stylistic borrowing, the process of creating it—especially the iterative refinement of printing foil and varnish for the year markings—reflected the same kind of devotion. I personally attended multiple printing sessions, carefully fine-tuning light reflection and visibility in close dialogue with craftsmen on site. That experience felt very close in spirit to the silent dedication I witnessed in Kamo's washi studios.In Utsuroi, the beauty doesn't come from how much is added, but from how much is allowed to remain still. My time with regional craft reminded me that design is not just about making form—but about how we choose to relate to time, to materials, and to the people who bring things into being.