Zaku Naguwashi Series Japanske Sake by Yasushi Uemura

Zaku Naguwashi Series Japanske Sake by Yasushi Uemura is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award yn Goud in Ferpakkingsûntwerp Competition Category.

GoudFerpakking· 2025

Zaku Naguwashi Series Japanske Sake

by Yasushi Uemura

Client: Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten Ltd.

A' Design Award yn Goud Winner in Ferpakking Category

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The Design

About Zaku Naguwashi Series Japanske Sake

Dit is in premium sake dy't spesifyk ûntwikkele is foar oerseeske lúkse restaurants, mei as doel om opnommen te wurden yn wynkaarten as ien fan de opsjes foar iten kombinaasje. De ûntwerpútdaging wie om in ûnderskiedend gefoel fan Japanske identiteit oer te bringen. It ûntwerp hielt ynspiraasje út tradisjonele Japanske motiven lykas shide, de hillige papieren slierten dy't brûkt wurde yn hilligdommen om de grinzen fan it godlike te markearjen, en origata, de seremoniële keunst fan it fâldzjen fan papier. Dizze eleminten slagje deryn om net allinich har fysike foarmen oer te bringen, mar ek de djipper spiritualiteit en essinsje fan it Japanske folk.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award yn Goud

Zaku Naguwashi Series Japanske Sake is in winner fan de A' Design Award yn Goud, in ekstreem prestisjeuze erkenning foar earste-klas, prachtige en treflike ûntwerpen. Goudwinners binne tige ynnovative, fisionêre en glamoureus ferbjusterjende skeppings dy't it sjeny, de wiisheid en de feardigens fan har ûntwerpers wjerspegelje. Fan Zaku Naguwashi Series Japanske Sake wurdt ferwachte dat it in tige priizge, trendsettende en monumintale útfining is dy't unferlykbere wearde leveret. Dit winnende ûntwerp fan de A' Design Award yn Goud is in spektakulêr, respektearre projekt dat grutte foardielen bringt en de grinzen fan keunst, wittenskip, ûntwerp en technology ferleget. Zaku Naguwashi Series Japanske Sake makket yntinse gefoelens fan begearte, stekt passy oan, stimulearret kreativiteit en fassinearret ús.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: A premium Japanese sake designed for luxury restaurants primarily in Europe and America. It was created with the goal of being featured on wine lists as one of the basic options for food pairing, alongside wines.
Dimensions & Packaging: Grass Bottle 750ml:
Height 335mm, Diameter 80mm
Tags: Sake, Japanese sake, Zaku, Drink Package, Japan, UemuraDesign, Traditional
Production Technology: In this label design, small cut-out holes were made to express the folded shapes of paper. Since the holes are extremely small, they are manually cut. As sake labels need to be durable when placed in coolers, synthetic paper was used to give the appearance of traditional paper while providing the necessary durability.
Design Challenge: Sake in wine bottles can easily be mistaken for wine, making it challenging to create a design that immediately conveys 'Japan.' To express sake through traditional Japanese imagery, we drew inspiration from elements such as 'shide' (white paper streamers used in Shinto rituals) and 'origata' (envelopes folded to convey respect), incorporating these symbols into the design to represent Japanese spirituality.
Research: In recent years, sake has become popular in the Western market. Usually, sake bottles are written in Japanese and are often difficult to understand. So, I expressed it using traditional Japanese imagery in a way that a sommelier at a Western restaurant could intuitively understand.
Inspiration: The design emphasizes Japanese spirituality to highlight the unique characteristics of sake. It draws inspiration from traditional motifs, such as "shide," the paper streamers used in Japanese shrines to mark sacred boundaries, and the art of "origata," the traditional method of folding paper in ceremonial practices.
Project Duration: This project started in Mie Prefecture, Japan, in 2020, and by April 2023, three varieties of the series were completed. Sales began in Tokyo and other parts of Japan, and the product is also available in Europe and the United States. The sales continue.
Operation Flow: It is mainly served in restaurants in Europe and the United States that serve sake.

By adding sake to the menu, which has previously offered a wide variety of wines, the restaurant can provide a broader selection. This gives guests the opportunity to explore new flavors and experience choices they haven't had before, while also sparking an interest in Japanese culture.