Zaku Naguwashi Series Sake Iapani by Yasushi Uemura

Zaku Naguwashi Series Sake Iapani by Yasushi Uemura is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award Auro in Mamanu Afifi Competition Category.

AuroAfifi· 2025

Zaku Naguwashi Series Sake Iapani

by Yasushi Uemura

Client: Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten Ltd.

A' Design Award Auro Winner in Afifi Category

1,721,442

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #164565

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Colors

The Design

About Zaku Naguwashi Series Sake Iapani

O lenei o se sake maualuga na fausia faapitoa mo fale'aiga lalelei i fafo atu o le atunuu, ma le faamoemoe e faaalia i luga o lisi uaina o se tasi o filifiliga mo le tu'ufa'atasia ma meaai. O le faafitauli o le mamanu o le faaalia lea o se lagona tulaga ese o le faasinomaga Iapani. O le mamanu na maua le musumusuga mai faʻailoga masani Iapani e pei o le shide, o pepa paia faʻaagaʻaga o loʻo faʻaaogaina i malumalu paia e faʻailogaina ai tuaoi o le paia, ma le origata, o le faʻatonuga faaleaganu'u o le gaugau pepa. O nei elemene ua manuia ona faʻaalia e le gata i o latou foliga faitino, ae faapea foi le agaga loloto ma le autu o tagata Iapani.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award Auro

O le A' Design Award Auro na manumalo ai Zaku Naguwashi Series Sake Iapani, o se faamaoniga matuā mamalu e tuuina atu i mamanu o le tulaga muamua, matagofie ma maoaʻe. O ē manumalo i le Auro o galuega fou tele, matuā vaai i le lumanaʻi ma susulu e faaalia ai le atamai, le poto ma le tomai o tagata mamanu. E faamoemoeina Zaku Naguwashi Series Sake Iapani e avea ma mea fou e matuā vivii, e faatulaga ai uiga fou ma tetele, e tuuina mai ai se tau e leʻi iai muamua. O lenei mamanu na manumalo i le A' Design Award Auro o se galuega ofoofogia, ua faaaloalogia, e aogā tele ma tuleia atu tapulaʻa o le faatufugaga, saienisi, mamanu ma tekonolosi. Zaku Naguwashi Series Sake Iapani e fatuina ai lagona malosi o le manaʻo, faaosofia le tuinanau, faalauiloa le fatufatuaʻi ma faamalosia i tatou.

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.