Zaku Naguwashi Series ISake YaseJapan by Yasushi Uemura

Zaku Naguwashi Series ISake YaseJapan by Yasushi Uemura is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 Ibhaso Legolide le-A' Design Award in Uyilo lwePakheji Competition Category.

IgolideIpakheji· 2025

Zaku Naguwashi Series ISake YaseJapan

by Yasushi Uemura

Client: Shimizu Seizaburo Shoten Ltd.

Ibhaso Legolide le-A' Design Award Winner in Ipakheji Category

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Verified Award Winner

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Colors

The Design

About Zaku Naguwashi Series ISake YaseJapan

Oku sisake ekumgangatho ophezulu esiphuhliswe ngokukodwa kwiindawo zokutyela ezinomgangatho ophezulu kwamanye amazwe, sijolise ukuba sifakwe kuluhlu lwewayini njengenye yeendlela zokudibanisa ukutya. Umngeni woyilo wawukuhambisa ingqiqo ebalulekileyo yobuzwe baseJapan. Uyilo lutsala uqhayiso kwimifuziselo yemveli yaseJapan efana neshide, imisonto yephepha engcwele esetyenziswa kwiindawo ezingcwele ukuphawula imida yezinto zobuthixo, kunye ne-origata, ubugcisa bomsitho bokusonga iphepha. Ezi zinto ziphumelele ukungenisa kungekuphela nje iimilo zazo ezibonakalayo kodwa nendlela enzulu yokomoya nentsingiselo yabantu baseJapan.

The Recognition

About the Ibhaso Legolide le-A' Design Award

Zaku Naguwashi Series ISake YaseJapan ngumphumeleli weIbhaso Legolide le-A' Design Award, ukuqatshelwa okuhlonitshwayo kakhulu okunikwa imiyilo yeklasi yokuqala, ephawulekayo nentle. Abaphumeleleyo beGolide ziimveliso ezintsha kakhulu, ezinombono ongaphaya nezikhazimlayo ezibonisa ubuchule, ubulumko nobuchule babayili bazo. Zaku Naguwashi Series ISake YaseJapan iyathenjwa ukuba ibe yimveliso edunyiswe kakhulu, ebeka umkhwa nekumgangatho wesikhumbuzo enikela ixabiso elingazange libonwe. Lo myilo uphumeleleyo weIbhaso Legolide le-A' Design Award yiprojekthi emangalisayo nehlonelwayo eluncedo kakhulu kwaye inyusa imida yobugcisa, inzululwazi, uyilo kunye nobuchwephesha. Zaku Naguwashi Series ISake YaseJapan idala iimvakalelo ezinzulu zonqweno, ivusa umdla, ikhuthaza ukuyila kwaye iyasikhwebela.

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.