Platinum A' Design Award Winner 2021
Two rectangular boxes rest side by side against a background that feels like a deep evening sky shifting from slate gray on the left toward midnight blue on the right, the overall scene quiet and formal as though photographed in a controlled studio with soft even lighting, scanning from left to right, the left box appears closed showing its exterior face, roughly square in footprint and shallow in depth perhaps the height of a hand, its surface a rich teal color like aged copper or a peacock's neck feather, muted and sophisticated rather than bright, running vertically down the center are white calligraphic characters in what appears to be an East Asian script, flowing and elegant with varying stroke weights, flanking these characters along the left and right edges are darker geometric patterns resembling stacked chevrons or stylized waves in charcoal gray, providing textured borders, near the bottom sits a small golden emblem shaped like a traditional crest or family seal, about the size of a large coin, glinting softly, the box material suggests thick paperboard with a smooth matte coating, cool to the touch like quality stationery, moving to the right, the second box shows its contents revealed with the lid pulled upward and visible at the top edge in the same deep navy blue as the background, creating a sense of the box opening toward the viewer, inside the fitted compartment lined with that same midnight blue sit two cylindrical canisters side by side, the left canister is a warm reddish-brown like terra-cotta clay or rust, earthy and inviting, while the right canister mirrors the teal color of the closed box exterior, both canisters bear the same vertical white calligraphic script down their centers and the golden emblem near their bases, the cylinders are smooth and appear metallic or coated, perhaps aluminum with a brushed finish that would feel cool and sleek under fingertips, topping each canister is a cap in warm amber or honey-gold suggesting polished wood or lacquered metal, these lids catch the light with small bright highlights indicating glossy surfaces, the lighting comes gently from above and slightly left, creating soft shadows that extend down and to the right beneath both boxes, grounding them on an unseen surface, the shadows are subtle with blurred edges like an overcast day indoors, there's a sense of careful arrangement and precious contents, the warm amber lids glow like small beacons drawing attention to what the canisters contain, the color contrast between the cool teal and warm rust-red suggests complementary pairing like cool evening and warm hearth, ocean and earth, the vertical script implies upward reading movement and suggests traditional scroll formats, the compact nesting conveys efficient use of space and protective containment as though these are valuable goods carefully packaged, the golden emblems function as authentication marks, small symbols of heritage and quality, the overall impression is one of quiet luxury and cultural refinement, a sense of ritual and care in how objects are chosen, arranged, and presented, the scene invites you to imagine the weight of the box in your hands, the satisfying lift of the lid, the anticipation of selecting one canister or the other, the smooth cool metal against your palm, and the moment of opening to discover the contents within, perhaps tea leaves or precious herbs, the formal presentation suggesting gift-giving occasions where the packaging itself becomes part of the experience, transforming a simple transaction into a moment of appreciation.
Yamamotoyama is one of the oldest and most established tea merchants in Japan. It has been the first to sell Green tea today. With the concept of Return to the origin of Edo, Nosigner have redesigned the packages to keep the traditional tea culture alive and pass it on to the future. To make them modern while retaining the charm of the long history brand, Nosigner referred to the traditional colors and structure of the scrolls with Yamamotoyama's original small crests and the calligraphy style of Edo.