Seminar Task: Japanese Packaging

Japanese Packaging is crazy creative.

They are innovators, not imitators. One great difference I saw between Western and Japanese package and product design is the amount of energy and life found in the latter. Most Western packaging appeared limited, merely ‘contained’ on the canvas or package. Whereas Japanese design is more alive, spirited and energetic. 

Japanese packaging is created not to just contain the product, but has a unique soul of its own. It’s easy to tell–most of the packaging and product designs are based on nature and all things cute. In fact, they go through lengths to add tiny details like faces, eyes and smiles to products to make it more ‘kawaii’. Charming mascots, sweet characters and happy faces definitely sell in the company, and cute characters will definitely lure consumers into buying their products. here are the few examples of Japanese packaging I found clever.

 Infini Coffee - “It’s time for the gifted coffee.”

 Five eggs wrapped in rice straw

Featured in “How to Wrap Five Eggs: Traditional Japanese Packaging” by Hideyuki Oka, published in 1975 (each was featured in an exhibit by the Japan Society on traditional Japanese packaging).

 During our Lecture our task was to produce packaging for three oranges using the least materials possible using Japanese Packaging method.

In our learning teams we had to think of the best way to package these oranges so they complied with these specifications but were also displayed so they were visible and protected. we decided to go for a "pod design"our chosen design concept was made using reused cardboard and some string. we named our product 'orange canoe' simply making a box out the cardboard by tying it to some string. this made our product secure, yet visible and could be staked on top of each other in the supermarket.