Despite the fact that Uozu Buried Forest Museum in Uozu city had been open for 64 years, there had been hardly any visitors in this unusual museum. We questioned how we could revitalize the future in Uozu by renovating the entrance of the museum. We branded KININAL, a new cake brand that retains the exact appearance of fruits; a cake that looks exactly like a kiwi, a fig, to a cake that looks exactly like a peach, wherein Japanese, KININAL means both something that becomes a tree, that is, a fruit; or something that one finds interest in. We designed the package with the theme of “fruit specimens”, to best express the essence of the fruits. The number of visitors that come to the Uozu Buried Forest Museum increased by 2.5 times, making it an official place to visit in Uozu.
Within an 18-minute walk from the Uozu station, you will find the Uozu Buried Forest Museum in Uozu City, in Toyama Prefecture–a small town with a population of 40,000 people, only 2.5 hours away from Tokyo. You may not have heard of the name “Buried Forest” before. It is a unique process when trees become fossils in the sand and is appointed as a natural monument in Japan. Despite opening for 64 years, there have been hardly any visitors in this unusual museum. We questioned how we could revitalize the future in Uozu by renovating the entrance of the museum.
In Uozu, there was originally a cake shop loved by the area called Lindenbaum, also known for its fruit cultivation. We, therefore, decided to open a store together at the entrance to create a cafe and cake shop that would attract attention from the metropolitan area. We realized that the best design to present the fruit cake to “look exactly like the fruit”, where the brand KININAL was born. In Japanese, KININAL means both something that becomes a tree, that is, a fruit; or something that one finds interest in.
KININAL is a new cake brand that retains the exact appearance of fruits; a cake that looks exactly like a kiwi, a fig, to a cake that looks exactly like a peach. The cream hidden inside completes the fullness of the cake as it makes you think you were eating the whole fruit. There are also fresh juices produced “as it is”, where the skin of fruits such as grapefruits and oranges are used as eco-friendly containers. We do our best to be loyal to the environment and what we are able to gain from these trees.
The package is designed inspired by “fruit specimens”, to best express the essence of the fruits, as the main characteristic of the cake. Both the fruit and scientific names are written on the transparent film, designed to look like a 3D stereoscopic book. The cakes are able to stack on top of one another as they share the same lid size. This made it not only convenient for carrying the cake, but also to be beautifully displayed at the same time.
To make the most of the museum’s existing frame, at the same time change the space so that one can come in contact with the waterside area, we constructed an oval-shaped wooden deck that connects the interior and exterior spaces. The wooden floor creates a sense of openness by stretching it out to the open. In addition, we created a KININAL counter made with plenty of local wood, where the glass case has a limited frame for the fruit cakes to stand out to the customers.
KININAL is a small cake shop that quietly opened in the city, that became well-known through social media. It became a popular store that now people queue for. The number of visitors that come to the Uozu Buried Forest Museum increased by 2.5 times, making it an official place to visit in Uozu.
- ART DIRECTION: NOSIGNER (EISUKE TACHIKAWA)
- GRAPHIC DESIGN: NOSIGNER (EISUKE TACHIKAWA, RYOTA MIZUSAKO, SHUN KUDO)
- SWEETS DESIGN: NOSIGNER (EISUKE TACHIKAWA), LINDEN BAUM (SHUICHI TAMAMORI)
- SPACE DESIGN: NOSIGNER (EISUKE TACHIKAWA), AKI HAMADA ARCHITECTS INC (AKI HAMADA, MUSASHI MAKIYAMA)
