Miyabi Monaka Wafer Cake Packaging

Miyabi Monaka Wafer Cake Packaging

Miyabi Monaka Wafer Cake Packaging is an innovative Japanese confectionery packaging design that masterfully integrates traditional tea ceremony aesthetics with contemporary functionality. The design, created by art director Kazuaki Kawahara in collaboration with calligrapher Ayano Magasaki, features a sophisticated system of individual packages adorned with tatami mat motifs that can be arranged to simulate various sizes of traditional Japanese tea rooms. The packaging's distinctive 2:1 proportional ratio, matching the dimensions of traditional tatami mats, enables a modular arrangement system where multiple packages can be configured to represent different tea room layouts, from intimate 2-mat spaces to grand 18-mat arrangements. Each package, measuring 191mm x 191mm x 24mm, contains separately packaged monaka wafers and sweet bean paste, allowing consumers to assemble the traditional Japanese sweet just before consumption, ensuring optimal freshness and texture. The design incorporates a clever sleeve system that serves multiple functions: it acts as protective buffer material, creates a visual representation of a traditional hearth (essential in tea ceremony rooms), and enables flexible merchandising options for various quantity sets. This Silver A' Design Award-winning packaging solution demonstrates exceptional innovation in its approach to cultural preservation through design, combining practical functionality with deep cultural significance. The design's versatility is further enhanced by featuring alternative decorative patterns on the package reverse, enabling individual sale capability while maintaining the cohesive tea room concept when displayed as a set.

japanese packaging design, traditional tea ceremony, modular packaging system, tatami mat motif, confectionery packaging, cultural design innovation

— Adam Dawson

CITATION : "Adam Dawson. 'Miyabi Monaka Wafer Cake Packaging.' Design+Encyclopedia. https://design-encyclopedia.com/?E=440848 (Accessed on July 17, 2025)"