News

irogami 箸・箸置き|新潟日報(新聞・Web) 掲載

Aug 19th, 2025

#Media

Tsuboe's new product, "irogami chopsticks and chopstick rests," has been featured in the magazine.
This project is the result of Tsuboe's metalworking technology and branding, cultivated over many years, and the possibilities of new designs.

掲載:8月19日(新潟日報デジタルプラス)/アルミ合金製の箸置きと箸で「日々の食卓を明るく」:
https://www.niigata-nippo.co.jp/articles/-/672442

WorldStar(Marketing Special/Silver)|新潟日報(新聞・Web) 掲載

Jun 26th, 2025

#Media

掲載:6月26日(新潟日報デジタルプラス)/パッケージの世界的コンテスト2位!三条市のデザイナー栗山薫さん、おろし金「irogami」包装で見た目やストーリー性評価:
https://www.niigata-nippo.co.jp/articles/-/634945

WorldStar(Marketing Special/Silver・世界2位)受賞

May 30th, 2025

#Award

On May 30, 2025, at the WORLDSTAR GLOBAL PACKAGING AWARDS held in Milan,
the “irogami grater” package designed by kuriyama kaoru design received the Marketing – Special Award Silver.

● Selection
A world-class competition featuring 550 entries from 40 countries, open only to works that have won national packaging awards in each country.
● Evaluation Criteria
Comprehensive assessment of not only design quality but also “marketing impact,” including enhancement of brand value and promotion of purchasing behavior.
● Result
Awarded Silver, achieving 2nd place in the Marketing category, among the top three tiers of Gold, Silver, and Bronze.

Encouraged by this recognition, we will further strengthen our commitment to global expansion and ethical perspectives,
pursuing packaging that is gentle on people, the planet, and the workplace.

(Organizer: World Packaging Organisation / Venue: Teatro Alcione, Milan, Italy)

受賞詳細(WorldStar公式):
https://worldstar.org/winners_detail/4412/2025/+/SPECIAL+AWARD+-+Marketing/
Marketing Special 受賞一覧(WorldStar公式):
https://worldstar.org/winners/worldstar/2025/+/SPECIAL+AWARD+-+Marketing/
受賞者ガイド[PDF/英語]:
https://worldstar.org/Uploads/2025-06/WinnerGuidePDF9_1749471562.pdf

機関紙「NICO press」インタビュー掲載

Apr 24th, 2025

#Media

Interview in NICO press

I’m happy to share that I appear in the April–May 2025 issue of NICO press (Vol. 199), the magazine published by the Niigata Industrial Creation Organization.
In the feature story “Communicating the Value of Companies and Products,” I discuss local branding case studies from my perspective as a director and designer. If you have the chance, please take a look!

NICO press 199 デジタルブック:
https://www.nico.or.jp/digitalbook/contents/nicopress199/#page=6
特集記事:
https://www.nico.or.jp/sien/syohinhyoka/79120/

WorldStar Global Packaging Awards 受賞

Feb 18th, 2025

#Award

WorldStar Global Packaging Awards — Awarded

We won a WorldStar in the global competition organized by the World Packaging Organisation (WPO).
Judging covers multiple dimensions, including on-shelf impact, ergonomics, finish quality, and sustainability. In our structural design, we repurposed the product’s jig hole as a dual-purpose hang tab and color-check window, raising cost efficiency, visibility, and usability at the same time—an approach that received particular recognition.

[About the WorldStar Awards]
Eligibility is limited to entries that have already won in WPO-recognized national competitions (in Japan, the Japan Packaging Contest). The program exists to advance and disseminate excellence in packaging design and technology, and is regarded as a unique global platform in the field.

World Star Winners:
https://worldstar.org/winners_detail/4412/2025/+/+/Japan/

月刊誌「包装技術」論文寄稿

Feb 7th, 2025

#Announcement

Article Contribution to Packaging Technology Monthly

I’m pleased to announce that my paper appears in the February 2025 issue of Packaging Technology, the monthly journal of the Japan Packaging Institute. The feature highlights JAPAN STAR winners from the 2024 Japan Packaging Contest, and I was invited to write about my award-winning work—along with a few thoughts on branding.
The PDF of the article is available, so please have a look when you have a moment. I would be delighted if it proves useful or inspiring.

月刊機関誌「包装技術」2025年/2月号:
https://www.jpi.or.jp/syuppan/magazine/2025/2502.html
PDF掲載:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DFwdCjqvRaz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

TOPAWARDS ASIA 受賞

Jan 27th, 2025

#Award

TOPAWARDS ASIA — Awarded

We were selected and awarded by TOPAWARDS ASIA, a curation-based program that recognizes outstanding design across Asia. Unlike open-call competitions, the honor is conferred through editorial and jury selection.

The recognition cites our pared-back, minimal composition, a plastic-free paper structure, and a cohesive visual language that adapts naturally to photography, print, and web.

Rather than a one-off package, the project was evaluated for how it scales to the entire brand experience. Its versatility and longevity were decisive factors in the selection and award.

受賞ページ(TOPAWARDS ASIA 公式):
https://www.topawardsasia.com/winners/irogami-grater

現代日本のパッケージ 2024|印刷博物館 展示

Oct 22nd, 2024

#Exhibition

Contemporary Packaging in Japan 2024|Printing Museum — Exhibition

Our Japan Star Award–winning work will be exhibited in the special show “Contemporary Packaging in Japan 2024” at the Printing Museum (Oct 5–Dec 8).
The exhibition presents the current landscape of packaging across materials, structure, and graphics, contextualizing experience design that considers users’ gestures and handling.

展覧会ページ(印刷博物館 公式):
https://www.printing-museum.org/collection/exhibition/g20241005.php

TOKYO PACK 2024「2024グッドパッケージング展」|展示

Oct 22nd, 2024

#Exhibition

TOKYO PACK 2024 “2024 Good Packaging Exhibition” — Exhibition

Our award-winning work will be exhibited in the special zone “2024 Good Packaging Exhibition” at TOKYO PACK 2024 (Tokyo Big Sight, Oct 23–25).
The showcase features winning entries from the Japan Packaging Contest, offering industry visitors an at-a-glance overview of design intent, structural/material choices, and outcomes.

TOKYO PACK 2024(概要):
https://fpcj.jp/en/prlisting/tokyo-pack-2024/

日本パッケージングコンテスト(ジャパンスター賞/日本パッケージデザイン協会賞) 受賞|新潟日報(新聞・Web) 掲載

Oct 10th, 2024

#Media

Japan Packaging Contest (Japan Star Award / JPDA Award) — Featured in Niigata Nippo (newspaper & web)

Niigata Nippo featured our wins at the Japan Packaging Contest—the Japan Star Award and the JPDA Award—in a prominent article.
The print headline reads: “Packaging design and technology prove their excellence.” The piece highlights the following points behind the awards:

“Pick-it-up” criterion: A design that invites handling, down to edge finishing of the box, the opening gesture, and the tactile quality of the paper, all tuned to a palm-size user experience.

Plastic-free construction: Optimized as a paper-only structure, anticipating environmental standards in overseas markets.

Visual–experience integration: A clean tonal palette, refined form, and coordinated color lineup that connect pre-purchase understanding with post-use satisfaction.

Overall, the article recognizes how craftsmanship rooted in the region engages with contemporary daily life while meeting international benchmarks.

掲載:10月10日(新潟日報デジタルプラス)/秀逸な意匠、実用性…包装技術の高さにあっぱれ!:
https://www.niigata-nippo.co.jp/articles/-/490296

日本パッケージングコンテスト(ジャパンスター賞/日本パッケージデザイン協会賞) 受賞|ケンオー・ドットコム(Web) 掲載

Sep 27th, 2024

#Media

Japan Packaging Contest (Japan Star Award) — Featured on Kenoh.com (web)

The regional news site Kenoh.com covered our Japan Star Award win at the Japan Packaging Contest. The article notes that the project was led by a designer based in Sanjo City and gives a concise overview of the work and its intent.

The contest is one of Japan’s leading packaging awards, evaluating entries across design quality, information structure, and functionality; the Japan Star Award is positioned as a top distinction. The piece frames the news with helpful context, highlighting how a design born in the region achieved national-level recognition.

掲載:9月27日(ケンオー・ドットコム)/三条市のグラフィックデザイナー栗山薫さんが日本パッケージングコンテストの最高賞ジャパンスター賞に輝く:
https://kenoh.com/2024/09/27_kuriyama.html

初出品で最高賞受賞!日本パッケージングコンテスト( ジャパンスター賞/日本パッケージデザイン協会賞)受賞

Aug 28th, 2024

#Award

Japan Packaging Contest — Japan Star Award & JPDA Award

At the 2024 Japan Packaging Contest, we received two of the competition’s top distinctions: the Japan Star Award and the JPDA Award. It was our first entry to the contest—and our first win.

The work was recognized for a minimal curved form that highlights the brilliance of anodized color, paired with a tactile paper-based structure that makes you want to pick it up. Beyond visual beauty, we designed the opening gesture and hand feel to ensure both strong shelf impact and satisfaction in daily use.

Jury comment (excerpt)
“The package for the vividly colored anodized grater employs a simple design that skillfully incorporates curves and a paper container with a distinctive texture. It is an excellent piece that compels you to pick it up.”

The Japan Packaging Contest is a national award organized by the Japan Packaging Institute, judged across design, information, usability, and logistics. Winners are permitted to use the GP Mark, and they gain eligibility to enter WorldStar (organized by the World Packaging Organisation).

Packaging design directly shapes both sales and the user experience. We will continue building systems that balance clarity, usability, and beauty in equal measure.

日本パッケージコンテスト2024入賞作品集:
https://www.jpi.or.jp/saiji/jpc/2024/index.html#page=1

.g Good Design Journal「グッドデザイン探訪」|掲載

May 22nd, 2023

#Media

.g Good Design Journal — “Good Design Tanbou” Featured

We were featured in the Good Design Award’s official media, .g Good Design Journal, in its serialized column “Good Design Tanbou” (Exploring Good Design). The series visits Good Design Award winners on site and unpacks the questions behind their work.
Part 1: “How did the design come to life, and how was it developed into a product that sells?”
Part 2: “From a town factory to a brand — the journey to a one-of-a-kind oroshigane born from meeting a designer.”
Both articles are concise, accessible reads that trace the path from making to branding.

記事:『町工場からブランド誕生!(前編)』(.g 公式):
https://journal.g-mark.org/posts/tanbou_001
記事:『町工場からブランド誕生!(後編)』(.g 公式):
https://journal.g-mark.org/posts/tanbou_002

JAPANESE ARTS & CRAFTS IN SINGAPORE|Japan Creative Centre 登壇

Mar 22nd, 2023

#Exhibition

JAPANESE ARTS & CRAFTS IN SINGAPORE|Japan Creative Centre — Talk

Spoke at a talk session for “JAPANESE ARTS & CRAFTS IN SINGAPORE” held at the Japan Creative Centre (Embassy of Japan in Singapore) on March 17.
Together with Shinji Kasahara, President of Tsuboe Co., Ltd., we discussed design and branding approaches for oroshigane (Japanese graters)—from product thinking to brand storytelling.
The session is documented in the JCC’s official event report.

JCC イベントレポート:E-Magazine April 2023(公式):
https://www.sg.emb-japan.go.jp/JCC/E-Magazine-Apr-2023-Sanjo.html

日本パッケージデザイン大賞 2023|ホームケア&電化製品・雑貨部門 入選

May 22nd, 2022

#Award

Japan Packaging Design Awards 2023|Selected — Home Care & Electrical Appliances / Sundries

Selected in the Home Care & Electrical Appliances / Sundries category at the Japan Packaging Design Awards 2023 organized by the Japan Package Design Association (JPDA).
Chosen from 1,060 entries through rigorous first- and second-round juries, the work was recognized for its balance of information clarity and experiential value, as well as the robustness of the design for mass production.