PACKAGING BY KIRA KARACHO
THE ARTIST
Founded in Kyoto in 1624, KIRA KARACHO is a brand produced by Senda Choemon and Senda Aiko, the 13th generation husband and wife of Karacho, Japan’s oldest karakami workshop. The brand is also the birthplace of the traditional karakami patterns that inspire our packaging designs.
Today, Choemon and his wife continue this history and tradition in Saga (Arashiyama), hand-copying patterns onto washi paper using woodblocks passed down from their ancestors. They create everything from traditional sliding doors and wallpaper to the restoration of cultural properties such as shrines and temples, and even contemporary art pieces, preserving and passing on the culture of karakami as the only uninterrupted karakami workshop in Japan that has been in business for 400 years since the Edo period.
The designs depict Japan’s beautiful nature, the four seasons, flowers, plants, waves, wind, flowing water, and more, and each carries a unique message and story that goes beyond decoration.
Not only are they beautiful to look at, but the patterns are also believed to have hidden powers such as purification, protection, and longevity.
About the ARTWORK
They also oversee the KI NO BI label designs and many of them including a flagship KI NO BI DRY, KI NO TEA, KI NO BI SEI, and various limited editions—featuring woodblock patterns from this renowned historical atelier.
The Karacho motifs on the label of “KI NO BI DRY” are arabesque, pine, bamboo, and plum, each with its own story and meaning. The arabesque symbolizes growth and prosperity, the pine symbolizes longevity, the bamboo symbolizes prosperity, and the plum symbolizes virtue, and the combination of the pine, bamboo, and plum is considered to be very auspicious and ominous.
From the choice of materials to the intricate design, tradition and innovation are seamlessly woven into an elegant worldview, which you can feel the moment you hold a bottle of KI NO BI.
KIRA KARACHO: Karacho Honten and Kira Karacho
Elements
ARTISTRY
The Karakami pattern is carved into a woodblock
CRAFTSMANSHIP
The woodblock is used to hand print onto Japanese washi papers
DESIGN
The woodblock for our flagship gin features images that represent berries and other fruits, bringing to mind the botanicals used to make KI NO BI