Koji Saryo is a cafe designed by Atsushi Suzuki of Transit Branding Studio, which is located in a luxury resort and shopping center in Mie prefecture, Japan. In the cafe you can taste the products of Uonuma Jozo which serves koji amazake directly delivered from the factory and an original koji amazake soft ice-cream.

Koji is prepared with steamed grains (rice, barley, soybean) on which "Aspergillus Oryzae" (koji mold) is planted. It is matured under the certain temperature and humidity conditions which make the fungus breed easily.
The materials, colors and shapes of the interior are inspired by the fermentation process of koji and the traditional architecture of the city of Uonuma. The city of Uonuma is the cradle of the Jozo brand and is located in the north of Japan, where the snow in winter can reach more than three meters in height.

For more than 1,000 years, a sweet, thick beverage known as amazake has been produced in Japan. Amanotamuznake, an early version of amazake, is mentioned in the “Nihon Shoki” (“Chronicles of Japan”), an early history of Japan compiled in 720. While the drink fell out of favor for a while, it has made a comeback in recent years because it is naturally nutritious.
 

Project description by Atsushi Suzuki

Located inside a luxury resort and shopping center in Mie Prefecture, this café operated by rice-koji maker Uonuma Jozo offers amazake, a sweet fermented koji drink, and other koji products. The materials, colors, and forms of the café were inspired by the heat of koji fermentation and the traditional architecture of Uonuma, the company’s hometown in northern Japan, where snow can pile up over three meters high in winter.

During the process of making koji, heat is released when microorganisms consume organic matter—which is to say, the warmth of fermentation is a vital, living warmth that changes second by second. This space was designed with a similar mindset. For instance, the flushed red fixture surrounded by benches in the center of the room is intentionally lowered to eye level to create a striking contrast in hue when viewed from outside. When guests sit on the bench and view the greenery outside, their perception of the colors gradually changes. In addition, the red plaster floor adds to the ruddy light that reflects off the faces of people in the café. This sequence of color transformations is intended to express the living warmth of fermentation.

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Collaborators
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Lighting Designer.- Mizuki Matsuura / hmmm.
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Client
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Marukome Co.,Ltd.
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Area
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70.4m²
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Dates
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July 2021.
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Location
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San Sebastian St.8, Taki-cho Vison 672-1, Taki District, Mie Prefecture 519-2170, Japan.
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Photography
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Hitomi Matsuno / Transit Branding Studio™.
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Atsushi Suzuki joined the design team at Tanseisha in 2012, specializing in interiors for brand shops and department stores. In 2020 he joined Transit Branding Studio, where he oversees all aspects of project launches, from planning and interior design to content development.
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Published on: December 4, 2021
Cite: "Cafe with color sequence expressing the living warmth of fermentation. Koji Saryo by Transit Branding Studio" METALOCUS. Accessed
<https://www.metalocus.es/en/news/cafe-color-sequence-expressing-living-warmth-fermentation-koji-saryo-transit-branding-studio> ISSN 1139-6415
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