Koji Saryo Produced by UonumaJozo

Located inside aluxury resort and shoppingcenterin Mie Prefecture,this café operatedby rice-koji makerUonumaJozo offersamazake, asweetfermented koji drink, andotherkoji products. Thematerials,colors, and formsofthe café wereinspiredbythe heatofkojifermentation and thetraditional architectureofUonuma,the company’s hometowninnorthern Japan,wheresnow can pile upover three meters highin winter. During the process ofmaking koji,heat isreleased when microorganisms consumeorganicmatter—which is tosay,thewarmth offermentation isavital,livingwarmththat changessecondbysecond. Thisspace was designed with a similar mindset. Forinstance, theflushed redfixture surrounded bybenchesinthe center of the roomis intentionallyloweredto eye levelto create a strikingcontrast in hue when viewed fromoutside. Whenguests sit on the bench and view thegreeneryoutside,their perception ofthe colorsgradually changes. Inaddition,theredplasterflooradds to theruddy lightthatreflects offthefaces of peoplein thecafé. Thissequence of colortransformationsisintended toexpress the living warmth offermentation. Project Name： Koji Saryo Produced by UonumaJozo Project Location: San Sebastian St. 8, Taki-cho Vison 672-1, Taki District, Mie Prefecture519-2170, Japan Date of Completion:July 2021 Total Floor Area:70. 4m2 Client:MarukomeCo.,Ltd. Credit Information: Designer: Atsushi Suzuki / Transit Branding Studio™ Photographer: HitomiMatsuno / Transit Branding Studio™ Lighting Designer: Mizuki Matsuura/hmmm