Located at the foot of the Southern Alps, Senjo has been crafting delicious sake from its blessed natural environment since the Edo Period (late 19th Century). Gratitude for mother nature, a desire to protect it, and the creatures that call it home are at the very heart of the concept behind “On a night like this.” The theme is “the creatures of Shinshu looking up at the moon,” as illustrated on the label designs which feature among others the rock ptarmigan that also appears on their bottles of Amazake and Doburoku. From a full moon to a crescent and then a new moon, different moons evoke feelings of changing time and seasons.
The Story Behind the Brand’s Creation
It was the potter Waka Horigome that gave shape to the brand world view behind “On a Night Like This”.
In the below interview, she talks about her design process.
－When did you conceive the idea of “On a Night Like This?”
“The request was to design something eye catching, with the freedom to use both images and or text, so I thought: “why don’t I incorporate Haiku too. Out of all the Haiku I have written, the best is ‘Gazing at the Moon, and salamanders do too, on a night like this’”.
“The Haiku is the memory of a mountain hike where I happened across a small stream teeming with baby salamander. It received high praise (I think) from my Haiku Master for how well it conveyed my emotions at the time. I always wanted to design a label that combines the ceramic salamander I make with haiku. I just wanted to create something with a relaxed feel. And that’s how I conceived this design.”
－Each label is adorned with a Haiku. What story does each tell?
“The series is themed around the moon. I imagined a moonlit landscape inhabited by creatures. I wondered how they would be living their life on such a night.”
“Creatures in the forest, rivers and mountains.”
“For the river, I drew mountain trout, my favorite fish at the time. I tried to convey the quiet sound they make as they jump in the moonlit river.”
“The inspiration for the deer was a lonely deer cry I heard coming from a forest while staying at a friend’s mountain cottage. This friend played the guitar and I remember how the cooing sound that the guitar made as his fingers ran over the strings mimicked that cry. The antlers of the deer I drew looked like trees and reminded me of the sound of woodpeckers I once heard in the mountains, so I perched a woodpecker on them.”
“It was Senjo that suggested the rock ptarmigan next, so I drew one with a striking pose. I think the lightning was a topic that often came up in our talks. As the full moon label sake is quite a special sake it was suggested that the moon appear on its own, so I went with that.”
Design: Waka Horigome; https://www.instagram.com/horigome_waka/
Reverberations from White Space and Omission
Each label design in the "On a Night Like This" series illustrates a scene from a Haiku. Comprising of 17 characters, Haiku is unique as the world's shortest poetry. To convey a message with 17 characters, word selection is key. It really is the art of omission. A well-written haiku is so sharp it stimulates the reader's imagination and inspires them. We wanted these label designs to do the same. Other than the moon and creatures, very little else is drawn, which leaves a lot of white space. We believe that by subtracting instead of adding, omissions and white space help convey a stronger impression to the drinker that stays with them for longer.
Individual Product Concepts and Flavor Profiles
On a Night Like This – Salamander - Junmai Ginjo
“Gazing at the moon, and salamanders do too, on a night like this”
The series began with this white label. The illustrations are salamanders. The sake is made with the Kinmon Nishiki variety of sake rice cultivated in Kijimadaira, the northmost part of Nagano Prefecture. Bitterness, acidity, sweetness has been balanced through maturation, which adds further depth, for the distinctive taste of a sake at its peak.
On a Night Like This - Mountain Trout - Junmai Ginjo
“Follows mountain trout, ripples in moonlit river, on a night like this”
The illustration on the black label is a mountain trout, a frequent visitor to Nagano’s rivers. The sake combines Nagano Prefecture’s representative sake rice Miyama Nishiki with Nagano yeast to create an intrinsic Nagano flavor profile: moderate acidity and a translucent sweetness reminiscent of Shinshu apples.
On a Night Like This – Deer (+woodpecker) - Tokubetsu Junmai
“a guitar string coos, from a forest a deer’s cry, on a night like this”
The illustration on the orange label is a deer’s antlers upon which perches a woodpecker. The sake itself has a bit of a tropical feel to match the orange color of the label. The sake is made with the rice variety Hitogokochi grown in Shinshu. It displays citrus aromas and a juicy sweetness. This matured pasteurized sake is perfect for warming up.
On a Night Like This - Rock Ptarmigan - Junmai
“A tranquil new moon, hues of a rock ptarmigan, on a night like this”
The rock ptarmigan has inhabited the alpine zone since the Ice Age and has been designated as a native bird of Nagano Prefecture. Protecting the endangered rock ptarmigan and its ecosystem is one of our management principles. This is a dry junmai with a rice taste that cuts through the clean umami like a thunderbolt...!
On a Night Like this - Full Moon - Junmai Daiginjo
“Raise a toast to it, the spectacular full moon, on a night like this”
A rising ginjo aroma and a lustrous body. This Junmai Daiginjo is the only one in the series not to feature a single living creature. The illustration is designed to make the drinker feel as though they are gazing up at the full moon and draw them into this magical moonlit world.