Product concepts 01

Japanese dining ritual is influenced greatly by their early belief, during the early days of Japan history their main religion is Shinto. Shinto is a religion in where practice (actions) and ritual, rather than words, are of the utmost importance. Shinto is characterised by the worship of nature associated with more abstract natural environments such as mountains, rivers, wind, waves, trees, rocks, and etc. This belief still influences on Japanese dining culture today. So Japanese begins their meal with the phrase itedakimasu (literally means, "Thank you nature for this meal"). This philosophy of religion adopted into designing a dining product to interpret and enhance the visual and functional aspects of Japanese dining cultures.

The sashimi plate engraved wave patterns to purposely contain a soy sauce and also represents the sea, where actually sashimi comes from. This effect may remind users about gratefulness for their nature environment visually.

Various Jap plates

Various shapes and functions of sashimi plates.

Rituals and traditions in Japan

History of Japanese eating customs and its rituals

Japanese cuisine has been shaped throughout the centuries by internal political and social influence along with outside influence especially from China, Korea and the Western Culture. Their dining customs especially transformed during the middle age of the Kamakura age.

Cultural and social significance

Japanese dining ritual has been around since the beginning of time and it’s culturally important as it shares its history with the founding of Japan as a culture and a country, and these rituals are shape by historical periods, people and religious and cultural beliefs. Japanese dining ritual is influenced greatly by their early belief, during the early days of Japan history their main religions are either Buddhism or Shinto’s. The religion Buddhism travels across from China and plays a major part in shaping Japanese eating rituals, its utensils (as Chopstick originated from China). Buddhists teaching frown upon meat eating, so in the early day Japanese society was influenced by the Buddhist monk, this Buddhist monk was perceived important by society at the time and was even powerful enough to influence the Shogun (land lords) to ban consuming meat for a specific period of time.

Design Inspiration 02

Designer's own words:

Where would Italian food culture be without the ancient olive groves? An homage to the stately tree, this stainless steel sculpture holds 50 olives. A much larger version, suitable for hotels and restaurants, could hold skewers of olives, prosciutto and mozzarella di bufala campana for a grande aperitivo. We hosted a modest aperitivo and watched how people engaged with the food and utensils provided. Toothpicks emerged as the essential ingredient that accompanies the constant human interaction which makes aperitivo an active, rather than a passive food ceremony, and lead to the inspiration for this design: picking olives from the tree.

Design Inspiration 01

'aperitivo table' designed by eon ju park

When we are invited to parties we often gather around a table to eat and discuss. but often, most square tables do not quite do the job. the 'aperitivo table' is a simple and stylish way in which to hold your food and drink. the table looks like a tree with branches of small circles which allow you to place and remove glasses with ease - the table itself appearing like a small party space decorated by colorful drinks and food.

Colored drinks

Glasses sit inside small circles which hold your drinks in place

Aerial view of the table with multiple circles to accommodate many party guests

Branches of the table are individually connected to the main stand

Aerial view of 'aperitivo table' containing drinks

Final concept

The e-projector is the device that projecting a text or video message that received via mobile phone or internet such as e-mail and social network sites. The e-projector deployed wireless system to receive a message from a network and transfer a data such as music or video file into device easily.