Itadakimasu Noodles
The Challenge
Design a culturally inspired packaging for a food product that not only reflects its origin and traditions but also appeals to modern consumers through thoughtful branding, storytelling, and cohesive visual identity across three product variants. The target audience for this line of noodles is people who crave traditional Japanese comfort food, as well as those who want to expand their palette and discover Japanese cuisine. The three varieties of noodles I chose were udon, soba, and somen.
Design Brief
The goal of Itadakimasu Noodles is to transform a simple meal into a mindful cultural experience. The name comes from the Japanese phrase “Itadakimasu,” meaning “I humbly receive,” and is spoken before meals to express gratitude. This brand celebrates that spirit by creating packaging that feels intentional, respectful, and rooted in Japanese tradition while maintaining a clean, modern aesthetic.
Unlike typical noodle packaging that uses plastic and minimal storytelling, Itadakimasu focuses on sustainability and cultural depth. The design uses recyclable materials, reusable utensils, and minimalist typography to communicate respect and gratitude while staying visually refined.
I brainstormed multiple brand names and logo types before I landed on itadakimasu noodles.
Initial Logo Sketches
Final Logo Iterations
I ended up going with the name Itadakimasu Noodles because the phrase “itadakimasu“ is usually said before eating in Japan and means “I humbly receive.” This resonated with me because I feel like it is a recognizable saying to represent Japanese culture respectfully.
Dielines
I designed my dieline from scratch, knowing I wanted to create a slide box mechanism. I also incorporated a sustainable aspect by including reusable chopsticks with each package. I also include unique cooking instructions inside each box, along with chopstick etiquette.
Secondary Packaging Design
When designing my color palette and design, I knew I wanted to incorporate gold to represent Buddhism in Japanese culture, as gold is heavily associated with Buddhism and was used in the past to symbolize enlightenment, divinity, and the power of gods.
I decided on red, blue, and green as the primary colors for each package because in Japan, red is usually seen to stimulate the appetite and add warmth to the meal. While green and blue are seen as refreshing or calming sensations and represent freshness
Mockups & Applications
Recipe Cards
I created a different traditional noodle recipe for each type of noodle. I created mock-up recipe cards to be sold alongside each pack of noodles.
Noodle Bowl + Chopstick Set
I created a noodle bowl set with custom chopsticks to be
sold separately from the noodles. I tried to capture the
brand aesthetic by incorporating patterns inspired by Japanese textiles.
This bento box was created to incorporate ideas of sustainability that I tried to include in the brand.
It could be used to keep your noodles or anything
you desire.
Bento Box
Restaurant & Foodtruck
I expanded my brand by creating a mockup of a restaurant and a food truck. I decided to keep the red and black color palette to maintain an appetizing, classy aesthetic.
