d+a | Issue 122 • 2021

/ DINE / 84 PINK AND RED DOMINATE THIS JAPANESE CAFÉ, WHICH BOASTS A DESIGN BY TRANSIT BRANDING STUDIO INSPIRED BY KOJI PRODUCTION. WARM TO THIS LOOK WORDS SASHA GONZALES / PHOTOGRAPHY HITOMI MATSUNO / TRANSIT BRANDING STUDIO O ften called Japan’s “national fungus”, koji has been used in traditional Japanese cuisine for centuries. Made from cooked rice that has been inoculated with a mould called Aspergillus oryzae and then left to ferment for two days at 32 to 42 deg C, this fermentation starter is commonly used in the production of alcoholic beverages like sake and shochu and Japanese condiments such as miso , mirin and shoyu. Uonuma Jozo is one of Japan’s most well-known koji makers, with a factory in Uonuma, in Niigata Prefecture in northern Japan. The company also operates Koji Saryo Produced by Uonuma Jozo, a café in the Mie Prefecture that serves amazake, a sweet fermented koji drink, among other koji products. When he was approached to come up with a look for the café, Japanese designer Atsushi Suzuki from Transit Branding Studio drew inspiration from the “warmth” generated by the koji -making process. BLUSH TONES “During koji production, heat is released as microorganisms feed on the organic 01. The colours in the cafe change according to the viewing angle and how much natural light is present.