Tanuki RAW—Restaurant Branding & Interior

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According to Japanese folklore, a tanuki or Japanese racoon dog is mischievous, jolly and a master of disguise and shapeshifting.

Often seen as an auspicious figurine welcoming guests into Japanese watering holes, it became the natural mascot of choice for Tanuki RAW, a Japanese martini/sushi bar. Veering from the obvious, we kept the brand identity fairly minimal.

Illustrator Layhua added whimsical touches by reinterpreting the Tanuki mascot based on the likeness of actual restaurant staff. Keeping to the raw theme, we designed business cards and menus that were letterpressed onto 2mm greyboards. The interiors housing a former cafe were completely gutted out for a stripped down industrial look, complete with a massive concrete bar set in the middle of the 1,000 sq ft space.