The Goto family has worked with me for a few years and several projects as their family business grew from a traditional Sushi Restaurant to a wide range of gastronomic proposals for a young generation that loves Japanese culture and food in Paraguay.

One of those incredible projects took me on a journey to the past and the historical richness of Japanese roots on Paraguayan land. That journey showed me incredible stories around an exodus that became a new start for thousands of families during pre-war period.

Paraguay has been a key destination for Japanese people after Brazilian lands (the main destination for those travelers in South America) went short. This particular scenario transformed a small corner of the country into a colony called La Colmena (Spanish for "hive") or Haibu, as they called the new land. The Goto family, against all odds, took an incredible journey across the globe and became one of the first migrants to settle in and helped build the very foundations of a thriving community forged with hard work and evergreen hope.

A powerful concept to symbolize the hope and strength to start over.

We started crafting a brand with a modern look and a strong personality. Combining the seductive curves of US Blaack and the rebel stability of Activist.

Color was inspired by vintage Japanese art and modern illustration.

As the brief started with "we want a symbol for us migrants as a distinctive of the brand" we studied different animals, but there was nothing more impacting than the crane.

These mystical migratory birds are one of the holy creatures in Japanese culture and symbolize good fortune and longevity because of their fabled life span of a thousand years. And more importantly, a crane in flight means a divine vision of good things to come.

So, with the first variety brewed, a super fresh Hoppy Lager took the name of the most important year of Japanese migration: 1936.

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