ethics @microsoft • prev @brownuniversity @google @statedept
Just celebrating its 115th anniversary,
Maneki, Seattle’s oldest Japanese restaurant has endured history. With its deep roots, I wanted to do a brand identity design for Maneki.
Maneki’s History
“Maneki is in my dreams. It is with me when I’m awake…Maneki has always been maneki. Maneki is my life.”
Maneki opened in 1904 and was ransacked and vandalized during WWll. For many Japanese Americans, especially during internment, Maneki was comfort food, what you’d come home to at your grandmother’s. I wanted to rebrand for Maneki especially because of its rich history and resilience. Maneki-neko represents the infamous waving cat, where “Maneki” means to welcome, or to invite.
