HIIRO SEED by HITACHINO HK BREWERY

Hitachino Nest is a hero in the world of craft beer. This iconic Japanese brewery recently opened a Hong Kong brewery, where its heritage of brewing could meet local flavours. We were lucky to be involved in the naming of this new venture.

To create the name, we wanted to look at how we could keep the theme of code-mixing (using Japanese and English words together) and capture the same ‘natural’ feeling of Hitachino Nest.

The location of the brewery in Fo Tan is a place rich with history. We were instantly inspired by the red cotton trees that lined the nearby canals—like Hitachino Nest, they’re not native to Hong Kong, but are an exotic addition to the city that have become part of the environment. Working with the team here, we explored phrases and symbolism that transcended both Japanese and Hong Kong culture to arrive at the final name: HIIRO SEED, or red seed—the start of something new, fresh and perennial, all at once.

The team at Kith & Kin created the striking design, which echoes traditional Japanese woodblock printing and works beautifully alongside the existing look and feel of the Hitachino Nest brand.

Here’s the big reveal at Beertopia HK last year, with Cruz and James from the HIIRO SEED team.