Designing packages of Tokyo Peppermint and Yokohama Peach by Miki Pon

My name is Miki.

I was born and raised in Japan. I studied in the UK when I was in 20s and moved to the USA about 10 years ago.

Though I had my degree in Japan, I decided to study Graphic Design after I moved to the USA at Portland State University.

Now I am working at Dream of Japan full time as Chief Branding Officer.

The most fun part of this design process was experimenting with different versions and watching the concept evolve.

Each new inspiration led me to take the design in a slightly different direction, which made the journey both creative and rewarding.

I was also fortunate to be guided by my senpai (先輩) designer, Lloyd—I'm truly grateful to him for pushing me in the right direction and helping shape the final result.

You can see how the design progressed below:

Well, when people in the U.S. think of Japanese green tea, they often imagine a very traditional, classic image of Japan—like samurais and temples. But I wanted to express something different: modern Japan.

Modern Japan isn’t just about anime or pop culture—it’s also stylish, thoughtful, and real. That’s what I wanted to capture. A blend of the Japan we know today—vibrant, fashionable, and full of subtle stories—not a stereotypical or “fake” version of Japan.

Also, I really love drawing girls, and I care a lot about their fashion. In the package designs, you’ll see the girls on the Yokohama Peach and the Tokyo Peppermint. I paid special attention to what they’re wearing because I wanted them to reflect the look and feel of today’s Japanese youth.

I also hoped each design would spark a little imagination.

I wanted the viewer to imagine a story by looking at the pictures.

The girl looking out a window in Yokohama, the girl standing near Tokyo Tower—what are they thinking about? Where are they going?

I believe good art has the power to make people pause—and in that moment, it opens up a world of imagination. I hope these package designs can do just that, sparking little stories in each viewer’s mind and becoming a part of their world in a meaningful way.

We actually started with the names first—Tokyo Peppermint and Yokohama Peach. Unique, right? The teas themselves aren’t from Tokyo or Yokohama, but we intentionally chose those names to evoke a sense of modern, urban Japan. We wanted the packaging to feel fresh, stylish, and a bit posh—something that reflects the energy of these cities today.

When people in the U.S. think of Japanese green tea, many still imagine the classic image of Japan—like samurais, temples, and tradition. But we didn’t want to follow that path. Based on what we learned from our surveys, we know that more and more millennials are enjoying our teas. And since this particular tea is a sweeter variety, we wanted the design to resonate with a younger generation—those who are trend-sensitive, art-loving, and drawn to what’s new and different.

That’s why I designed the package with a modern aesthetic. The Tokyo Peppermint especially is meant to feel innovative—a new kind of green tea that feels contemporary, both in flavor and in visual style.

Personally, I’ve always been inspired by KYNE-san’s artwork. I love drawing, and I wanted to channel that love into a design that feels cute, stylish, and unmistakably modern Japanese. The girl on the Yokohama Peach and the boy on the Tokyo Peppermint aren’t just characters—they’re symbols of this new wave of tea culture. They’re for people who care about design, fashion, and creativity, and who are open to a fresh take on Japanese tradition.

This design isn’t about nostalgia—it’s about reimagining Japan in a way that speaks to now.

I aimed to create a design that feels modern while still honoring Japanese culture—a balance that’s surprisingly difficult to achieve.

Previously, I designed the piece below for Japanese Coffee Co., which received a lot of positive feedback.

That experience inspired me to use the girl in the bottom right as the foundation for this new design.

As you might guess, I’ve been deeply influenced by KYNE—and you’d be absolutely right.

I wanted to explore my own interpretation of the modern Japanese aesthetic she helped define.

As you may know, I designed all the packaging for Japanese Green Tea Co., and more recently, we completed the full line of packaging for Japanese Coffee Co.

Packaging design is about so much more than just how it looks. It involves working closely with vendors who can turn those designs into physical reality—and surprisingly, there are so many constraints behind the scenes.

For example, the Benifuki Candy design was limited to using just one color. Still, I wanted to create a sense of depth and gradation, so I drew inspiration from manga screentones (スクリーントーン) I used to play with as a kid. That’s how I was able to give the illusion of gradation without using more than one color.

Every package came with its own set of challenges, but each one brought a deep sense of accomplishment once completed. I’m incredibly grateful to all the vendors who made these designs possible—they listened to so many of my waganama (わがまま　selfish requests!) with such patience and care.

Each package you see is a result of that collaboration and craftsmanship. I truly can’t thank them enough for helping bring these designs to life.

We feel so fortunate to have engaged and thoughtful customers and followers.

As mentioned above, ideas to create tea like Tokyo Peppermint and Yokohama Peach came directly from surveys we conducted.

If you’ve been following us, you know we often invite our customers to help guide our process—and we’re incredibly grateful to everyone who’s shared their honest opinions. (If you haven’t yet, please consider joining the Green Tea Club here to be part of the journey!)

Our evolution as a brand has been shaped by listening closely to our community, and we truly can’t thank you enough.

Here are some stories (blog articles) that journal the packaging design contest we hosted earlier—another moment made special by your input.

A lot of my inspiration comes from the artists I admire—like Ryan Bubnis (He drew the images on the walls of PDX, in case you don't know him) and KYNE. But honestly, it’s everywhere. I might be walking down the street and suddenly notice a piece of street art, a cool sign, or even just an interesting color combination on a random object. I take a quick photo and save it into my “Inspiration” folder on my phone, so I can revisit it later when I’m working on a design.

Inspiration often comes from everyday life. I’m always looking—even without realizing it. My mind is kind of set to “art mode” all the time. Whether it’s the shape of a fridge or the way someone stacks boxes, I’m always thinking, “How could this fit into a design?” or “How would these colors work together?”

I guess you could say I have an artistic mind—whether that’s a good thing or not, I don’t know! But I care deeply about visual details, and I think that natural curiosity and love for art are what keep me inspired every day.

Cat!

I absolutely love drawing cats—especially our cat Blu, who always looks mad no matter how much love we give her.

She’s got this permanent grumpy face that’s just too fun to capture. Her obsession with chuuru (チュール) is next level.

Even though the vet told us to cut back, she’s still mad she can’t have more snacks. Blu’s moodiness and sass make her the perfect (and hilarious) muse for my favorite work.

Here are some of my cat drawings : )

The last one, you can see, was also base idea for the Yokohama Peach package.

Motion graphics!

I absolutely love working on them—I completely lose track of time when I’m creating. Honestly, I could spend the whole day doing motion graphics… but I’ve got other responsibilities too, and Kei won’t let me get away with that 😅

Here are some of my past motion graphic works.

Thanks to Gwen, our amazing wholesale rep, and the growing demand from wholesale customers, I’ve recently started working on custom package design projects for other companies.

In case you didn’t know—we offer private label and custom package design services to our wholesale customers. (Click here if you're interested!)

I’d love to continue helping more customers who appreciate my design work by creating packaging that truly reflects their brand.

My hope is that these designs will become lasting parts of their business journey, supporting them for years to come.

You can visit my site at mikipin.com—I’ve shared some of my work there.

And please follow me on Instagram at @miki.pon!