Tamanohikari Sake Brewery's '350X' Project, Challenging the World from Fushimi, Kyoto, Launches First Open Call for Co-creation Creators.

Tamanohikari Sake Brewery (Fushimi-ku, Kyoto), with over 350 years of history, and the creative collective Skeleton Crew Studio (Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto) have announced the first-ever open call for co-creation creators for Series 5 of their art sake project, '350X.' '350X' is a project that combines experimental sake brewed through test batches with the expressions of contemporary creators. By treating sake labels not just as packaging but as 'media to deliver artwork,' the project has collaborated with 24 creators from Japan and abroad. As the project enters its third year with Series 5, it is seeking new talent through an open call to foster fresh collaborations. The unique feature of 350X goes beyond label design; it involves designing different sake qualities and flavors for each series, challenging new expressions of sake through test brewing. Test brewing is a small-scale process where ingredients like rice, yeast, and koji, as well as fermentation temperatures and aging methods, are adjusted to explore new aromas and flavors. For the brewery, this is a crucial R&D process that explores the potential of new sake qualities while upholding tradition. 350X visualizes the personality of these test-brewed sakes along axes such as 'classic/stable' to 'novel/interesting' and 'light/crisp' to 'full-bodied/floral.' By aligning these flavor profiles with creators' expressions, each bottle creates a unique worldview. We expect the recruited creators to not only design labels but also to connect with the sake's flavor, the history of Tamanohikari, the land of Fushimi, and the feelings of those who pick up the sake, translating these into new expressions. 350X is a cross-boundary project of 'Tradition x Art x Sake' by Tamanohikari (founded in 1673) and Skeleton Crew Studio. It treats bottles as canvases, with different themes and creators for each series. It aims to deliver sake not just as something to drink, but as something to 'see, encounter, discuss, and expand.' To date, 24 creators, including artists, illustrators, designers, game creators, chefs, and calligraphers, have participated. The project is expanding its reach from Fushimi to universities, companies, events, and overseas pop-ups. For Series 5, scheduled for release this autumn, we are launching our first open call. We are looking for one creator for Series 5 and potential partners for future series. The application period is from June 1 to June 30, 2026. We welcome creators from all genres, including illustration, graphics, photography, art, games, video, characters, and fashion. Selected creators will receive 100,000 JPY (excluding tax) as support. Their work will be commercialized as the Series 5 label and featured in future series, on the web, social media, and at events. Tamanohikari is committed to creating new value for sake for the next 100 years, while Skeleton Crew Studio aims to create new forms of co-creation by connecting creators' expressions with society.