The Reflections of cultural aspects on packaging design and an analysis on japanese packaging design

Since his existence, a human being has always been in need of communication, and provided this need by assorted methods. Communication is one of the main frames of culture that creates the diversity within nations, so within cultures, and in general means, design is a part of this communication, which presents the different approaches of cultures. Packages today, are design products, and they reflect the diversity of life styles and preferences. Globalization has added new values to our lives and even modified the way of contemplations. Therefore, the application of packaging has become ubiquitous throughout the world. Since we know that every package contains the cultural values of the society in which it has been designed , Japanese culture is chosen to be analyzed as a case study for this research, for both being dedicated to the traditional values and being successful to merge Western perspective by implying the contemporary production techniques and material. As a result, Japan created a synthesis of East and West. The distinctive food products of this country that had been produced because of the climatical and geographical features have become well-known and are consumed by other nations as a result of globalization and international trade. Which are also, the packages of the traditional products chosen to be analyzed in this study, although consumed world wide, reflect the Japanese values and culture in both graphic and structural means, and became the distinctive exemplars of the reflections of cultural aspects on packaging design, which is also aimed to give a perspective for our culture and its packaging design products.