TOYO KOBANASHI

繁華街の裏手に灯る、笑いの余熱

大阪・難波の旧新歌舞伎座跡地の裏手に位置する「炉端屋さん 東洋小噺」は、鮮魚と炉ばた焼きを提供する新業態の飲食店です。ミナミの中心というにぎやかな立地に対し、デザインでは“火を囲んで広がっていく笑い”をモチーフに、にぎやかさの中に温かさを感じさせるビジュアルを意識しました。ロゴは「葉」と「葉」で構成した「笑葉（わらは）」マーク。笑い声が枝分かれするように人から人へと伝わる様子を抽象的に表現しています。重なり合う葉のラインには、路地のうねりや人の気配、談笑の余韻を込めています。ファサードは、落ち着きや控えめさではなく、まちの中でふっと目を引く“勢い”や“熱量”を意識して設計。電飾やシンボルマークの配置、暖簾や照明のトーンなど、視認性と記憶性を両立させながら、“なんだか気になる店”としての存在感を持たせました。炉の余熱のように、あたたかく、熱く。この街で長く愛され、語られていくような存在となることを願ってデザインしました。

TOYO KOBANASHI – Branding Design (Logo & Facade)

Located behind the former site of the Shin-Kabukiza Theater in Osaka’s bustling Namba district, Toyo Kobanashi is a new-style robatayaki restaurant offering fresh seafood and flame-grilled fare. In the heart of “Minami,” one of Osaka’s two major entertainment districts, the location is alive with restaurants and commercial facilities, drawing locals, tourists, and international visitors alike.

We were responsible for the logo and facade design.
Upon hearing the initial concept, the image that came to mind was a pitch-black space where someone quietly starts laughing, then another joins in, and soon the circle of laughter grows, gradually filling the air with warm, vibrant chatter. Without even seeing their faces, you can sense the gathering of voices and the intimacy of shared time around the fire. That atmosphere was something we sought to capture visually.

The logo, named Waraha (a coined word combining “laughter” and “leaf”), consists of two leaves positioned side by side, symbolizing how laughter branches out and spreads from one person to another. The overlapping forms hint at winding alleyways in the city and the gentle rhythms of conversation. The overall design is classical with a touch of emotional warmth—aiming to leave a subtle yet lasting impression, like a softly glowing ember in a busy street.

We approached the project with the hope that Toyo Kobanashi would become a place loved for years to come—warm and spirited, like the lingering heat of a fire.