SAPPORO EAST x WEST – Steven Tiao

Sapporo is a city where East meets West in the most literal sense, especially within its vibrant nightlife. The influence of Western culture is baked directly into the language of the bar scene through Gairaigo—English loanwords seamlessly adapted into the Japanese lexicon. From the Rokkunrōru (Rock N' Roll) pulsing through the speakers to the very atmosphere of the local izakaya, these phonetic cousins create a linguistic bridge that makes a night out in Japan feel instantly familiar.

The coasters celebrate this overlap by highlighting the shared vocabulary of a good time on a double-sided format. One side features the English term, while the flip side reveals its Japanese equivalent in bold Katakana, showing how a Beer becomes a Bīru and a Hamburger becomes a Hambāgu. By turning a functional bar accessory into a subtle language lesson, the design proves that even at the bottom of a glass, East meets West.