Bridging Cultures Through Design: The Sushi Maru Brand Refresh
Japanese sushi continues to rapidly grow in popularity around the world. However, its introduction to new markets brings the challenges of balancing the traditions of Japanese cuisine with the expectations of regional audiences. How do brands navigate these questions while retaining a clear and intentional identity?
In Indonesia, where sushi has become widely accessible through localized interpretations, this question is particularly relevant. Sushi Maru, a restaurant with multiple locations across the country, saw an opportunity to differentiate themselves. Working with YL Projects, they refreshed their brand identity, aiming at strengthening their core values of quality and craftsmanship while elevating how they are expressed across the customer experience.
In this article, Katherine Fitzpatrick from YL Projects speaks with Stefanie Nathania, Marketing Manager for Sushi Maru, and Juri Ito, Brand Strategist and Project Manager at YL Projects to take a closer look at both the Indonesian and Japanese perspectives of the rebranding process and the challenges of bridging cultural contexts while retaining a brand’s core foundation.
Sushi Maru — Stefanie Nathania’s perspective:
Q. Can you tell me a little about yourself and your role at Sushi Maru?
Stefanie: I’m Stefanie Nathania, and I’ve spent several years working in the premium food and beverage industry. My role is the marketing manager for Sushi Maru under the Naili Group.
Q. What factors led to the decision to update the Sushi Maru brand?
Stefanie: Throughout the journey with Sushi Maru, I found that some of our purpose and objectives were sometimes misaligned, especially between the product and how we were communicating it.
As we continue to grow, and to mark our Jakarta expansion, we felt the need to be more grounded and more aligned with our philosophy. That’s why we initiated the brand refresh. We felt it was important to reconnect more clearly with our Japanese roots.
Because of that, we decided to work with a Japanese agency, which is why we chose YL Projects to partner with us on this project.
Q. Sushi and Japanese cuisine are becoming increasingly popular around the world. Can you tell me a little about the perceptions of sushi in Indonesia and how Sushi Maru fits in?
Stefanie: Initially in Indonesia, sushi was seen as a more premium offering. It was often associated with celebrities, business meetings, and higher-end dining, so it was mainly accessible to a more affluent audience.
Over time, as Japanese cuisine became more popular, sushi restaurants started to spread across Jakarta and other major cities. Now, you can find sushi in almost every popular district. But as it became more localized, many places began adapting it to Indonesian tastes by adding stronger flavors and spices. This was also partly due to the difficulty of sourcing high-quality Japanese fish, so many restaurants rely more on seasoning than on the ingredients themselves.
For us, that gap felt like an opportunity. Instead of adding more flavor, we chose to focus on the quality of the ingredients. We source fish directly from Japan and have it air flown in weekly, making sure it’s handled properly and served as fresh as possible. Our goal is to let the quality speak for itself, and to offer an experience that’s closer to how sushi is enjoyed in Japan.
Q. Could you tell me about the branding process and if there were any parts you found particularly helpful?
Stefanie: For us, the most valuable part of the process was the research, including the workshops. It was also the most challenging, because it took the longest and came before any visual direction was created. We spent a lot of time trying to understand Japanese craftsmanship, studying the cultural differences between Japan and Indonesia, and exploring how Sushi Maru is perceived from the outside.
That process gave us a lot of clarity. During our workshops, we uncovered insights with YL that helped us better articulate values we had already been practicing, but had never formally defined or communicated. Because of that, we were able to shape a brand voice that felt much more intentional, rather than something purely practical or decorative.
For us, the research and the brand voice weren’t just about changing visual elements, but was really about defining our identity. We wanted that identity to exist not only in the physical restaurant, but across the entire brand experience.
Q. Was it difficult making the decision on that final direction?
Stefanie: We really liked the first draft of the logo, so the process was just about refining it from there. It wasn’t just about what was presented to us externally, we also had to step back and ask ourselves if each direction was objective, and whether it would still connect with our existing market. That was something we didn’t want to lose.
We always saw this as a refresh rather than a full rebrand, because we didn’t want to change our core, we wanted to reshape it. And with any major brand decision, that requires a strong sense of conviction.
We received a lot of strong and valuable input from YL regarding the Japanese point of view that we applied back to our core perspective, which is simplicity. We consistently referred back to our key pillars to make sure things didn’t become too abstract or drift too far from who we are.
Q. I see that you have been using the new design assets in your Chinese New Year campaigns, how have the reactions to the brand refresh been?
Stefanie: From our customers’ point of view, the feedback has been really positive. People have been very supportive of what we’ve been doing, and they’ve responded well to how Sushi Maru has evolved. They especially notice how the refresh comes through not just in the visuals, but in the campaigns, the atmosphere, and the overall feel of the space.
A lot of people have mentioned that the new identity feels more mature and cohesive. The visual updates now better reflect the quality of the food and the overall dining experience, so everything feels more aligned.
Internally, it’s also strengthened our team’s sense of pride. The brand now feels more connected across every touchpoint, from the kitchen to the table to the full customer experience. That sense of alignment is probably one of the most meaningful outcomes of the rebrand, and something we’re really happy to see come through.
YL Projects — Juri Ito’s perspective:
Q. Can you tell me a bit about yourself and your role in this project?
Juri: My name is Juri Ito, and I’m a Brand Strategist and Account Manager at YL. I oversaw the communication and project management for the Sushi Maru project.
Q: How did you approach expressing Japanese culture in a way that felt authentic to Sushi Maru?
Juri: Sushi Maru wanted to create a brand that felt more rooted in Japanese culture, but I think one of the biggest challenges wasn’t creating a sense of authenticity — it was defining what already made Sushi Maru distinctive. As we worked to define that, one of the strongest insights that came out of the research was their commitment to craft and operations. For example, they train chefs in Japan, and they ship fish twice a week from Toyosu. They also have the logistical systems in place to properly store and maintain freshness throughout the process.
It was that level of care and commitment that became one of the clearest expressions of the brand’s identity. It became less about adding something new, and more about how we could bring that existing commitment to the forefront.
Q: Were there any challenges when developing the refreshed brand identity?
Juri: I think we were actually able to define things quite quickly in words. Their uniqueness as a brand and their story weren’t fully articulated at the beginning, but we could already see what stood out. From early on, it was clear that their strength was in their logistics system and their level of dedication, so we knew the story would be built around that.
The bigger challenge was translating those ideas into something visual. We needed to express that story in a way that avoided stereotypical visual cues, while still conveying the sense of craftsmanship, care, and precision that felt central to the brand. It also needed to feel approachable for an Indonesian audience without losing that underlying sensibility.
During the workshops, we realized that the story behind the brand’s name already captured much of Sushi Maru’s essence. In Japan, ships often carry the suffix “maru,” meaning circle, that symbolizes a complete round trip and safe journeys. That symbolism became part of the brand identity through the subtle silhouette of a front-facing ship embedded within the logo.
The angular lines represent precision, linking back to the extensive logistics network Sushi Maru employs to deliver uncompromisingly fresh fish. The semi circles below are reminiscent of the sun rising from the horizon as seen from a ship’s deck, symbolizing the brand’s connection with Japan. Each element was designed to visually connect back to Sushi Maru’s values in a subtle and intentional way.
Q: How did you approach finding a balance between Japanese aesthetic and Indonesian cultural context?
Juri: For me, as a Japanese person, that was an interesting process. Different cultures interpret visuals in very different ways. Indonesia tends to lean more toward a pop sensibility, and their perception of Japan can also differ from how we see it ourselves.
Our designer Haruka did a great job navigating that. She explored a wide range of design directions, even introducing subtle variations, so the team had more to react to and reference. I remember there was one particular reference they kept coming back to, even though it was just an initial example, and that helped us better understand what resonated with them and refine the direction from there.
Q: Can you give me an example of a Japanese element that helped inform the final brand experience?
Juri: We drew from traditional Japanese aizome color palettes throughout the project, exploring different shades of indigo to find one that best reflected Sushi Maru’s sense of craftsmanship and precision. The final tone, kachigaeshi, resonated not only visually, but also symbolically; a deep indigo historically associated with refinement and enduring strength.
Also, one small detail from Japanese dining culture that we incorporated into the project was the placement of chopsticks at the table. In Japan, chopsticks are traditionally placed horizontally, creating a boundary between a person and their food, a sacred gift from nature. It creates a sense of respect, separating the everyday from the meal itself. When we designed the chopstick holder, we wanted to carry that idea into the experience in a natural way by adopting the same horizontal orientation.
Q: Having already explored the world of sushi through the Nihonbashi Kawaguchi branding project, were there any insights gained there that also informed the direction of this rebrand?
Juri: Yeah, I think one of the biggest takeaways from Nihonbashi Kawaguchi was really experiencing the depth and variety within sushi, especially on the high-end side. It gave me a deeper appreciation for the level of dedication sushi chefs go through, from their training to the way they carry and protect the culture. There’s a strong sense of respect and responsibility in that world, balancing tradition while still allowing for evolution.
That perspective is quite different from the Indonesian context, so it helped me understand that there are many ways people experience sushi and food more broadly. At the same time, we weren’t trying to position Sushi Maru as “real” or traditional Japanese sushi in a strict sense. Having experienced Edomae sushi ourselves, we knew that wasn’t necessarily the goal.
Instead, the focus was more on the underlying values, the commitment to quality, sourcing fresh fish, and the discipline behind the craft. Those were the elements we felt were important to bring into the brand, rather than trying to replicate a specific style of sushi. In the end, the goal was to express the spirit behind that dedication in a way that felt authentic to Sushi Maru’s own context and audience.
As Sushi Maru’s refresh demonstrates, balancing two cultures within a single brand identity is rarely a straightforward process. Efforts to localize Japanese culture can easily fall into stereotypes or lose sight of authenticity altogether. What ultimately gives a cross-cultural brand depth and credibility is not surface-level aesthetics, but a clear understanding of its core values and story.
Brand Strategist, Project Manager: Juri Ito
Designer: Haruka Kojima
Creative Director: Yoichiro Tamada
Interview by: Katherine Fitzpatrick
