Every Friday, we feature a one-on-one Q&A with Japas, our resident curators: Maíra Kimura, Yumi Shimada, and Fernanda Ueno—founders of Japas Cervejaria. They will share their personal reflections on culture, travel, and the everyday moments including their connection to Japan.
Q: How does travel feed your creativity or work?
Maíra: Travel feeds my creativity by pulling me out of routine and putting me in a state of full observation. I pay attention to colors, textures, flavors, smells, everything becomes input. Especially as someone who creates beers, traveling gives me a whole new library of ingredients, stories, and cultural layers to explore and transform into something unique.
Yumi: Traveling is absolutely essential for creativity because first you need to rest your mind. You can’t produce good work or any kind of art without rest. Interestingly, when you're well-rested, you become more attentive to details and can bring your imagination to life through what you see, feel, and experience. Every type of lived experience will stay with you as inspiration. Inspiration comes from "to breathe" and breathing requires calm, which creates space for creativity.
Fernanda: Travel is a huge source of inspiration for me, both personally and professionally. Every trip brings new experiences, new flavors, and new perspectives that end up influencing our creative process. We’re really passionate about food, so we always make a point of exploring local restaurants, markets, and ingredients wherever we go. It’s not just about beer, we also draw a lot of inspiration from other brands across different industries, whether it’s through design, art storytelling, or the way they connect with their audience. Traveling allows us to meet new things up close, the colors, the textures, the smells, and that sensory experience stays with us. It helps us think differently, experiment more, and stay curious. Sometimes, a single meal or a small detail in a package design can spark an idea that turns into something much bigger later on.