Supplying 80 Vintage Japanese Sake Bottles to The Ritz-Carlton Aruba

Supplying 80 Vintage Sake Bottles to The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba

Earlier this year, a design firm reached out about a new Japanese restaurant inside The Ritz-Carlton in Aruba. They wanted a feature wall filled with illuminated niches—and asked if I could source 80 authentic Japanese sake bottles to fill it.

The brief was very specific: each bottle had to be no more than 14 cm wide, at least 17 cm tall, and no taller than 24 cm. Anyone who handles older sake bottles knows that’s a tough set of proportions—taller bottles are usually wider—so finding pieces that fit those dimensions and still looked good together took some digging.

Finding the right mix

I started with a group of antique sake-shop bottles with hand-brushed kanji— the reusable kind shops kept on hand for customers. They have a quiet, workaday beauty.

Lineup of blue-and-white and calligraphy sake bottles — Blue-and-white pieces alongside classic calligraphy bottles.

Row of kanji-marked antique sake bottles in various tones — Finding bottles tall enough yet under 14 cm wide took a lot of measuring.

Group of slip-decorated and painted antique sake bottles — A few slip-decorated and painted pieces that fit the brief.

Six antique sake-shop bottles with hand-brushed kanji — Reusable shop bottles—kanji brushed in iron underglaze.

The designers liked them but were hoping for a little more color and variation. So I went back through my sources and found a series of Kutani-yaki bottles—more decorative, with vivid enamel and gold accents that catch the light beautifully. They were harder to find and a bit more expensive, but once I showed them, the client immediately loved them.

Kutani pair with white peonies and soft gold ground — Peonies on soft gold—subtle yet luminous under light.

Kutani pair with ox-drawn court carriage and gilt rims — Heian carriage motif with fine gilt detail work.

Tall Kutani pair with butterflies, florals, and geometric necks — Butterflies and late-Meiji floral design—colorful and balanced.

Brick-red Kutani pair with landscape panels and scholars — Brick-red enamel with hand-painted scholar scenes.

In the end, the final order included 40 Kutani bottles and 40 of the original antique kanji bottles—a mix that balanced classic simplicity with color and warmth.

Packing and the trip to Aruba

Japan Post EMS doesn’t service Aruba, so I shipped via DHL Express. Getting 80 fragile bottles protected while keeping the boxes compact was a real challenge. Each bottle was carefully sectioned with foam dividers to minimize movement. This package had three layers with packing peanuts filling in all the spaces to keep the bottles safe.

Cardboard shipping box with sake bottles neatly arranged in dividers — One of the boxes ready to go—each bottle carefully packed for its long trip to Aruba.

After several days of careful packing, everything went out safely in three cartons. Then came the hardest part—waiting. It took about a week of nervous tracking before I finally got word that they had arrived safely.

The finished display

A few days later, these photos came in from the designer. Seeing the bottles glowing in their new home made the whole effort worth it—the quiet kanji bottles and the colorful Kutani pieces balance each other perfectly on the wall.

Wide view of the sushi counter with illuminated sake-bottle wall at The Ritz-Carlton Aruba — The display wall at The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba—warm light, clean lines, and a lot of history behind the glass.

Closer view of illuminated niches filled with vintage sake bottles — A closer view—antique kanji beside colorful Kutani, glowing together.

Projects like this are why we love what we do: old Japanese bottles finding a second life half a world away.

At Chidori Vintage, we collaborate with restaurants, hotels, and designers who want to bring a touch of Japan’s craft and history into their spaces. Each project is unique, and we enjoy helping find pieces that carry the right feeling and story. If you’re planning an interior project or looking for authentic Japanese antiques, feel free to reach out through the contact page.

Related topics: Kutani ware, Japanese ceramics, hotel design, vintage Japan

Tags: Antique Sake Bottles Chidori Projects Hotel Installations Japanese Ceramics Japanese Design