What are the opening hours?

Monday 09:00 - 17:00 Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00 Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00 Thursday 09:00 - 17:00 Friday 09:00 - 16:00 Saturday 09:00 - 15:00

WAZA Japan

WAZA is a Cape Town-based company specialising in the import, distribution and sale of quality Japanese goods to the South African market.

Specialist importer of Japanese goods for retail and wholesale, with a shop in the heart of Cape Town. 17+ years of Japan travel experience and staff in Cape Town and Tokyo, we source quality Japanese goods for individuals or businesses. The WAZA approach is to carefully source beautifully designed and durable items for everyday use by individuals, or businesses. WAZA also offers custom Japan trav

el advice and itineraries to first-time or regular Japan visitors. WAZA Japan Store is our shop in the heart of Cape Town. It offers products for sale, green tea, a tatami seating area and Japanese themed workshops and events. WAZA, through its wide network of Japanese associates, sources custom products for restaurants, makers, hospitality businesses and Japanophiles.

05/06/2026

Welcome to our "store of delightful little surprises", as a customer recently called it. Find us at 201 Bree Street, where you can shop for Japanese gifts, attend our workshops and events, book Japan travel consultations, or enquire about bespoke Japanese elements for your workplace or home...

26/05/2026

Our WAZA & Friends trip to Tōhoku and Hokkaido has ended and we are busy sorting through memories and photos. Here are a few first impressions. The focus of this visit was to go north during green spring, where the pace is slower and the temperatures milder. We used shinkansen, local trains, buses and rental cars to explore the histories of the north - from the ancient Jōmon people to the more recent post-Meiji changes. We sampled rice, fresh seafood and Hokkaido dairy. We saw art, walked when we could, soaked in onsen and explored local craftsmanship. We were served kaiseki and visited izakaya with the post-work office crowd. Thanks to the group of WAZA friends who made it very special! 🗾⛩️🍣🍙🚄🚙..

13/05/2026

Our two days in Sendai and surrounds mixed history, culture, architecture, good seafood and urban exploration. A city built upon the vision of Date Masamune, it is lush and green and walkable. The nearby towns of Shiogama and Matsushima offer shrines and temples steeped in history. We now move further north to Aomori and the northern tip of Tohoku...

09/05/2026

Our accommodation in Tokyo is a stone's throw away from the Sh*taya Shrine Grand Festival. It is held annually and one of the oldest in the city, at a shrine founded in 730 AD on what is now Ueno Park.
Its two deities are Ōtoshi no Kami (god of the harvest and industry) and Yamato Takeru (the legendary warrior prince). The shrine itself is Tokyo's oldest Inari foundation, which is why the surrounding neighbourhood has been known as Inari-chō for centuries.
We watched the Saturday neighbourhood processions, in which different mikoshi representing the local communities moved through the streets. This is followed on the next day by the grand combined procession, which, in even-numbered years also includes the main shrine's mikoshi. That main mikoshi was made in 1926 by Goto Naomitsu of Gyotoku, the craftsmen's district east of Tokyo historically renowned for mikoshi construction. The streets are alive with food stalls which trade late into the evening.
May is early for such a parade, and the festival is widely regarded as the first summer matsuri of the Tokyo sh*tamachi calendar, hence the local saying: "Edo's festivals begin at Sh*taya."...

01/04/2026

April 1st. In Japan, today is shin-seikatsu - literally, new life. It marks the start of the academic and fiscal year, when students and employees alike begin a new phase. For students in particular, it is shigatsu debyuu - the April Debut, a chance to reinvent yourself before anyone decides who you are...
April also marks a new series of events at WAZA Japan Store, starting with two free talks this week.

- 2 April at 18:30 - Join WAZA co-founder Botha for a reflection on Japanese craftsmanship and some practical Japan travel advice.

- 4 April at 11:00 — Bonsai Myths Revealed. Carl Morrow traces the history of bonsai and challenges some persistent misperceptions. The first in a series of bonsai events at WAZA.

To register your free spot, go to Japan › Events on our website - link in bio...

12/02/2026

Join our Japanese Tea Tasting on Saturday 14 February at 11:00. It is an informal session where we share some background on tea cultivation and preparation methods, show pictures from our visits to suppliers, and taste different types of Japanese tea, paired with sweets from . Book your spot via our website under Japan > Events...
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Images by &

20/01/2026

Join us on 5 Feb (18:30) or 7 Feb (11:00) for a photo talk by , who will be sharing stories and photos from our WAZA & Friends trip to Japan in 2025. The talk is free and guests will receive complimentary green tea. This is the first of an exciting lineup of events for February. We recommend you reserve your spot via wazashop.co.za as we will give preference to those on the guest list. New events to be added soon! 🗾⛩️..

16/01/2026

We hope your 2026 got off to a great start! Visit us at 201 Bree Street in Cape Town for a small slice of Japan in South Africa. Open Mondays to Saturdays...

01/01/2026

Happy New Year 2026! May it be a wonderful and prosperous year for all. For our annual New Year's Eve meal we took some inspiration from Japanese New Year's foods - osechi ryori - and added a few personal favourites. 🍚🍱🍥..
Our dishes included cold soba noodles with homemade mentsuyu (dipping sauce), ika shoga yaki (ginger grilled squid), kuri pumpkin, simmered marinated shrimp, pickled red turnips, lotus root, datemaki (sweet rolled omelette) and of course, some celebratory sake...
New year's foods in Japan are rich in symbolism, with each dish representing a wish for good health, prosperity, or good fortune in the new year. Some examples are:
- Toshikoshi soba eaten on New Year's Eve are long to symbolize a long life, yet can be cut easily to cut away past misfortunes.
- Ebi (shrimp) with their bent backs and whiskers are a wish for you to live long until your back bends.
- Datemaki reminds of a rolled scroll and signifies successful scholarship and expanding your knowledge.
- The golden colour of kuri kinton, a paste made from sweet potatoes and chestnuts, symbolises wealth.
- Holes in lotus root allow you to clearly see the future...
There are many other osechi ryori eaten in Japan, either prepared at home or bought at supermarkets, like kazunoko (herring roe) for fertility, kuromame (black beans) for health, kombu maki for happiness and long life, the sunshine colours of kamaboko (fish cakes) symbolizing celebration, and tai (sea bream) and zoni (mochi soup) for good fortune and strength. Whether you travel to Japan for New Year's celebrations or stay at home, food can be a big and fun part of it. Enjoy the holiday! 🍶🍵🍡🍙🍤🍣..

30/12/2025

2025 was a year of quite a few firsts. Thank you to all our customers and clients, business partners, and fellow travellers for your support! We introduced some brand new Japanese products to South Africa, assisted with a variety of interesting custom orders for home décor projects, and launched the long-planned WAZA & Friends trip to Japan, supported by advisory sessions for Japan travellers. In 2026 we plan to ensure our core collection of popular items is always available, continue to introduce new products, and expand the WAZA & Friends travel services. Online orders will ship from 6 January. See you in the new year! 今年もどうぞよろしくお願い申し上げます。..

Address

201 Bree Street
Cape Town
8001

Opening Hours

Monday	09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday	09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday	09:00 - 17:00
Thursday	09:00 - 17:00
Friday	09:00 - 16:00
Saturday	09:00 - 15:00

Telephone

+27834637045

Website

http://www.wazashop.co.za/

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