About WA

WA is a Tokyo-based gift brand that delivers a curated box of traditional Japanese sweets (wagashi) four times a year — once for each season.

Our sweets are sourced from all 47 prefectures of Japan and presented in traditional Japanese paper and boxes.

Each box is designed not for everyday snacking, but as a gift to be offered, received, and remembered.

The Meaning of "WA"

In Japanese, “wa” can be written with characters such as 和 and 輪.

 

和 (wa) is the word Japanese people use for things that feel distinctly Japanese — Japanese food is washoku, Japanese sweets are wagashi,

and Japanese paper is washi. It also carries the meaning of harmony.

 

輪 (wa) means a circle, or a ring that connects people.

We chose the name WA with two hopes: that Japan’s culture of seasonal gift-giving will spread around the world like a widening circle,

and that each box will strengthen the circles in our customers’ own lives — with family, friends, and loved ones.

Our Story

Gifts Have a Season in Japan

In Japan, gifts are not chosen at random. Traditions such as ochugen (summer gifts of gratitude) and oseibo (year-end gifts) reflect a culture where timing, respect, and gratitude matter as much as the gift itself.

WA brings that culture to the world. Instead of a monthly subscription, we ship only four times a year — in spring, summer, autumn, and winter

— so that every box offers sweets that truly belong to the season.

WA was founded in 2025 by Honoka Tsuchida, born in Kanagawa in 1996 and now based in Tokyo.

After graduating from university, Honoka spent years traveling — through countries, cultures, and countless conversations.

Wandering through a souk in Istanbul, sitting in silence at a café in Copenhagen, watching the light change over the canals of Amsterdam,

she kept thinking about Japan. Not with nostalgia, but with clarity.

The closer she looked at other cultures, the more she recognized something at home that the world had yet to discover:

a way of making things — with patience, with seasons, with soul.

How We Choose Our Sweets

Japan is home to a remarkable variety of regional sweets, many of which are rarely seen outside their hometowns. We search across all 47 prefectures

to find traditional wagashi with a story — confections shaped by local history, climate, and craftsmanship.

We look closely at every detail, down to the ingredients themselves.

Only sweets with the richness, beauty, and presence worthy of a special occasion in Japan make it into a WA box.

The Box Completes the Gift

In Japanese gifting, presentation carries meaning. The box, the wrapping, and the sense of ceremony are all part of how respect is expressed.

That is why every WA box is wrapped in traditional Japanese washi paper and packed in a specially chosen Japanese box

— so the moment of opening feels as meaningful as the sweets inside.

Seasonal Delivery Schedule

Depending on when you order, you will receive a selection of wagashi chosen to reflect that particular season.

Company Information