Where did it start?

Our first visit to Japan was in 2004 to experience New Years’ celebrations in Tokyo. The idea for WAZA began there, to bring a little bit of Japan to South Africa, which is also reflected in our name – WAZA – "where WA meets ZA." *see below

In 2015 we launched WAZA Shop in Cape Town as a specialist purveyor of quality Japanese goods. Working directly with Japanese business partners and family businesses to source our range of products, our passion only grew, and so did our knowledge of this unique country, its people and culture.

WAZA Travel was launched in 2019 as a natural extension of this - a bespoke travel advisory service for individuals or groups who are interested in an authentic and immersive Japanese travel experience.

The meaning of WAZA.

"WAZA" is a word play on both the Japanese kanji "wa"(和) and "waza" (技). The Japanese kanji “wa” (和) embodies the concept of intrinsic Japaneseness, which is traced back to AD604 and is most often translated as harmony/peace. It describes not only things that are uniquely Japanese, but also an approach to life.

Our aim is to bring Japan to South Africa, hence our name WAZA "where WA meets ZA."

The Japanese word "waza," also has a meaning that resonates. When written as 技 means "technique" or "skill." The products we sell at WAZA Shop all showcase some element of skill, whether through traditional craftsmanship, or through the application of contemporary innovations to traditional designs.