New Space: WAZA Store in Cape Town

PHOTOS courtesy of WAZA

WAZA Japan launched its new Cape Town store on 21 April at 201 Bree Street. What was once the iconic home of Skinny LaMinx now gains inspiration from Japanese storefronts in a stylish and culturally relevant way.

As a specialist importer of Japanese goods, it’s the next step in its evolution and its third retail location. After trading at markets and pop-ups since its inception in 2016, WAZA became a founding member of a shared retail space in Salt River. From there it decided to combine retail with interactive Japanese-themed events and WAZA Japan Labo (Japanese shortened version of “laboratory”) was launched as a retail and events space on Loop Street in March 2020. This coincided with multiple phases of lockdown and social distancing, so WAZA focused on its popular small-group tea tastings and matcha demos.

The move in March to its new street-facing premises in buzzing upper Bree Street made Hilda and Botha, the WAZA founders, reflect on their 18 years of Japanese travel experience and what types of Japanese shopping experiences they wanted to emulate. WAZA has always focused on offering its customers an opportunity to experience Japan vicariously through its social media, or in its retail space. An emphasis on the provenance of products has also been a defining element of the WAZA approach since its inception, by documenting and sharing the stories of the artisans and businesses who make the products.

Inspired by the shopfronts of traditional machiya – Japanese townhouses which doubled as shops and accommodation, especially found in Kyoto – the WAZA team set out to create a general store that looks and feels like Japan. The front of the shop features wooden slats by Cameron Barnes to create a distinctive Japanese look, combined with concrete planters by Concrete Studio, planted with a mixture of Japanese and South African plants by Japanese landscaper Toshiki Tanisaki, a stone lantern (tōrō) carved from Namibian sandstone by Stone Nature Construction and noren-style awnings. 

The inside includes a tatami seating area and pays homage to a style of Japanese store where the concept of mottainai (an expression of regret when something of value is being discarded) is celebrated. Vintage furniture and display shelves combine with products ranging from kitchen knives to fabrics to hand tools to food ingredients, which all speak to the concept of the store: “Home of Japanese Craftsmanship”. 

The one element that the WAZA founders have always felt strongly about and is reflected in the name, is to include a selected range of products made in South Africa and inspired by Japan. WAZA’s two primary ranges of tea bowls (chawan) for sale are made by celebrated local potter Andrew Walford, and artist and sculptor Wim Botha.

“The era of mass-production and the influx of cheap goods into South Africa have given ‘imports’ a bad reputation. Our approach at WAZA is to go back to the concept of trade as a mutually beneficial action where all parties gain something positive – whether it be goods or knowledge – and where those involved in the whole value chain can make a decent living. That is also why we feel that showcasing local artists and craftspeople wo are inspired by Japanese design is important, especially in product ranges where there are many local skills available.”

The new WAZA Japan store is not only a retail space, but also a meeting space for potential travellers to Japan and a showroom for potential business customers. It focuses on three themes of SHOP, TRAVEL, EXPERIENCE. A core part of the WAZA business is to supply Japanese homeware and food ingredients to businesses in the food, hospitality and gifting industries. WAZA has a dedicated Japanese representative in Tokyo and therefore has immediate access to any type of supplier or manufacturer, without the complications of language barriers or distance. It has fulfilled multiple custom orders for interior designers, specialist retailers, event managers and Japanophiles in search of beautiful and hard-to-get objects.

Gauteng-based customers always ask when WAZA will open a physical store in Johannesburg. In July 2022, WAZA, in partnership with JETRO (Japan External Trade Organisation) will host a trade booth at Decorex Johannesburg. This will offer Gauteng retail and wholesale customers the opportunity to see new product samples and old favourites first-hand.

Find out more and get shopping, here.

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