Wellness Brand 'TOJI' Advancing into Silicon Valley Holds First Pop-Up in San Francisco; High Interest in Japanese Origin
Wellness brand 'TOJI' holds its first pop-up in San Francisco, marking a full-scale launch into the US market.
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- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 02:00
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TOJI Inc. (Headquarters: Setagaya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Natsuki Matsuda) announced that its wellness brand 'TOJI' held its first-ever pop-up store in the United States on Saturday, March 28th, and Sunday, March 29th, at two locations in the San Francisco Bay Area (Bernal Cutlery and Morningtide).
TOJI focuses on ingredients rooted in Japanese traditional culture and rich nature, drawing out their beauty and health benefits to share with the global wellness scene. In January of this year, the brand was selected as a coworking member (in the medical/healthcare domain) for the 4th cohort of the 'Japan Innovation Campus (JIC),' a startup support base established by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in Silicon Valley (Palo Alto, California), and established its first overseas base. (Details: https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000017.000162813.html)
This pop-up store, as the first step in a full-scale expansion into the US market, was conducted with the aim of business validation (test marketing) to establish direct contact with consumers and assess how the value of Japanese wellness and the ingredient 'sake lees' would be received by local customers.
【Event Overview】
The event was held at two select shops with unique communities in the San Francisco Bay Area:
Day 1: Bernal Cutlery (San Francisco)
Date & Time: March 28th, 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Location: 766 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA (Mission District)
About the Venue: A shop specializing in high-quality Japanese knives, whetstones, and cooking utensils, highly regarded by local chefs and food enthusiasts. The story of sake lees, a byproduct of sake brewing, was shared with customers who have a deep respect for Japanese craftsmanship and food culture.
Day 2: Morningtide (Albany / East Bay)
Date & Time: March 29th, 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Location: 847 Cornell Ave, Albany, CA
About the Venue: A lifestyle boutique that carefully curates sustainable lifestyle goods, apparel, and wellness items. TOJI's 100% naturally derived and upcycled products were proposed to customers with high environmental awareness and interest in holistic health. Additionally, 'kasujiru' (sake lees soup) was sold in collaboration with OnigiriM, who also participated in the event.
【Scenes from the Event】
On the day of the event, simultaneous online sales were conducted on TikTok Shop and Whatnot Shop in collaboration with Mediaid Inc., which operates the live commerce channel 'Happy up marche' in Japan. A large number of people visited both in real life and online. This provided an opportunity to confirm the growing consumer interest in clean beauty and sustainability in the US, as well as the rising interest in Japan's 'fermentation culture.'
Moving forward, TOJI will leverage its base at JIC to further accelerate the development of local partnerships. In addition to its current sake lees bath products, the company plans to expand its product development and global reach into a wider range of healthcare areas, including functional beverages and alternative foods. Based on its founding philosophy, TOJI aims for further growth as a global brand that disseminates Japanese traditional culture centered on 'Authenticity.'
■About TOJI (https://toji-japan.com/)
TOJI is a wellness brand that delivers the wisdom of beauty and health passed down through Japanese history in a new form, enabling true beauty and a rich life. Since starting operations in 2024, the brand has focused on sake lees, researching and developing products based on their abundant beauty and health effects. In the process of harmonizing sake lees with carefully selected ingredients and crafting products with care, TOJI values connections with all people and regions involved. The company also engages in global marketing support and initiatives to enhance regional appeal through collaborations with local inns and sake breweries.
■Contact for Inquiries: info@toji-japan.com
*We sincerely welcome new encounters with media outlets interested in TOJI, as well as sake breweries and producers who resonate with our initiatives.
FAQ
What kind of brand is 'TOJI'?
'TOJI' is a brand that incorporates traditional Japanese wisdom into modern wellness. It particularly focuses on sake lees, developing products that leverage its beauty and health benefits.
Where was this pop-up store held?
It was held at two locations in the San Francisco Bay Area, USA: Bernal Cutlery (San Francisco) and Morningtide (Albany).
What was the purpose of the pop-up store?
As the first step towards full-scale expansion into the US market, the purpose was test marketing to establish contact with consumers and verify how Japanese wellness and the ingredient sake lees would be received locally.
What is the 'Japan Innovation Campus (JIC)'?
It is a startup support base for Japanese companies established by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in Silicon Valley. 'TOJI' has been selected as a coworking member in the medical and healthcare domain.
Please tell us about future developments.
We will utilize the JIC base to accelerate the development of local partnerships. Beyond sake lees bath products, we plan to advance product development and global expansion in the healthcare domain, including functional beverages and alternative foods, aiming for growth as a global brand centered on 'Authenticity.'