Silicon Valley-Based Wellness Brand TOJI Holds Its First Pop-Up in San Francisco: Strong Interest in a Brand from Japan
TOJI, the wellness brand of TOJI, Inc. (headquarters: Setagaya, Tokyo; CEO: Natsuki Matsuda), held its first-ever U.S. pop-up stores on Saturday, March 28 and Sunday, March 29, 2026, at two shops in the San Francisco Bay Area, Bernal Cutlery and Morningtide.
TOJI focuses on ingredients rooted in Japan's traditional culture and rich nature, drawing out their beauty and health benefits and sharing them with the global wellness scene. In January this year, TOJI was selected as a 4th-cohort coworking member (medical and healthcare) of Japan Innovation Campus (JIC), the startup support hub established in Silicon Valley (Palo Alto, California) by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and set up its first overseas base. (Details:https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000017.000162813.html)
As the first step toward full-scale expansion in the U.S. market, these pop-ups were held as business validation (test marketing): to connect directly with consumers and see how the value of Japanese wellness and the ingredient sake kasu are received by local customers.
Event Overview
The pop-ups were held at two select shops with their own communities in the San Francisco Bay Area:
Day 1: Bernal Cutlery (San Francisco)
Date and time: March 28, 11:00 am to 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 tools, hugely popular with local chefs and food lovers. To its customers, who have deep respect for Japanese craftsmanship and food culture, we shared the story of sake kasu, a byproduct of sake brewing.
Day 2: Morningtide (Albany, East Bay)
Date and time: March 29, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm
Location: 847 Cornell Ave, Albany, CA
About the venue: A lifestyle boutique carefully curating sustainable lifestyle goods, apparel and wellness items. To customers with a strong interest in the environment and holistic health, we introduced TOJI's 100% naturally derived, upcycled products, and sold kasujiru (sake kasu soup) together with OnigiriM, which also had a stall at the event.
On the Day
"Many visitors showed strong interest in the fact that we are a Japanese wellness brand. MORI, blended with natural essential oils such as hinoki cypress and yuzu, drew comments like 'what a lovely scent.' Beyond the quality of the products, our package design, which embodies a Japanese sense of beauty, was also very highly praised."
On the day, working with Media Aid, which runs the live-commerce channel Happy up marche in Japan, we also opened online shops on TikTok Shop and Whatnot at the same time. Many people joined both in person and online. It was a chance to confirm American consumers' awareness of clean beauty and sustainability, and their growing interest in Japan's fermentation culture.
Using its base at JIC, TOJI will further accelerate finding local partners. Beyond its current sake kasu bath products, TOJI will develop products and expand globally across a wider healthcare field, including functional drinks and alternative foods. True to its founding philosophy, TOJI aims to keep growing as a global brand that shares Japan's traditional culture, centered on "Authenticity."