Reinterpreting Japan’s Tea Rituals for the Future

WACHA is a Japanese wellness and tea brand

built on a simple belief:

rituals should evolve with the people who live today.

While studying the essence of traditional matcha culture,

founder Hanayo Kato began to wonder:

“What would tea culture look like

if it were redesigned for modern life,

modern bodies, and modern emotions?”

This question became the origin of WACHA.

Where Five Worlds Converge

— The Birth of Botanical Matcha

WACHA was created at the intersection of

five realms that had never been unified before:
the philosophy of Japanese tea ceremony,

the principles of Eastern herbalism,
the sensory richness of botanicals,

the design of modern rituals,
and the evolving possibilities of technology.

Bringing these elements together

gave rise to a completely new cultural and wellness category:
Botanical Matcha.

Our Beginning — A Personal Search for New Rituals

The story of WACHA began when Hanayo inherited RAKU tea bowls created by her grandfather,

the ceramic artist Hana Sennin.

His philosophy

— “a peaceful world begins

with each person brewing tea in their own bowl” —

deeply shaped WACHA’s vision.

Through this lineage, Hanayo realized:

Rituals can calm and reorder the mind

Objects hold emotional memory

Tea culture has always been a form of inner care

She began exploring

how tea could support people in a world of overstimulation, technology, and rapid change.

From Research & Design to Botanical Matcha

As a former designer and researcher working across

art, technology, and wellness,

Hanayo envisioned a new style of matcha

—one shaped by color, function, and emotion.

This became the foundation of Botanical Matcha:

Green — gentle balance & nourishment

Blue — nighttime calm & caffeine-free relaxation

Red — beauty, vitality & emotional warmth

These blends are not meant to replace traditional matcha,

but to offer new entry points for people seeking a wellness ritual that matches their lifestyle.

WACHA’s Mission

WACHA exists to create tea rituals for the next generation—

rituals that are:

Emotionally supportive

Beautiful in design

Gentle on the body

Rooted in Japanese culture, yet open to the world

Our work spans botanical tea development,

cultural preservation, digital storytelling,

and collaborative research in wellness and sensory design.

We believe that tea is not just a drink

—it is a way to return to yourself.