Giving you a taste of home, wherever you are
The taste of home. A comforting taste. A taste shared with loved ones around the table.
When you live far from the place you call home, there are moments when familiar flavours suddenly feel deeply missed.
That taste can bring energy and happiness to everyday life — gently giving you the push you need to move forward tomorrow.
That is why we run WASO, a Japanese online supermarket, to create a future where you can enjoy the food you love, wherever you are.
It All Started with a Single Trolley
WASO began in 2015 in London, operating from a small shared kitchen and a tiny flat used as a warehouse.
Today, WASO focuses on its online supermarket, but at the time we started as a lunch delivery service — carrying Japanese bento boxes on a trolley and delivering them to offices across London.
Some days meant running at full speed through cobblestone streets to reach dozens of offices.
With limited funds and a small team, we handled everything ourselves — cooking, delivering, and supporting customers from early morning until late at night — putting care into every single bento.
The Struggle to Survive
Thanks to the support of our customers, the business grew by around 40% each year.
However, as we expanded our team, fundamental issues in the profit structure emerged, and cash flow became increasingly difficult.
Despite reviewing our operations and improving efficiency, in October 2019 we made the painful decision to let most of our staff go and temporarily close the business.
A Dream We Couldn’t Give Up
Although we once chose to close the business, the founder, Toshi, could not give up on his vision.
Together with one staff member, he restarted operations in November 2019 and restructured the business.
In February 2020, as COVID-19 spread and remote work surged, WASO faced its greatest crisis.
Four days before the UK lockdown in March 2020, we pivoted to frozen meal home delivery.
At the time, only a few thousand pounds remained — a delay of even one week could have meant the end of WASO.
A Structural Challenge
As we shifted to home delivery, we began to see the challenge more clearly: the frustration of “not being able to eat what you truly want” for people living far from their homeland is not just personal, but structural — and solvable.
Starting with frozen meals, we gradually expanded our range to include Japanese ingredients, sashimi, thinly sliced meats, fresh vegetables, and department-store-quality products.
To make the service easier and more reassuring, we introduced extended customer support from early morning until late at night, as well as secure contactless delivery with theft insurance. Today, WASO serves over 100,000 registered customers.
Because the Taste You’ve Been Craving Gives You Strength for Tomorrow
In France, where our service has just begun, the product range is still limited and deliveries are currently available only on weekdays — far from perfect.
Even so, there is something we truly believe.
That we can create a future where the flavours of a place you love can be enjoyed anywhere in the world.
That when you need a little extra strength, a single delicious bite can quietly lift your spirits.
That one moment of “delicious” can fill a table with smiles.
Together with former food buyers from Mitsukoshi Isetan and Michelin-starred chefs, we will continue expanding our product selection. As in the UK, we aim to build our own delivery network in France and offer daily deliveries, including weekends and holidays.
There are people supporting families far from home.
People quietly working toward their dreams.
People living each day while thinking of loved ones far away.
WASO exists for all of them — to deliver the strength to live tomorrow through a single meaningful bite.
So that wherever you are in the world, you can eat what you truly want.
Because the taste you’ve been craving gives you the strength to live tomorrow.
