Tozando Founder's Profile

Founder: Osamu Wada

History

Born in Amami Oshima (a south island near Okinawa) in 1982, raised in Osaka

I was very slow to understand things, bad at sports, and never good at anything in my childhood.

2000: Stayed as exchange program student in the Republic of Venezuela for 10 months 

In order to change myself, I learned Spanish very hard and began communicating with many people. Influenced by my local host family, I aimed to become a UN employee

2002: Overturning the mock exam E rating (pass rate below 20%), enrolled in the Faculty of International Relations at Ritsumeikan University

Discovered the deliciousness of Taiwanese tea on a trip to Taiwan. Since then, I have traveled to Taiwan every year to buy tea leaves. I started touring pottery production areas in Japan. While traveling abroad, I wanted to contribute to society by working in infrastructure projects such as electricity.

2007: Graduated from the Faculty of International Relations at Ritsumeikan University

Joined Fuji Electric Co., Ltd. and worked in international sales in the industrial substation division

I had doubts about the fact that the business I was working in was connected to a mass consumption society. Searching for essential richness.

2009: Left Fuji Electric Co., Ltd.

2010-2012: Studied the history of Sencha tea at Kobe University's Graduate School of International Cultural Studies

Learned about Chinese culture, politics, and ways of thinking from a Chinese friend in the Sencha history seminar. Started drinking Chinese tea. Aimed to become a researcher in Oriental history, but learned that there was little chance of becoming a researcher due to the reduction in teaching positions, so decided to continue studying as a lifework.

2012: Joined Ishizuka Glass Co., Ltd. and worked in international sales in the chemicals division

In 2016, was hospitalized due to congenital chronic kidney disease. Doctors told me I would need to undergo dialysis in the future. I was worried about what kind of work I could dedicate my life to and be truly satisfied with.

2019: Left Ishizuka Glass Co., Ltd.

Decided to work in the ceramics industry and stayed in Taiwan for 8 months to learn Chinese, which would become increasingly necessary in the future.

2020: Joined Koransha Co., Ltd. and worked in domestic sales for Arita ware tableware.

Learned that the annual production value of Japan's ceramics industry has decreased to about one-tenth of its current value over the past 40 years, and that traditional handicrafts are being lost. Inspired by a Chinese friend's comment that she would like to buy a Japanese teapot for Chinese tea, I came up with a business idea.

2022: Founded Tozando Co., Ltd. to reactivate Japan's pottery industry and pass on Japan's pottery culture to the future.

[Public relations/inquiries]

TEL: +81-80-3137-1856

mail: info@tozandosenchaki.com