Wakasa Seikatsu

What Wakasa Seikatsu does

Wakasa Seikatsu is a Japanese health supplement company founded in 1998 and headquartered in Kyoto, operating in the eye health and wellness category. Its flagship product, Blueberry Eye (ブルーベリーアイ), is positioned as Japan's top-selling eye supplement, supported by a portfolio that includes lutein supplements, blue-light blocking glasses, and differentiated eye drops. The company has developed proprietary nano (超微細化) processing technology aimed at enhancing bioavailability of bilberry and blueberry extracts. The business holds ISO 9001 quality certification, a Mond Selection 2025 award, and a Higashikuniya Culture Award, and its supplements are handled by medical institutions nationwide.

The company operates an omnichannel distribution model combining D2C e-commerce (shop.wakasa.jp), a mobile application, and a network of company-operated physical stores including the WAKASA&CO.KYOTO flagship in Shijo, Buruburu Aiai character-goods stores, and WAKASA&CO.BOOKS specialty bookstores in Kyoto and Nagoya. Pricing is unit-based at ¥1,980-¥5,880 per product, with a subscription (定期お届けコース) model adopted by approximately 95% of customers, delivering 10% off, free shipping, and a seasonal health magazine. The mobile app layers an additional 10% discount and 2x point accumulation, and payment integrations span Rakuten Pay, Amazon Pay, PayPay, d-Barai, and LINE Pay. The company reports a cumulative customer base of 3.6 million Japanese families.

Beyond supplements, Wakasa Seikatsu operates an integrated lifestyle and content ecosystem that includes the 花鈴のマウンド women's baseball manga (18 volumes published), Buruburu-kun character merchandise, the Menokoto eye-health education program reaching over 45,000 children, and WAKASAPort, a freelance job-matching platform. The company has executed multiple character co-marketing campaigns (GeGeGe no Kitaro, Ao Oni Online with 34M cumulative game downloads) and a co-branded confectionery line with UHA Mikakuto. The company is privately held, founder-controlled by Representative Director Kadoya Kentaro (角谷建耀知), and operates with 101-250 employees.

Name

Wakasa Seikatsu

Legal name

株式会社わかさ生活

Website

https://wakasa.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Wakasa Seikatsu is a Japanese health supplement company founded in 1998 that sells blueberry-based eye health supplements direct-to-consumer via subscription e-commerce, a mobile app, and physical retail stores, serving 3.6 million families nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nutraceuticals and Eye Health Supplements

NAICS

Food (Health) Supplement Retailers (456191), Health and Personal Care Retailers (456), Cosmetics, Beauty Supplies, and Perfume Retailers (456120), Optical Goods Retailers (45613)

SIC

Medicinal Chemicals & Botanical Products (2833), Ophthalmic Goods (3851), Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844)

akta.pro primary industry

Health Food & Supplement Stores (CRAHAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Optical Dispensing & Eyewear Retail (Glasses/Frames/Lenses) (HLAKAKAL), Beauty & Personal Care Omnichannel (CRAFAEAB)

Keywords

• Eye health supplements
• Blueberry supplements
• Direct-to-consumer health
• Subscription wellness products
• Japanese nutraceuticals

Headquarters

HQ city

Kyoto

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Health Supplement Sales: Primary revenue from direct-to-consumer sales of blueberry-based supplements, eye health products, and wellness items through their e-commerce platform and retail stores.
2. Book and Manga Publishing: Revenue from publishing the '花鈴のマウンド' (Karin's Mound) baseball manga series (18 volumes), health-related books, and comics through WAKASA&CO. BOOKS retail locations and e-commerce.
3. Character Merchandise: Sales of Buruburu-kun character goods, plush toys, accessories, and limited edition items through physical and online stores.
4. Retail Store Operations: Revenue from company-operated retail stores including WAKASA&CO. KYOTO (specialty blueberry store), Buruburu Aiai stores, and specialized book shops (えほん生活, 初恋♡生活, 謎解き生活).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Wakasa Seikatsu researches, develops, manufactures, and sells a range of health-related products, with its flagship being blueberry-based eye health supplements (ブルーベリーアイ) and related vision-care products including lutein supplements, eye drops, and blue-light blocking eyewear. The company sells directly to consumers through its own e-commerce site (shop.wakasa.jp), a mobile app, and a network of physical retail stores (WAKASA&CO. KYOTO, Buruburu Aiai, WAKASA&CO. BOOKS), supported by a recurring auto-delivery subscription used by approximately 95% of customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ブルーベリーアイ: Flagship blueberry supplement product for eye health
• ブルブルくん
• ルテインα
• サンシャインメガネ
• ビーナスアイ
• 花鈴のマウンド
• メノコト元気教室
• WAKASAPort

Products and services

• Blueberry Eye (ブルーベリーアイ) Japan's top-selling eye health supplement formulated with bilberry anthocyanins to support visual function and reduce eye fatigue, targeted at health-conscious consumers concerned with digital eye strain and age-related vision changes.
• Lutein Alpha (ルテインα) Lutein-containing supplement that protects against glare and supports macular health, recommended for consumers concerned about bright-light sensitivity.
• Venus Eye (ビーナスアイ) Eye Drops Third-class pharmaceutical eye drops targeting tired eyes, differentiated from the Mercury Eye line for dry eyes.
• Mercury Eye (マーキュリーアイ) Eye Drops Eye drops formulated specifically for dry eye symptoms, completing Wakasa's two-product eye-drop range.
• Sunshine Glasses Simple (サンシャインメガネ シンプル) Protective eyewear that blocks three types of harmful light to support eye health alongside supplements and eye drops.
• Subscription Auto-Delivery Course (定期お届けコース) Recurring auto-delivery subscription offering a 10% discount on regular products, free shipping, and a seasonal health magazine, with approximately 95% customer adoption across the 3.6 million-family base.
• WAKASA&CO. KYOTO Specialty Store Physical four-floor blueberry-specialty retail experience in Kyoto Shijo combining supplement retail, pharmacist eye consultations, and a community book/manga space for consumers.
• Buruburu Aiai Character Merchandise Stores Retail stores selling Buruburu-kun mascot character goods, plush toys, accessories, and limited edition items to fans and consumers nationwide.
• WAKASA&CO. BOOKS Specialty Bookstores Specialty bookstore chain in Nagoya offering curated categories including picture books (えほん生活), romance novels (初恋♡生活), and puzzle/mystery books (謎解き生活).
• Karin's Mound (花鈴のマウンド) Manga Series Women's baseball manga series (18 volumes as of June 2026) published by Wakasa, with a registered trademark and licensing program for promotional use by public organizations and individuals.
• Wakasa Seikatsu Mobile App Official iOS/Android shopping app offering an always-10% discount, double points accumulation, exclusive sales access, and campaign notifications for direct purchases and loyalty engagement.
• Buruburu-kun Character Goods Branded character merchandise featuring the Buruburu-kun blueberry fairy mascot, including plush toys, accessories, and limited-edition collaboration items.
• WAKASAPort Freelance Job Matching Platform Freelance job matching platform connecting freelancers with opportunities, operated as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Wakasa Seikatsu.
• Pet Health Supplements Health supplements and wellness products for animal companions, sold through the Wakasa e-commerce and retail channels to pet owners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Products handled by medical institutions nationwide
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• 京都縦向社会新聞社minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 April 2026Media coverage and promotional partnership for '京都縦向社会新聞' featuring WAKASA&CO. KYOTO and store events.
• 京セラ美術館 (Kyoto City Kyocera Museum of Art)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Featured giant Buruburu-kun and AiAi-chan characters at the '大どろぼう展' (Great Thieves Exhibition) at the museum, a major art exhibition attracting visitors.
• ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 (GeGeGe no Kitaro)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Character collaboration featuring limited-edition 'GeGeGe no Blueberry Eye' product designs and joint promotional merchandise.
• 青鬼オンライン (Ao Oni Online)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Collaboration to feature Buruburu-kun character within the popular online game (34 million downloads series), bringing Wakasa's mascot to a new digital audience.
• UHA味覚糖 (UHA Mikakuto)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024Product collaboration on '水グミ わかさ生活 ブルーベリー味' (Water Gummy Wakasa Life Blueberry Flavor) - a co-branded gummy product combining UHA's confectionery expertise with Wakasa's blueberry brand.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• FANCL Corporation: Major Japanese D2C health supplement and skincare company with nationwide mail-order subscription model. Closely comparable in product categories (supplements, beauty), subscription mechanics, and customer base.
• DHC Corporation: Leading Japanese D2C supplement and cosmetics company with strong subscription/recurring model. Highly comparable in omnichannel D2C supplement retail and broad health/beauty portfolio.
• Pola Orbis Holdings: Japanese beauty company with D2C mail-order model and supplement/inner-beauty portfolio. Comparable in subscription D2C mechanics and beauty-supplement crossover positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Rohto Pharmaceutical: Major Japanese pharmaceutical company with strong eye-care franchise (eye drops). Comparable product overlap in eye drops and vision-related consumer health, though much larger and global.
• Daiichi Sankyo Healthcare: Japanese OTC and consumer healthcare subsidiary of Daiichi Sankyo. Comparable in supplement and OTC consumer health positioning with D2C channel presence.
• Otsuka Pharmaceutical (Nature Made): Japanese pharmaceutical company with nutrition and supplement portfolio including Nature Made brand. Comparable in supplement retail and clinical-channel credibility.
• Lion Corporation: Japanese consumer healthcare/beauty company with supplement and eye-care product lines. Comparable in the broader Japanese health-and-personal-care retail category.
• Kobayashi Pharmaceutical: Large Japanese OTC pharmaceutical and health products company. Comparable in eye-care and supplement adjacencies (eye drops, herbal supplements), though much larger and broader in scope.
• Kirin Holdings (iMUSE / supplement portfolio): Large Japanese beverage/pharmaceutical conglomerate with health supplement business. Comparable in functional health and ingredient science applications, particularly botanicals.

Emerging players

• Asahi Group Foods (Asahi Style Balance): Japanese functional food/beverage maker expanding into health supplements. Comparable in functional health category, particularly for bilberry/anthocyanin-derived products.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wakasaseikatsu
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCqb5Qn4RP8EdyADaFyRayPg
• Instagraminstagram.com/wakasaseikatsu_official
• TikToktiktok.com/@wakasa_eye

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Wakasa Seikatsu