What is WASANBON?

WASANBON is a rare traditional Japanese sugar long treasured in tea culture and high-end Japanese confectionery.

Known for its exceptionally fine texture, delicate melt, and refined sweetness, WASANBON has been enjoyed alongside matcha for generations. Its gentle sweetness softens bitterness while allowing matcha’s umami and aroma to fully unfold.

Produced in limited regions of Shikoku, Japan — primarily Tokushima and Kagawa — WASANBON is still crafted today using traditional methods passed down through generations of artisans.

What Makes WASANBON Different?

Unlike ordinary sugars made from mass-produced sugarcane or beet sugar, traditional WASANBON is made from a special variety of sugarcane known as chikutō.

The true distinction, however, lies in its craftsmanship.

While conventional sugars are heavily refined through industrial processing, WASANBON is carefully handcrafted through repeated pressing and kneading techniques that gradually remove impurities while preserving its soft, rounded sweetness.

The result is a sugar with a uniquely delicate texture and a smooth, elegant finish unlike any other.

Traditional Craftsmanship

1. Harvesting the Cane

The sugarcane is harvested and pressed to extract its juice, which is slowly boiled and concentrated until crystals begin to form.

2. Pressing

The crystallized sugar is placed into traditional wooden presses known as oshifune, where excess molasses is gently removed.

3. Hand Refining

Artisans repeatedly knead and refine the sugar by hand — a process called togi — creating WASANBON’s signature fine texture and clean sweetness.

4. Drying

Finally, the sugar is carefully sifted and dried to complete the process.