2020 · Nagoya
The first contact
During a university exchange from Lausanne, Youssef discovered a Japan that went beyond travel images. Daily life, language, gestures, and local rhythms opened the first door.
Maison Genkai
Deep Japan, carried with precision
Maison Genkai was born from a living connection with Japan: regions, seasons, patient gestures, and products that still carry the trace of their place.
Maison Genkai
Before the gesture, the choice
A bowl one holds, a leaf one whisks, a blade one grips. Before an object takes its place in a ritual, it has to be chosen. Maison Genkai focuses less on accumulating references and more on staying close to the lands and materials that make those gestures possible, and keep their integrity all the way to Switzerland.
From one shore to another
Maison Genkai follows a line: a first university exchange, learning the language, daily life in Japan, and then a decision to source closer to the ground.
2023 · Tokyo
Learning to understand better
After returning to Switzerland for his Master’s degree, Youssef went back to Japan with a clearer intention: to learn the language and approach the culture without only looking at it from the outside.
Today · Fukuoka
Moving closer to the regions
Now based in Fukuoka, he builds Maison Genkai from Japan: selecting terroirs, sourcing on the ground, speaking with Swiss clients, and following the details that separate simple import from true transmission.
Yame · Fukuoka
Tea as an anchor
Maison Genkai matcha comes from Yame, a region known for the depth of its teas. Quality is not reduced to a word like “ceremonial”: it is found in traceability, terroir, harvest, shading, and stone milling.
Switzerland · Neuchâtel
Clean, human, reliable service
Maison Genkai remains a personal project led by Youssef through sourcing, conversations, and client relationships. In Switzerland, Meriem brings family support through packaging, the quiet gesture that keeps each product careful before shipping.
Maison Genkai
The standard
To create a more accurate connection between Switzerland and Japan: less folklore, more provenance; fewer vague promises, more direct relationships; less soulless volume, more products chosen for origin, use, and integrity.
Place
Start from territory
Understand where a product comes from before speaking about what it promises.
Gesture
Respect the work
Honor craft and savoir-faire without turning them into decoration.
Link
Serve with clarity
Answer individuals and professionals with precision, traceability, and availability.
Individuals · Professionals
For your ritual, for your house
Maison Genkai serves individuals through the online shop, and supplies cafés, restaurants, and retailers across Switzerland. The same standard, the same selection, formats shaped for each use.