Cupid is readying his arrows for Valentine’s Day 2020 which is right around the corner. It’s the time of the year to show your special someone that you love them with some tasty chocolatey treats.

If you’re wanting to make a grand gesture this year by making your own gifts, but are struggling for ideas or are intimidated by the task, the Kai Corporation in Japan has you covered with its collection of Rilakkuma goods. Now you can make some Instagram-worthy gifts with little effort. Let’s take a look.

Make lots of Rilakkuma chocolates with this simple tool

Rilakkuma Silicone Chocolate Maker – ¥850 (Before Tax) – Buy Here

Five different patterns of Rilakkuma, Kiiroitori, and Korilakkuma make up this silicone tray, allowing you to make lots of bite-sized chocolates at once. This is perfect for sharing between you and your loved one or amongst friends. It can be used for making gummy treats and ice for drinks too, meaning it’s useful for the entire year.

Make cute cookies by simply pressing your dough

Korilakkuma Cutter Set – ¥650 (Before Tax) – Buy Here

Anyone can make cute Korilakkuma cookies easily with this cutter set which you simply press the dough with. It comes with two different poses so you can make an assortment of them. If you know someone who’s not a fan of chocolate, then this is a perfect alternative.

Decorate your sweets and desserts with this mini chocolate tray

Mini Chocolate Tray – ¥650 (Before Tax) – Buy Here

This chocolate tray makes makes chocolate bears which can hold things like nuts and candy. They can be used in a lot of creative different ways. The tray was made in collaboration with Cookpad.

Super simple recipes that take out the work

Here are some super simple recipes that remove the labour out of making and decorating sweet treats. Learn how to make Instagrammable delights with these items and techniques.

Korilakkuma Cookie Marshmallow Sandwich – Item Used: Korilakkuma Cutter Set

All you need to do is warm some marshmallows in a microwave and stick them between two cookies for a gooey and crunchy treat. At some toppings like freeze-dried strawberries for colour and to make them even cuter.

Gateaux Chocolate Cupcakes – Item Used: Rilakkuma Face Cupcake Paper Wraps (5 Included)

Make your Valentine’s cupcakes even more adorable with these paper wraps with Rilakkuma’s kawaii face on them.

Tiny Bear Chocolates: Item Used – Mini Chocolate Tray

There are many creative ways you can utilise these tiny bear chocolates. Make them hold small candy, nuts, and other delicious bites, or just simply top them on another dessert.

Take the stress out of making something for Valentine’s Day this year with this range of items from Kai.

Starbucks Japan has developed a new Valentine’s drink series called ‘CHOCOLATE with’ to celebrate Valentine’s Day 2020. Some drinks in this romantic series include the Chocolate with Almond Praline Frappuccino® and the White Chocolate with Latte®. The series will be launched on January 17, 2020 in most Starbucks cafés across Japan.

The ‘CHOCOLATE with’ series aims to spark a sense of anticipation for the next delicious flavour to fill the gap and hopes to tempt more people to surrender to the delicious flavour of chocolate. This fun series aims to be loved by all genders and all ages across Japan.

Left: CHOCOLATE with Passion Fruit Frappuccino®: Tall ¥590 *(Only available in Tall)
Middle: CHOCOLATE with Almond Praline Frappuccino®: Tall ¥590 *(Only available in Tall)
Right: White CHOCOLATE with Latte: Short ¥450, Tall ¥490, Grande ¥530, Venti® ¥570

The CHOCOLATE with Passion Fruit Frappuccino® is a chocolate-flavoured drink with refreshing yellow streaks of passion fruit sauce, chocolate chips and shaved chocolate for the topping. This Frappuccino® enjoys both a fruity flavour as well as comforting chocolate. *Contains less than 5% passion fruit juice.

The CHOCOLATE with Almond Praline Frappuccino® is made by mixing chocolate sauce with caramel and coffee for a creamy and deep base flavour. Crunchy and fragrant candied almonds and chocolate sauce top the drink, providing a very chocolatey experience perfect for any chocoholic.

The elegant and sweet White CHOCOLATE with Latte contains creamy and smooth couverture chocolate white flakes, espresso and warm milk, combined for a strong and relaxing flavour.

Right: CHOCOLATE Mousse with Latte (Hot): Short ¥390 Tall ¥430 Grande ¥470 Venti® ¥510
Left: CHOCOLATE Mousse with Drip Coffee (Hot): Short ¥340 Tall ¥380 Grande ¥420

These ‘CHOCOLATE Mousse with’ drinks are perfect for drip coffee and Starbucks latte fans. These Valentine’s season-limited drinks are customisable so you can enjoy the delicious flavour of chocolate mousse in the form of a new Valentine’s drink. The smooth chocolate mousse is light and melts in your mouth. By adding the drip coffee, the flavours merge together for a brand new and exciting flavour experience.

CHOCOLATE with Milk Tea Frappuccino®Tall ¥590 *(Only available in Tall)

On January 31, the CHOCOLATE with Milk Tea Frappuccino® with its delicious aroma, chocolatey flavour and fun textures will make its debut. The tea is made from a blend of several different kinds of tea. Milk and milk tea powder is added to enhance the flavour and then blended with white mocha syrup and chocolate chips. This is the perfect chance to enjoy chocolate and milk tea in one drink.

This year, Starbucks will also be selling Valentine’s merchandise. This year’s theme colours are pink and navy. A range of cute yet fancy designs decorate Starbucks’ classic flasks and mugs and is bound to deliver a heart-warming experience with every sip. There are also pink Starbucks cards decorated with hearts and love letter-themed message card sets in the series. If you’re looking for a causal-style gift for someone special, how about something from the Starbucks Valentines series rather than traditional chocolates?

Come try a drink from the CHOCOLATE with series for a new and exciting chocolate drink experience.

Décadence du Chocolat will release their popular Valentine’s chocolate assortment from January 23, 2020 for a limited time only. Each carefully crafted chocolate is packed with Japanese flavours and originality by chocolatiers who follow a detailed procedure. The assortment range features three Valentine’s bonbon chocolates. The shop will also be releasing their popular LOVE KISS chocolate again this year in Yuzu Orange and Strawberry-flavour.

Valentine’s Limited Bonbon Chocolate Assortment (Contains 4): ¥1,100

Valentine’s Limited Bonbon Chocolate Assortment (Contains 24): ¥5,200

The bonbon assortment of four contains one Kinako chocolate which is made with roasted soybean flour, a Muscovado Matcha chocolate, an Apple Hojicha chocolate made using roasted green tea, and the shop’s popular standard bonbon chocolat. The boxes come in 4, 9, 12 and 24 chocolates to cater for every situation. These chocolates are bound to be the perfect gift for your partner whether they are Japanese or foreign.

Valentine’s Limited LOVE KISS: ¥550

Décadence du Chocolat’s lip-shaped LOVE KISS is popular every year and has become a symbol of Valentine’s Day. Concealed in a beautiful box fit for a wedding ring, just seeing it is enough to fill your partner with excitement. This year’s LOVE KISS chocolate is made with a yuzu orange and strawberry ganache for a sweet and tangy flavour.

These Japanese-style chocolates are the perfect way to treat anyone on Valentine’s Day. 

Granny Smith Apple Pie & Coffee—a cafe chain in Japan—has teamed up with bean to bar chocolate company Dandelion Chocolate to release a special new dessert. The “Chocolate and Cherry Holiday Apple Pie” is now available to enjoy until January 13, 2020.

This lovingly-made ambrosial temptation is made with kougyoku apples from Aomori Prefecture which have a luscious sour kick to them. It’s combined with dark and sour cherries, which give a fruity flavour, and chocolate made from chocolate beans sourced in Guatemala. It’s held together by a crunchy pie pastry which is topped with velvety chocolate custard and ganache. The richness of the chocolate together with the apple makes for a delicious marriage of flavours.

The Guatemala bean chocolate too matches perfectly with the apples and cherries, which have a full-bodied flavour reminiscent of wine. There’s also chocolate nibs for added texture. This is truly a dessert for the gods, so don’t miss out.

Meiji announced the long-awaited results of the 2019 National Election for Meiji’s long-selling chocolate brands Kinoko no Yama and Takenoko no Sato on December 17 and held an event to showcase a new commercial.

The election ran for almost four months from August 5, 2019 and saw people of Japan casting their vote for their favourite of the two Meiji chocolate snacks: Kinoko no Yama and Takenoko no Sato, represented by Jun Matsumoto (the leader of the New Kinoko Party) and Akihiro Miwa (the leader of the New Takenoko Party) respectively. A total of 10,587,785 votes were cast.

The New Kinoko Party won 6,021,986 votes while the Takenoko Party received 4,565,799 votes, marking a difference of 1,456,187 votes between the two. At the event, the leader of the winning party Jun Matsumoto said: “The New Takenoko Party has finally been beaten this time around at this 3rd National Election. It’s no doubt thanks to all of the citizens of this country who came together as one team and voted. I thank you all.”

Akihiro Miwa also commented on his first loss, saying: “Ah, this is disappointing. Really disappointing. But my love for Takenoko no Sato remains unchanged, and I want the same for the people of this country—for them to continue loving Takenoko no Sato.”

The two party leaders held a discussion after results were announced. Matsumoto said to Miwa, “I’m glad you were able to recover,” commenting on Miwa’s unfortunate bout of ill health. Miwa came right back with, “No matter what happens when it comes to myself, I’ll resurrect like a phoenix.”

At the end of the talk, the event moved on to the topic of Meiji having revamped their two chocolate products for the first time in 40 years. The two party leaders taste tested both and compared their delicious tastes.

This election closes the books on battle between Kinoko no Yama and Takenoko no Sato which has taken place for nearly 40 years. To celebrate this, the “Kinoko no Yama & Takenoko no Sato National Election No Side Association” (きのこの山・たけのこの里国民総選挙ノーサイド協定) was formed. Both party leaders signed the papers to make it official, after which Jun Matsumoto announced his retirement as party leader. “Following our first win, I can now retire from the New Kinoko Party without worry. The New Kinoko Party will forever be eternal!” Matsumoto said, and he placed down his microphone and sash and left the stage.

A campaign is being held to promote the Kinoko no Yama & Takenoko no Sato National Election No Side Association where you can win the chocolate products. Get involved by signing up below.

Starbucks Coffee Japan is celebrating Christmas 2019 with two new delicious beverages: the Matcha White Chocolate Frappuccino🄬 and Hot Matcha White Chocolate, both of which will be available to order between December 19 and 25 for this year only.

Both versions of this delightful holiday season drink are the perfect accompaniment to the winter days, combining richly fragrant matcha with smooth white chocolate. The Frappuccino🄬 enjoys the addition of maple syrup for a distinct sweetness which mixes gorgeously with the matcha and milkiness of the white chocolate.

The hot version is made with foamed milk which too is soaked in the full-bodied kick of the matcha. The fluffy texture of the foamed milk together with the sweet taste and velvety white chocolate is a combination sure to get you addicted.

If you’re in Japan for Christmas this year, be sure to stop by Starbucks for a cup of Matcha White Chocolate.

GODIVA Japan released two new chocolate products at the Daimaru Kyoto branch of ATELIER de GODIVA, a chocolate shop which combines GODIVA’s skilful craftsmanship with chocolate artistry. Named “ATELIER Christmas Showpiece Santa Claus” and “ATELIER Christmas Showpiece Snowman,” the two chocolate artworks were released on Wednesday and are available until December 25.

Each and every one of these chocolate sculptures are handmade in-store by the shop’s chefs. They are exclusive to ATELIER de GODIVA Daimaru Kyoto and the perfect Christmas treat to adorn any Christmas party this holiday season.

These cute Christmas-exclusives not only taste delicious, but are fun to look at. Santa is sat in a chimney ready to deliver the presents while the snowman is sat next to a Christmas tree looking warm with its scarf.

Both of these are limited in stock and won’t be available ever again after they sell out, so don’t miss out.

HANAGATAYA is a souvenir variety shop that opened in Tokyo Station’s central passage back in July. After over 5 months of sales, the store has revealed its Top 10 most popular products based on sales.

The line-up features a selection of HANAGATAYA exclusives, as well as products from elsewhere which have received pre-sales at HANAGATAYA. You will be spoilt for choice with this selection, all of which are perfect for ringing in the New Year when travelling back home. Let’s take a look.

1st Place

Banana Custard Cream – Tokyo 2020 Olympic Emblem Design (Tokyo 2020 Official Licensed Product) – Contains 8 – ¥1,134 (Tax Included)

Officially licensed by the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, these chewy cakes are made from domestic Japanese rice, and are filled with deliciously creamy banana custard.

2nd Place

Tokyo Banana Butter Madeleine (Tokyo Banana World) – Contains 4 – ¥560 Tax Included)

Exclusive to HANAGATAYA come these all-new butter madeleine’s created by famous confectionery company Tokyo Banana. These baked treats feature a buttery fragrance and taste, and are made with a banana confiture and finished with fresh lemon.

*Exclusive to HANAGATAYA GRANSTA Tokyo Central Street

3rd Place

Toro One Press Chocolate Chick (Tokyo Hiyoko) – Contains 3 – ¥648 (Tax Included)

This year marks 107 since the company Hiyoko was established. The “Toro One Press Chocolate Chick” is a new confection from them: an adorable skyward-looking chick made up of three chocolate layersーeach with their own distinct flavour. At the heart of the chick is a moist chocolate paste.

*Exclusive to Tokyo Station

4th Place

Cheese Wich – Contains 5 – ¥594 (Tax Included)

These light and refreshing cheese cookies, called Cheese Wiches, are filled with a chocolate-coated melted cheese sauce. Three layers means an enjoyable amalgamation of flavours and textures.

*Exclusive to Tokyo Station

5th Place

Chocolate Chestnut Eggs (Ginza Tamaya) – Contains 4 – ¥800 (Tax Included)

“Goma Tamago” is a popular bite-sized egg-shaped confection. This chestnut flavour was created for HANAGATAYA, a mix of dark chocolate and vanilla flavoured chestnut paste.

*Exclusive to Tokyo Station

6th Place

Strawberry Cookie Sandwich (Berry UP!) – Contains 8 – ¥1,296 (Tax Included)

Berry UP! is a cute confectionery brand which creates baked strawberry sweets. Keeping with that theme, they have created a crunchy quintuple-layered cookie sandwich filled with sweet and sour strawberry chocolate.

7th Place

Shinjuku Curry Ebi (Shinjuku Nakamuraya) – Contains 6 – ¥600 (Tax Included)

If you’re looking for something more savoury, then this one’s for you: Shinjuku Nakamuraya’s light, fluffy and melt-in-the-mouth ebi, coated in curry spices. One nibble is enough to get you instantly hooked.

8th Place

Strawberry Polvorón (Berry UP!) – Contains 6 – ¥1,296 (Tax Included)

Another entry from Berry UP!, these polvorón shortbreads are made from lots of fresh strawberries mixed with condensed milk and mascarpone, creating a subtle sweetness that’s enough to have your mouth watering.

9th Place

BLUE MELTIN SAND (Tokyo Campanella) – Contains 8 – ¥1,200 (Tax Included)

What if herbal tea and cookies became its own snack? That’s what Tokyo Campanella asked too, and so make it a reality. Their BLUE MELTIN SANDs are cat’s tongue cookies stuffed with a herbal tea sauce that has a natural blue colour.

10th Place

Premium Cacao Full Sablé (Mary Chocolate) – Contains 18 – ¥1,350 (Tax Included)

Finally, we have a premium edition of chocolate company Mary Chocolate’s Cacao Full Sablés. This one’s for the adults, a sophisticated combination of bittersweet chocolate and berries.

*Exclusive to HANAGATAYA GRANSTA Tokyo Central Street

Did you enjoy this list? Which one takes your fancy the most? Whether as a souvenir for the folks back home, or as a treat to yourself to celebrate 2020, if you’re in Tokyo this year then be sure to give HANAGATAYA a visit.

Nestlé has unveiled a new chocolate recipe that replaces added sugar with cacao pulp. Japan, famous for its exciting range of Kit Kat flavours, adopted the new recipe to create the first cacao fruit chocolate Kit Kat. The Kit Kat was released for sale at the Kit Kat Chocolatory and online on November 29, 2019.

The Kit Kat Chocolatory sells premium-quality Kit Kats made and from a careful selection of ingredients and by a special production method. The process is overlooked by Yasumasa Takagi, the chocolatier who owns LE PATISSIER TAKAGI.

Whether your’re looking for a unique Japanese souvenir for your friends and family, something small yet luxurious for your work colleagues or even just a petite treat for yourself, the Kit Kat Chocolatory’s popular range caters for every souvenir situation.

The new Cacao Fruit Chocolate Kit Kat uses Nestlé’s new cacao pulp recipe. Cacao pulp is the white substance surrounding the cacao beans inside the fruit. It is dried and pulverised into a fine powder to be used as a replacement for sugar. By infusing cacao pulp into the chocolate, the chocolate flavour can be tasted more fully, making for a new and exciting flavour experience.

Many people are unaware of the unique sweet and tangy flavour of the cacao fruit’s soft and fleshy insides. Part of the cacao pulp is normally used as a sugar to ferment cacao beans in a normal chocolate-making process. However, it is still not widely sold as a flavour.

Brazil and many other cacao-producing Latin American countries use cacao pulp to make drinks and smoothies that are easy to produce. It is also seen as an ingredient in ice creams. Some businesses have jumped on the appeal of cacao as a rarely used ingredient to make and export cacao juice. Other than this, usage of cacao pulp has remained low for a long time.

Under Takagi’s guidance, a new Kit Kat has arrived at the chocolatory which spreads not only the appeal of cacao as a natural sugar and flavouring, but also encourages sustainable living through reduced food waste.

Come try a Kit Kat made with cacao pulp for yourself.

McDonald’s Japan is releasing a new strawberry flavour of its popular triangular chocolate pie dessert on December 4, 2019: the Sankaku Choco Pie Amaou.

The chocolate pies have a crunchy exterior made up of layers and layers of delicious pastry. They’re filled with warm, melted chocolate to complete the tempting treat.

The new flavour is made with strawberry powder made from Japanese amaou strawberries which are known for their distinct flavour and subtle sweetness and sourness. McDonald’s Japan released an ordinary strawberry flavour last year, but this one promises to be even richer in flavour.

The choco pies will be released in a special pink strawberry packaging for a limited time.

McDonald’s is also still selling the Sankaku Choco Pie Black which we covered last month. It contains almonds and sweet melted chocolate cream. These are also available for a limited time onlyーuntil late Decemberーso don’t miss out on these McDonald’s-exclusive treats!

Winter may be cold, but that’s no excuse to stay indoors all day when there’s so many seasonal events and festivals to be enjoyedーespecially in Japan. With Christmas and New Year’s just on the horizon, it’ll soon be time to begin preparations for Valentine’s Day.

GINZA SIX is the biggest shopping centre in Ginza, a district itself which prides itself as the high end part of Tokyo. Seeing as Ginza is home to many internationally-known chocolatiers, you can bet that GINZA SIX is sure to deliver when it comes to high-quality Valentine’s chocolates and sweets. And you’d be right in thinking that, because the shopping complex is ready to showcase some of the delectable delights set to pose in all of their delicious glory during the season of love. Whether it’s a treat to some premium chocolate to your special someone, or a bit of self-indulgence, GINZA SIX has you covered this coming Valentine’s Day.

But that’s not all, because a string of pop-up shops are going to open too. Let’s take a peek into what’s to come.

Premium sweets made with the “4th type of chocolate”

We all know dark, milk, and white chocolate, but many people are still unaware of ruby chocolate. Made from ruby cocoa beans, the chocolate was officially unveiled in 2017, and is marketed as the “4th category” of chocolate. It will come as no surprise then that GINZA SIX will be making use of this still rare chocolate, as well as “blonde” chocolateーyet another unfamiliar type.

Valrhona Blonde Chocolate Plate With Jasmine Scent – ¥1,200 @ THE GRAND GINZA

Blonde chocolate’s characteristic quality lies in its combination of caramel and biscuit. The chocolate artisans over at Valrhona, a Japanese chocolate company savoured by some of the world’s top patissiers, have forged a blonde chocolate dome dessert injected with a raspberry puree and sweet vanilla mousse. The dessert is sat on a bed of crunchy crumble and surrounded with a pool of jasmine-scented blonde chocolate cream. This one’s for the adults to enjoy.

Ruby Saku Langue de Chat (12 Pack) – ¥1,200 @ ISHIYA GINZA

For a limited time only, ISHIYA GINZA’s langue de chat, also known as cat tongue biscuits, arrive in a ruby chocolate flavour. They took their delicious cat tongues and sandwiched smooth and sour ruby chocolate between them.

Japanese-style chocolates

These next chocolates are made with the Japanese spirit and palate in mind.

Kurosu Vinegar Raw Chocolate – ¥1,500 @ Shoubunsu Vinegar Brewery

Kurosu vinegar is smooth and doesn’t have a strong flavour or smell. It goes well with these chocolates from the Shoubunsu Vinegar Brewery, including their slightly bitter milk chocolate and white chocolate with soy milk. Each bite offers a sweet, refreshing flavour.

Textural chocolates

If you’re here for the texture, then you’ve come to the right place. From a dessert that combines light pound cake with rich mousse to a melt-in-the-mouth chocolate terrine, GINZA SIX has no shortage of sweets with tempting textures.

Rouge – ¥2,315 @ Patisserie Pavlov

This dessert is made with pound cake and rich mousse and is lavish with ganache. It’s covered with a strawberry chocolate coating and finished with an artisanal chocolate decoration.

Chocolate Terrine – ¥6,000 @ FRANCK MULLER GENEVE

Luxurious is the word to describe this chocolate terrine, a heavenly mix of Swiss dark chocolate and tasty cultured butter, resulting in a complex flavour profile of richness and melt-in-the-mouth sweetness.

Dine-in Valentine’s menu

Another way to enjoy your time at GINZA SIX for Valentine’s 2020 is to sit down at one of the cafes or restaurants to enjoy one of their exclusive Valentine’s Day menu items, such as an afternoon tea. It’s a great way to spend your time with your loved one or as a get-together for all the singles out there!

La Saint-Valentin Afternoon Tea Sets – ¥4,200 (Serves 1) @ THE GRAND GINZA

“Noir & Blanc” (Black/White) is the theme of these afternoon tea sets, which come in two different colours and are towered with strawberry-packed sweets and savoury snacks. Will you go for the stylish noir, or the sophisticated blanc?

Coppa Valentine – ¥1,819 @ Café Cova Milano

Served in a wine glass, this strawberry dessert is a layered combination of sweet and sour strawberry sorbet, chocolate ice cream, and strawberry sauce. It’s topped with heart-shaped chocolate and a rose bell.

Limited-time pop-up shops

CAFÉ COVA (GINZA SIX Floor B2F) 

CAFÉ COVA has lots of incredible surprises for the Valentine’s season next year, including a chocolate box wrapped in beautiful packaging, as well as the above-pictured heart and rose panettone (which, by the way, they’ll only be selling a select few of!)

Paul Smith POP UP SHOP (GINZA SIX Floor 4F) / Open November 27, 2019 – January 14, 2020

IDEAS FROM LONDON is a pop-up shop by Paul Smith that’s set to bring ideas from the UK to Japan. See their new fashion collection, special collaborative items, and more.

This is just a select look at what’s to come when the season of love hits GINZA SIX. Make sure you don’t miss out.

Since being founded in 1845, Lindt has carried its reputation as a Swiss brand of chocolate throughout the centuries, capturing the hearts of chocoholics in over 120 countries across the world. Lindt will be releasing a brand new chocolate drink on December 1, 2019 across Japan. The chocolate drink will be available in hot and cold and is made using an irresistible Gianduia chocolate hazelnut spread.

Both the hot and cold versions of the drink contain Lindt’s signature melt-in-the-mouth milk chocolate which is mixed with luxurious hazelnut praline paste. The praline paste is made from roasted hazelnuts fused into delicious caramel. Once the aroma of both roasted hazelnuts and caramel entices you to take a sip, the rich flavour will spread through your mouth and you won’t be able to stop.

The drinks are topped with a fluffy chocolate and whipped cream combination and chocolate flakes which add a wonderful texture. The finishing touches on the drink consist of a drizzle of hazelnut praline sauce and a sprinkle of chopped hazelnuts. The wavy water pattern that can be seen decorating the iced chocolate drink can be mixed into the drink and enjoyed. If you’re looking for a quick chocolatey refresh, the iced chocolate drink is perfect for you. For those of you who succumb to the winter chills, the hot chocolate drink will warm you up right away.

Once the fragrance of these drinks reaches your nose, no chocoholic will be able to resist.