This year the biggest trend in Valentine’s Day sweets is a blend of east and west, with the notable introduction of chocolates that incorporate traditional Japanese flavors.
Shibuya Loft’s display of Valentine’s Day chocolate is heavy on the traditional images: a mannequin in a kimono surrounded by boxes of chocolate “gift wrapped” in a traditional furoshiki wrapping cloth. Taking a closer look, some of the sweets are actuall traditional Japanese confections in flavors like matcha and ume (plum). We also spotted a number of Japanese inspired Valentine’s Day treats at Loft’s leading competitor, the neighboring Tokyu Hands.
Most notable were those from Hamada Confect: chocolates filled with ume flavored ganache or dusted with kinako (soy powder)—even a riff on last year’s popular chocolates with liquor-flavored liquid centers, but in this case the alcohol in question is sake.
The high-end stores are also offering a line-up of tradition-inspired Valentine’s Day edibles. Tobu Department Store Ikebukuro has teamed up with longtime confectioner Kanazawa Waon to present a series of fusion sweets reminiscent of Turkish delight that combine both chocolate and sweet adzuki bean flavors.
Meanwhile Ginza Printemps has a line-up from La Maison Kamebishi called Le Cinq that incorporates a five-year matured soy sauce (from the same brand) into the ganache filling of chocolate truffles. Then there is the Yokohama main branch of Patisserie Enfance, which has created “Shochu Chocolate” by infusing the delicate sweets with premium sweet potato liquor.
Trend Potential
The influence of traditional Japanese style in Western products has been coming back, and resonating with young and old consumers alike. What about traditions in your own market, and how to product innovate to address these social needs? Read the rest of this piece, and many more, in our Trendpool innovation database.
