Last year in March, a new shop opened. It's rare to find a chocolate select shop in Japan. I visited the shop when the chocolate staff, who I sometimes buy from, was having an event there. They sell Barbero's dark chocolate, Idilio's paste, Claire Maris' salt lemon caramel chocolate paste and lemon cimove, and Amadei's 9 and Maze's salt caramel milk chocolate, which they source from Mitsukoshi Ginza. The chocolates at the shop have a subtle overall flavor, not too intense. Even the ones with high alcohol content are well-liked by those with a sweet tooth. I bought Barbero's chocolate bar this time, and when they made it into a hot chocolate, it was easy to drink without any strong flavors. Maze's chocolate is a well-established brand, known for their "ordinary milk chocolate," sweet with little bitterness, a rich traditional milk chocolate. Amadei's 9, on the other hand, has a spicy aroma and less sweetness, a high cocoa content favorite among current chocolate enthusiasts. Roughly categorizing the products, the bonbons are from France, while the chocolate bars are from France and craft bean-to-bar varieties. Personally, I've never been too interested in French chocolates since I started eating chocolate, and I'm more interested in German chocolates, which are the most consumed and produced in the world. However, there were no German chocolates available. There must be delicious chocolates from Germany as well. After talking about this with Chiba-san from Shi Sawat, he mentioned, "That's true. With such a high production volume, there must be delicious chocolates as well. Since a long time ago, Austrian and German chocolates and sweets have suited the Japanese taste buds more than French ones, and there are many delicious options, but nowadays, buyers don't go to confirm with their own taste buds." This led to a conversation between the buyer from Sapporo Mitsukoshi, the president of the newly opened store in the basement, and a pastry chef, who visited Chiba-san, saying, "We've never tried Stollen before, so we thought we could hear some helpful stories from you." The end.

I opened it and was surprised by the super large size. The box lid is cleverly closed with a magnet, it's so big. Surrounded by such high-quality chocolates, I reached the climax. When I lifted the strangely thick box, there was another layer. This is a nosebleed-inducing sight even before eating. Each chocolate is exquisite, and the overall balance between the center and couverture is exceptional. My blood sugar level is maxed out, and I can't help but think of words to carve on my tombstone.

I visited a department store during the Valentine's event season to purchase the François Pralus Griotte Cherry, which is only sold here. I was told that this product is not available at any other event. When I put one in my mouth, the sweetness of the sugar-coated cherry and chocolate spread throughout. I was expecting a slightly more acidic taste, but there was no acidity at all. Despite this surprise, the deliciousness and elegance of the chocolate made it worth the trip to buy this unique item.

This is the first store in Japan where you can buy imported chocolates that were previously difficult to obtain. They offer a wide variety of chocolates from overseas chocolatiers that were previously only available at events like Salon du Chocolat or during Valentine's Day. The store is located on the B2F of Ginza Mitsukoshi, right behind Frederic Cassel Ginza Mitsukoshi. They carry popular products from chocolatiers like Frank Kestner, Philippe Bel, Francois Gimenez, Bernachon, and Dubuyer, which sold out quickly at this year's Salon du Chocolat. I purchased the following items: - Philippe Bel Chocolate Assortment 10 pieces for 3,888 yen. Rating: ★★★★★ (5) - The flavors are deep and truly delicious. Each piece is meticulously crafted and of the highest quality. - Francois Gimenez Rose Petal Tablet for 1,944 yen. Rating: ★★★★ (4) - A tablet with sugar-soaked rose petals and hazelnuts, offering a delightful combination of rose aroma and cocoa flavor. The sweet rose petals paired well with the bitter chocolate, and the crunchy hazelnuts were addictive. - Francois Gimenez Chocolate Assortment 8 pieces for 1,836 yen. Rating: ★★★★ (3.5) - A reasonably priced assortment of high-quality chocolates. While not as flavorful as Philippe Bel's assortment, it still offers good value. I wished for a deeper cocoa flavor. During my visit, some items were sold out, but they seem to be importing more from overseas regularly. The Banana Tablet from Frank Kestner and the Griotte Cherry from Francois Gimenez were the most popular at this year's Salon du Chocolat, and the staff mentioned that they sold out on the opening day. However, they plan to restock these items and continue importing them in the future.