The Salon du Chocolat, the chocolate festival held in Japan for the 12th time, is a popular annual event that sees people lining up first on the first day to purchase the luxurious Selection Box, a box filled with chocolates from popular chocolatiers.

Five types of Selection Boxes will be available for 2014. Based on the event theme "La Magie: The Magic of Chocolat," the Selection La Magie (7,350 yen) expresses the fantasy world surrounding chocolate, and features 15 M.O.F. (Meilleur Ouvrier des Fédérations de France) recipients, including Jean-Paul Hévin, Sébastien Bouillet, Jean-Charles Rocher, Fabrice Girod, and Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki Paris. The boxes have a unique design in which the chocolatiers pop out dressed as wizards. As a new initiative, "Origin France" (5,250 yen) will be introduced, taking a fresh look at the rich terroir of France, the birthplace of Salon du Chocolat. The box, which features the work of 10 of France's most renowned pastry chefs and chocolatiers, including Frank Kästner, Arnaud Larher, and Christine Ferber, features 10 types of bonbons made with French ingredients like blackcurrant and rosemary. The box features an Eiffel Tower design by François Jeantet, organizer of the Paris Salon du Chocolat. Other items in the lineup include the Paris Salon du Chocolat Official Box (2,940 yen), the "Selection Les" (3,990 yen), which brings together milk chocolates—a staple item that remains popular among Japanese people—and the "Charity Box" (2,625 yen), which expresses support for the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. Last year's charity box featured an original illustration by Mizushiro Setona, the author of the manga "Shitsuren Chocolatier," which became a hot topic. This year's charity box features an original illustration by popular illustrator Taima Takashi, with the theme "The Power of Children."

Some of the Salon du Chocolat items will be available to order online from January 15th, ahead of the event.