Salon du Chocolat 2016, a Parisian chocolate festival, will be held at the Shinjuku NS Building from January 27th to 31st. A press preview was held on the 26th, just before the opening, and a large number of reporters gathered early in the morning. Appearing at the start of the event were François Jeantet and Sylvie Douce, organizers of the Parisian Salon du Chocolat, as well as chocolate ambassador and presenter/essayist Eriko Kusuda, and Taiyo Onishi, president of Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings. Jeantet and Sylvie expressed their excitement about the 14th edition of the event in Tokyo, saying, "This year, we've shed light on the current trends in chocolate. You'll discover a new generation of chocolatiers." President Onishi added, "The event owes its success to the many pastry chefs and chocolatiers who contribute new ideas and product developments every year." Kusuda, a self-proclaimed chocolate lover who has never gone a day without eating chocolate, appeared in a chic brown outfit reminiscent of chocolate. When asked when she likes to eat chocolate, she said, "Chocolate in the morning activates the brain, while chocolate in the afternoon has the effect of relieving fatigue. I usually have it as a dessert after dinner, but when I'm worried about my weight, I limit myself to about half a tablet of chocolate with 70% or more cacao. Otherwise, I'll eat about seven bonbons from my favorite chocolatier." The press preview also featured a "Chocolate Fashion Show" exploring the relationship between cacao and humans. Designers and chocolatiers teamed up to create looks inspired by ancient, medieval, and futuristic themes. Real chocolate was used for the lace, feathers, and headpieces on the costumes, and the skillful techniques used wowed the audience. The futuristic look was decorated with three-dimensional motifs made from chocolate using a 3D printer, representing the fusion of "fashion x chocolate x technology." The chocolate dresses unveiled at the show will be on display at the venue for the duration of the show.
On this day, 53 chocolatiers participating in the Salon du Chocolat gathered at the venue, and were seen expressing great joy at the opening of the festival.
