Details have been released for the 16th annual chocolate festival, Salon du Chocolat 2018. Themed "La grande adventure du Chocolat," the event will bring together 108 brands of talented chocolatiers and pastry chefs from around the world, primarily from France, for seven days from January 22nd to 28th, 2018, at the Shinjuku NS Building. The Salon du Chocolat's exclusive selection box, a highlight item that sells out every year, will come in three "adventure"-themed varieties. The range includes "Adventure," an assortment of chocolates made by 16 star chefs including Jean-Paul Hevin, Olivier Vidal, Nicolas Bernardet, and Philippe Bel; "5 Sens," in which 12 chefs, including Sébastien Bouillet, Christine Ferber, pastry chef S. Koyama, and Hugo & Victor, each propose chocolates that appeal to the senses in terms of taste, aroma, and texture; and "Terre et Chokolat," a bonbon that combines 10 chocolatiers and cacao-growing regions, including François Jimenez and Le Choco La Deux Hache. All of the ranges come in gorgeous packaging inspired by an "adventure book," a compass, and a world map, making them a must-have for any chocolate fan.

"Adventure"
Another highlight of this year's Salon du Chocolat is that it features 17 first-time brands and five returning brands. Among the promising first-time participants are Antichon by Jerome de Oliviera, a genius who creates teardrop-shaped chocolates and won the Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie at the young age of 23; Quentin Baillet from Lille, who won the Newcomer Award from the Club des Croqueurs de Chocolat, a chocolate enthusiasts' association; Nicolas Irwin, from Normandy, who is the owner and chef of Caramel Paris, a shop that uses caramel in all of its products; and Marlene Couchans, who has a shop in the Belgian city of Ghent and specializes in brightly colored chocolates.

Antition by Jerome de Oliviera
In addition, Patrick Roger, a hugely popular chocolatier on par with Jean-Paul Hévin, will be making his first appearance in five years since 2013. He will be showcasing one-of-a-kind artistic chocolates, including the dome-shaped chocolate that is an essential part of Patrick Roger's creations. It has also been announced that the chocolate brand "NAYUTA CHOCOLATAISA", produced by Isetan Mitsukoshi, will be unveiled, and that some of Japan's leading pastry chefs and chocolatiers, including Sadaharu Aoki, Hironobu Tsujiguchi, and Susumu Koyama of Pâtissier S. Koyama, will be exhibiting.

Patrick Roger
Starting this time, in order to shorten waiting times before entering and alleviate congestion within the venue, a system will be introduced whereby tickets can be purchased online by time slot. Furthermore, the venue will be moved from the previous event, held at the Tokyo International Forum, which attracted approximately 70,000 people, to the Shinjuku NS Building Basement Event Hall. Ticket applications will open at 10:00 AM on December 2nd and will close on a first-come, first-served basis while tickets are sold out. After the event begins at Shinjuku NS Building, it will also be held at Iwataya Main Store (January 25th to February 14th), JR Kyoto Isetan (January 31st to February 14th), Marui Imai Sapporo Main Store (January 31st to February 14th), Nagoya Sakae Mitsukoshi (January 31st to February 14th), and Sendai Mitsukoshi (February 1st to 14th).