Wagashi, a traditional Japanese sweet that incorporates Japanese culture, is now gaining attention in Western countries. In Paris, France, a powerhouse of gourmet food and a land of sweets, we visited beloved Japanese sweet shops and artisans in Paris to learn more about the region's traditional sweets.

A Japanese sweets artisan who has lived in France for 10 years explains:
What is the relationship between film and "dorayaki"?

After visiting famous and new Japanese sweets shops, we visited Murata Takanori, a Japanese sweets artisan active in Paris.

Murata studied Japanese sweets at a confectionery school and trained at a long-established Japanese sweets shop in Kyoto. He then moved to Paris, where his brother, a Western-style pastry chef, was training. He worked as a wagashi artisan at the one-star Michelin-starred high-end Japanese restaurant "Aida," and later founded "Pâtisserie Tomo" with Romain Gaillat.



Murata Takanori, a Japanese confectioner in Paris
©️KOJIMA



Murata kneads bean paste in a copper pot. It is an important work tool that he has been using for over a decade.


"It's been 10 years since I came here for a little while," laughs Murata. When asked what sparked the interest in Japanese sweets, or rather bean paste, in Paris, he says, "In recent years, Japanese sweets have been gaining attention due to the global health boom. However, what had a big impact on the dorayaki at Pâtisserie Tomo was the movie 'An' starring Kawase Naomi. Thanks to the movie, more people have become interested in bean paste and dorayaki." Murata also adds that when Roman, a Frenchman who loves Japanese sweets, opened the shop, "it made Japanese sweets feel more familiar to the people of France."



"Leave the dorayaki to us!" He also helped with the live Japanese sweets performance at Japonismes 2018.

We want to offer authentic Japanese sweets that will satisfy even the French.

He is currently preparing to open his own Japanese sweets shop, "TAKANORI MURATA PARIS," next year. "In Paris, there are more and more people who appreciate the deliciousness of bean paste, and who prefer Japanese sweets made with rice flour, which is low in allergens. Many French people also like rice cake sweets, which have a chewy texture. Having worked in Paris for a long time, I have come to understand the tastes of the French. Based on this, I would like to make this a store that offers more authentic Japanese sweets."



Murata's creations include Champagne-flavored kudzu manju, dorayaki, roasted chestnuts from France, and mustard seed daifuku.
©️KOJIMA



『TAKANORI MURATA TAKANORI MURATA PARIS also wants to offer the beautiful Japanese sweet "Hyouka" at its Paris location.
©️KOJIMA




The day when the Parisian Japanese sweets shop "TAKANORI MURATA PARIS" will become a hot topic is surely not far off.





Interview and text by Mori Yukiko

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She often interviews long-established Edo businesses and artisans, and is a fan of sumo, kabuki, rakugo and Edo culture.
She currently writes a column called "Adult Edo Walks" for the online magazine "Kurashi to Oshare no Editorial Office" (Shufunotomosha). She plans to start a series on Japanese sweets in 2019.