Hoshino Resorts Karuizawa Hotel Bleston Court will be hosting "Saison de Chocolat 2019," a Valentine's Day chocolate experience, on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from February 1st to 24th, and from February 11th to 14th. Discover new chocolate delights with a chocolate dessert course, afternoon tea, and recommended gift items.


Unlike Japan, where chocolates are traditionally given on Valentine's Day, in the West, people give bouquets of flowers to their loved ones. Inspired by this tradition, the floral-themed dessert course, "Fleur de Chocolat," features three desserts, all of which are made with chocolate, each delicately and beautifully crafted like a flower.

"Fleur de Chocolat" 1st Item: "Jasmine Scent"

The first item, "Jasmine Scent," is a white chocolate and hassaku orange dessert. It is made with a light and refreshing hassaku orange jelly layered with smooth white chocolate mousse and jasmine-scented ice cream. The second item, "Temptation of Roses," is a parfait made to resemble a cherry chocolate cake, Forêt Noire. It features rich chocolate cake, chocolate sorbet, cocoa nib-flavored ice cream, and sour cherries, all served in a glass. Finished with rose-scented white cream and rose petals, this dish is gorgeous in both appearance and aroma.

The third dish is "Chocolate Garden." There are 10 varieties of mignardises, bite-sized chocolate pastries resembling delicately blooming flowers. They are so delicate you might hesitate to eat them, including a strawberry tart decorated with rose petals, a Saint Honore cake coated in violet cream, and a leaf-shaped mille-feuille. By the end of the course, your heart will be filled with a feeling of happiness, like receiving a bouquet of flowers. The third dish, "Chocolate Garden," can also be ordered individually. It will be available from February 1st to 3rd and 8th to 14th, and advance reservations are also accepted.

"Forest Afternoon Tea - Winter"
The adorable and Instagram-worthy "Forest Afternoon Tea - Winter" is served in a wooden box designed to resemble a winter grove, and is filled with bite-sized chocolate sweets, madeleine sandwiches made with yuzu and beetroot kneaded into the dough, mini burgers, steamed vegetables in cocottes, charcuterie (sausages and pâté), and other finger foods. Enjoy it at your leisure with a hot black or herbal tea. The tea is available from the 15th to the 17th and the 22nd to the 24th in February, and is by reservation only. Reservations must be made by 3 pm the day before.

"Chocolate Gateau"
"Chocolate Gateau" will also be available, combining seasonal fruits. This chocolate and yuzu cake features a rich chocolate cream with the refreshing flavor of yuzu. It will be available from February 15th to 17th and from February 22nd to 24th.

In addition, the pairing menu "Three Types of Bonbon Chocolate and Specialty Coffee" allows you to enjoy bite-sized chocolates even more deliciously, allowing you to savor your chocolate with coffee supervised by Maruyama Coffee, which is renowned for its specialty coffee. It will be available on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from February 1st to 24th, and from the 11th to the 14th.

"Bonbon Chocolat" (6 pieces for 1,800 yen)
For Valentine's Day gifts, "Bonbon Chocolat" (6 pieces for 1,800 yen) will be available. Each piece is a set of bite-sized bonbon chocolates, combining seasonal ingredients such as apricots in the summer and wild grapes in the autumn, and the six pieces together will take you on a journey through Shinshu.
Also available as baked goods exclusive to this event are the "Chocolate Kougelhupf" (1,600 yen), a kougelhupf shaped like Mount Asama, a symbol of Karuizawa, made with chocolate and juicy Kyoho grapes, and the "Chocolate Petit Four Box" (12 pieces for 1,000 yen, 24 pieces for 2,000 yen), an assortment of petit fours combining chocolate with Japanese ingredients such as buckwheat noodles, Japanese pepper, and chili pepper. The sale period is Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from February 1st to 24th, and from the 11th to the 14th.
During the event, the hotel's courtyard will be decorated with the theme of "hygge," a Nordic lifestyle that means "cozy space and time." The "Hygge Hus" will be decorated with Nordic furniture and himmeli, a symbol of happiness, and the surrounding trees will be decorated with large yarn balls, creating a Nordic world. The Lounge will also introduce the Swedish lifestyle of "FIKA," where guests can enjoy coffee with chocolate. Guests can enjoy a blissful time with chocolate and coffee in front of a warm fireplace.