Susumu Koyama, producer of "Pâtissier Escoyama," the first Japanese to win the "Best Chocolatier in the Foreign Category" award at the Salon du Chocolat in Paris for two consecutive years, is releasing Valentine's Day items for 2013. The lineup includes a product that won the highest award from France's most prestigious chocolate club, the Club des Croqueurs de Chocolat (C.C.C.), and was praised by the club's vice president as "perfect in every respect: design, use of cacao, taste, aroma, and imagination." This year's theme is "Real Chocolat Myself (Koyama Susumu's true chocolate)." The "C.C.C. Degustation No. 5 2012" (1,500 yen) is a creation that was exhibited at the Salon du Chocolat and C.C.C. This set includes five chocolates made with uniquely Japanese ingredients, such as "Praline Japonaise," made with caramelized golden sesame seeds in ganache, and "NINJA," scented with cherry blossom chips.

The new "Noir Selection" (1,890 yen) features six pitch-black bitter chocolates. Each one is made from cacao from a different region, such as the Dominican Republic or Colombia, allowing you to enjoy a taste that feels like a journey. "Button of Happiness ~Don't lose it!~" (2,100 yen) is a colorful, fruit-flavored button-shaped chocolate made with organic and fair-trade cacao. Both are currently on sale and can be ordered through the Escoyama online shop.

The directly managed store will reopen on February 4th. The store was designed by Yukio Hashimoto, a world-renowned interior designer who has designed The Peninsula Tokyo and other hotels.