Salon du Chocolat
If you love sweets — chocolate in particular — Japan in the weeks before Valentine’s Day is definitely a great place to be. Ever since chocolate makers in Japan managed to make it a widespread tradition for women to give chocolates to men on Valentine’s Day, it’s become an annual event to see chocolates being sold at shops everywhere starting in late January, with numerous special promotions and appearances by “celebrity chocolatiers” to heighten the excitement leading up to the big V-day.
Yes, for chocolate lovers, it’s a blissful time of year — there’s nothing quite like stepping into a department store and seeing a huge space filled with chocolates of all shapes and sizes while being surrounded by the rich, earthy scent of cacao. But now that Valentine’s Day is over, we may be developing a case of the post-Valentine’s blues, so to console ourselves, we’ve put together a collection of photos showcasing some of the most memorable chocolate items we saw this Valentine’s season in Japan.
Many of our readers have probably guessed that Japan has a passion for chocolate. But each year in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day, which is when women in Japan customarily give men gifts of chocolate, that passion has a tendency to turn into outright frenzy. Spend time in Japan before Valentine’s Day, and you’ll see countless special chocolate products and dedicated vending areas in every shopping mall and department store. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the Valentine chocolate madness has now officially begun in Japan, and what better place to experience the excitement than Tokyo’s own production of the world’s biggest chocolate festival, the Salon du Chocolat? Join us on a tour of the event and see what all the sweet fuss is about — if you’re a chocolate lover, you just might think you’ve died and gone to chocolate heaven!



The average age of Japan’s hikikomori shut-ins is getting older, survey shows
Studio Ghibli releases crystal glass paperweights featuring Totoro and the Catbus
Samurai Coffee: Try Edo period coffee once enjoyed by Japanese warriors
Japan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
Sega opening 65th anniversary store in downtotn Tokyo with deep-cut game merch
Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
Viral tweet suggests Japanese convenience store ripping off customers with donuts, so we investigate
Studio Ghibli releases new anime keychains that are like miniature figurines
Retro-style Evangelion T-shirts coming to Uniqlo sister brand GU[Photos]
Lipton releases… Pudding Milk Tea in Japan?!?
Brand-new Square Enix Cafe to open in Tokyo…and in Los Angeles too!
New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Hello Kitty is now a transforming truck robot[Photos]
Dorayaki from 89-year-old Japanese confectionery shop is one of the best sweets hidden in Tokyo
What are the worst things about living in the Japanese countryside?[Survey]
Tifa’s Final Fantasy VII bar is going to pop up in real-world Tokyo
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Wisteria season starts early with blooming of Japan’s Great Wisteria in its beautiful garden
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Japan’s best conveyor belt sushi restaurant of seven years ago has now, finally, come to Tokyo
Brand-new Pokémon manhole covers coming to help the recovery of a disaster-stricken part of Japan
Japan’s awesomely beautiful Alpen Route snow corridor is now open
Injuries on stairs in Tokyo highlight an overlooked design flaw
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
Viral tweet suggests Japanese convenience store ripping off customers with donuts, so we investigate
Studio Ghibli releases new anime keychains that are like miniature figurines
Retro-style Evangelion T-shirts coming to Uniqlo sister brand GU[Photos]
Lipton releases… Pudding Milk Tea in Japan?!?
Dorayaki from 89-year-old Japanese confectionery shop is one of the best sweets hidden in Tokyo
New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet
Japan’s Mister Donut Japan tries its hand at Taiwanese-style street food donuts
Live-action Ghibli Princess Mononoke stage play tickets are now on sale
49-year-old Japanese shut-in spends weeks living with corpse of mother who died at home
Tifa’s Final Fantasy VII bar is going to pop up in real-world Tokyo
Bandai cancels gacha/blind-buy system for anime cosmetics, will let fans choose what they buy
Shinto shrine will bless your bike helmet and give you a sacred bike helmet stamp
Studio Ghibli releases new My Neighbor Totoro Plate for 2026