Every year around Valentine’s Day the best chocolates get unveiled. No matter how busy I am, I can’t not make the rounds.

The giant clock at Nippon TV (Nittele)

It puts on a little show-like performance, and it’s worth watching.

A view of Shinbashi

Lovely view.

The event floor at Matsuya department store

I went round several department stores, and Matsuya and Mitsukoshi had the best setups.

This is the pâtissier from Théobroma

Quite a few pâtissiers were out on the floor signing autographs.

Chocofino

The design was so pretty I bought one.

After looking around Ginza for a while, I went via Daimaru on to Nihonbashi.

The view from Daimaru

Yvan Valentin was already sold out.

To get their chocolates you have to come out early in the morning, but this year I didn’t have the time. You only get one chance a year, so I’ll have to try again next year.

VESTRI

They make very clean, refined chocolates.

At Liquors Hasegawa, where I stopped in along the way, I tried some grappa.

Berta’s Magia is pretty good, but the price is no joke.

This is Takashimaya

Maison Chaudun’s wristwatch chocolate was calling my name…

Okada Museum of Art chocolate

Chocolates printed with Japanese paintings of astonishing quality, but the day’s stock was already sold out.

Pierre Marcolini chocolates

Inside, it looks like this…

Chocofino

Inside

Pretty, and the taste is good too.

Théobroma

The illustration was so cute I couldn’t not buy it.

Compartés

I bought this one for its fresh design too, but the taste was meh… American chocolate, as ever…

Pierre Hermé

Tokyo Skytree limited-edition cookies.

Chocolat Rose

It’s from Chocolat Royal Fruit, a brand of the Western-style confectioner Rokumeikan; pretty, and the fruit flavours are really intense. Well made.

Seikotei

I bought it because the illustration was cute, and it tastes good too. Should have picked up a few more…

As always, Valentine’s Day didn’t disappoint this year either. White Day, on the other hand, really had nothing much to offer…

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