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Nestled in the city of Nirasaki in Yamanashi Prefecture—located near the heart of Japan and home to the iconic Mt. Fuji—Ishida Pâtisserie proudly celebrated its first anniversary in March 2025.
The mastermind behind this charming pâtisserie is Chef Kohei ISHIDA. Although he had no prior ties to Nirasaki, the shop he opened just a year ago has become a beloved local favorite, often selling out soon after opening. We couldn’t be happier to see our longtime friend and collaborator find such sweet success.
In this blog, we touch on diverse topics about Japanese food cultures, practices together with the culinary secret, TREHA®, and its important role in the Japanese food industry. We hope our blog helps you obtain in-depth knowledge of the secrets and science behind Japanese cuisine, shared from our kitchen, to yours.
Our First Encounter with Chef Ishida
Our journey with Chef Ishida began back in 2016 in Fontainebleau, France. During a visit to Frédéric CASSEL, then president of Relais Desserts, an elite association of world-renowned pastry chefs. When we were presenting TREHA®, Chef Ishida happened to stop by. At the time, he was sous-chef at Ducobu, a prestigious Relais Desserts member in Belgium. Over time, he visited our lab in Tokyo several times, deepening his understanding of TREHA® and its applications in fine pâtisserie.
Note: Relais Desserts is a France-based global association of distinguished patissiers and chocolatiers. Since April 2019, Nagase Viita Co., Ltd., the manufacturer of TREHA®, has been proudly serving as a premium supplier. Nagase Viita is the only Japanese company among the sponsors.
Silver Medal Moment
In 2019, while serving as the head chef at Arnaud Larher Tokyo, another Relais Desserts member, Chef Ishida entered the first Trophée International de la Pâtisserie Chocolaterie Française in Paris. Encouraged by his mentor, Chef Norihiko TERAI, he took on this grueling three-day competition held during Salon du Chocolat, where chefs were tasked with creating traditional French pastries live before an audience.
Team TREHA® joined him on-site, supporting his efforts as he reimagined classic French confections enhanced with his own creative vision and the delicate touch of TREHA®. Under intense pressure, he delivered with grace and earned a Silver Medal.
His creation, the elegant “Les Hommages”, was later featured on the cover of CACAO + TREHA® as tribute to the mentors who helped shape his career.
Opening Day and the Dream Behind It
After returning to Japan and a tenure as head chef of Sébastien BOUILLET TOKYO (official member of Relais Desserts), Chef Ishida launched his own pâtisserie in March 2024. He chose the town of Nirasaki, a place connected to his time with Arnaud Larher, and which resonated with him during a visit to Yamanashi Prefecture. Despite years of training in Europe, he opted for a Japanese name, Ishida Seiyō Kashiten (Ishida Western Sweets Shop), preferring to avoid having to explain its meaning to customers. It's a name that reflects his straightforward personality—simple, honest, and strong.
Why Nirasaki, rather than Tokyo or his hometown of Osaka? Because of the space it offered. Chef Ishida had long dreamed of displaying his collection of antique balancing scales gathered during his European years. Nirasaki allowed him the space to build custom shelves for this unique, nostalgic display.
Middle: Antique balance scales carefully displayed on custom-made shelves.
Right: Even the shop cards rest on top of a vintage scale.
Despite the lingering winter chill, a long line of anticipated customers formed outside on the opening day. To keep them warm, Chef Ishida personally served about 200 cups of hot chocolate, a thoughtful gesture that captured the warmth of the occasion. The opening day was filled with excitement and genuine local support.
One Year Later
A year has flown by. Team TREHA® returned to Nirasaki to celebrate the first anniversary. The shop was bustling, just as before.
In a heartfelt gesture, Chef Ishida recreated Les Hommages for the occasion. Featured in a photo frame on the shop’s wall, this delicate piece has been generating customers’ curiosity for its availability. Due to its complexity, this item would not regularly sit in the display case, but the chef made around 80 pieces on the day when we visited. Later we learned that they sold out almost instantly.
Tasting Les Hommages again after nearly five years was unforgettable. Everything including the flavor, the finesse was all there, now infused with a deeper sense of confidence and mastery.
[Recipe page] Les Hommages (Ganache Filled Torte with Apricot Glaze)
Right: Mount Fuji viewed from the Nirasaki train platform.
Ishida Seiyō Kashiten (Ishida Western Sweets Shop)
2-10-8 , Honcho, Nirasaki-shi, Yamanashi, 407-0024, Japan
Instagram: ishida_seiyougashi
Special Offer
Would you like your own copy of CACAO + TREHA®, featuring Chef Ishida’s Les Hommages and other inspiring chocolate-based recipes? Please reach out via our CONTACT US page and include the phrase “Read Chef Ishida’s article – request for CACAO + TREHA® ” in the inquiry form.
Please click here to finalize your request.
＊This exclusive booklet is available upon request for business and professional use only. In our commitment to safeguarding proprietary information, we kindly request your business identification when inquiring for a copy.
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You might also be interested in:
Nagase Viita Co., Ltd. (former “Hayashibara Co., Ltd,”), the manufacturer of TREHA®, has been the first Japanese “premium supplier” of Relais Desserts since April, 2019. (Link)
