The life of Toshihiko Yoroizuka, the owner and pastry chef of "Toshi Yoroizuka", is a constant series of challenges. Even when faced with headwinds of opposition from those around him, he sticks to his beliefs and never gives in. Where does that mental strength and courage come from? We spoke to him about the birth of Japan's leading patisserie, "Toshi Yoroizuka", and his vision for the future.

Before the job of pastry chef was recognized, he decided to enter the world of Western confectionery.

As a child, Yoroizuka was captivated by French cuisine he saw on TV and dreamed of becoming a chef one day. After graduating from high school, he took a different job, but then decided to take on the path of pastry chef, a profession that was not yet recognized at the time.

"One reason is that I've loved sweets since I was a child, but I also think that working in the field of Western-style confectionery wasn't that common at the time," he says.

"I've always loved sweets since I was little, but perhaps I was drawn to it precisely because it was a world that not many people knew about."

After training in Japan, he went to Europe and studied in Switzerland, Austria, France, Belgium, etc.

During the eight years I spent working at famous stores, I not only gained the skills to be a Western-style pastry chef, but also the opportunity to strengthen my mentality and learn gratitude.

"The days when you could go overseas and encounter techniques and materials you'd never seen before and have a wealth of eye-opening experiences ended with our master's time. When I trained, overseas techniques and materials had already been introduced to Japan. However, living in a foreign country where I couldn't speak the language and had no connections, I had to search for work, find housing, and struggle to even make a living. It made me mentally stronger and gave me the opportunity to experience the kindness of many people."

So, I asked him whether young people today should also go abroad for training.

It is not necessary to study abroad. It all depends on the individual's will.

"If you have a clear goal or objective, then you should go. But if you only want to go if the opportunity arises, then I think it's better not to go. After all, you won't get an invitation from a patisserie in Paris saying, "Please come to our house."

Certainly, such a dramatic development is unlikely to occur anytime soon.

"In reality, I don't think there is much difference in the technology involved in Western confectionery between Japan and overseas. In fact, Japan is superior in terms of hygiene and other aspects. If you are thinking of opening a shop in Japan, you should learn the basics properly here, save up some money, and open a shop in Japan. If you can't find anything in Japan and are thinking that you might find something if you go overseas, there's no need to go overseas," he says, but he also adds that if you are determined to run a confectionery shop overseas for the long term, you should go as soon as possible.

Japan's leading pastry chef believes in his instincts and forges ahead

After undergoing various training periods, Toshi Yoroizuka opened a counter dessert specialty shop with only six seats in Ebisu, Tokyo in 2004. I was surprised to hear that the shop was named "Sokuteki" (instant decision).

"When I was starting my shop, I consulted with someone who had helped me about a name for the shop, and they said, 'The name doesn't matter. No matter how uncool the name is, if you're cool, the name will be cool too. Conversely, no matter how cool the name is, if you're uncool, the name will be uncool too.' I thought, 'I see, in that case, it doesn't matter what name you have!' and decided on it."

This is not just the store name, but also the store logo. Apparently, the idea that was quickly created by someone working on behalf of Yoroizuka, who was unable to use a computer at the time, was adopted as is.

However, the store's black and white logo for "Toshi Yoroizuka" met with considerable opposition from those around the store.

"In Japan, white and black are the colors of mourning. Western-style sweets are eaten on happy occasions, so many people opposed me, saying that I should absolutely stop," but Yoroizuka remained steadfast in his belief.

The same goes for the restaurant's insistence on having a six-seat counter dessert section.

"People around me told me it was a classic example of failure (laughs). They said there was no way it would be profitable because the average customer spend would be low and turnover would be poor."

Many pastry chefs want to do counter desserts. However, most give up because it is not profitable. However, Yoroizuka's challenge this time created long lines every day.

"In truth, I'm still not making any profit (laughs). But, counter desserts are my face and my policy, so I have no intention of quitting."

For Yoroizuka, expression trumps the profits his shop makes.

"There are no good or bad decisions. When you make a decision, it's important to erase from your mind all the elements that you did not choose, believe in the path you have chosen, and work hard. If you fail, it's not because your decision was wrong, but because you didn't put in enough effort afterwards."

Sticking to your own style will change how others perceive you

Yoroizuka-san is always at the forefront of the industry. In order to stay at the top, does he feel a sense of mission and pressure to always create new sweets? When I asked him this, he looked at me with a puzzled expression.

"There was a pistachio fad a few years ago, but I've been making pistachio crème brûlée for the past 20 years. I find it a little unpleasant to be called a fad, because fads come to an end. But deliciousness is timeless."

Truly delicious things remain the same even if their appearance changes. The sweets made by the generations before Yoroizuka, who paved the way for Western confectionery, and the classic cakes of old-fashioned cake shops, are still as delicious as ever.

"I'm proud that the sweets I've been making for 20 years without making any changes are still as delicious as ever. That's the Toshi Yoroizuka souffle. At first, people would say to me, 'Isn't this undercooked?' But now customers come from all over Japan wanting to eat that souffle. I think it's important to stick to your own style and not be swayed by trends."

He felt that Western sweets had evolved, but that was in terms of appearance and ingredients, and the sensibility of what is delicious certainly did not change. He stuck to his own unique style without wavering. Eventually, it became a standard and was established as a brand.

Seven dreams to pursue. One of them is to revitalize the primary industry and local areas.

Yoroizuka-san is not afraid to try new things. In 2010, he opened "Toshi Yoroizuka Cacao Farm" in Ecuador. In 2011, he opened "Ichiyajo Yoroizuka Farm", a patisserie and restaurant with a farm of about 2000mXNUMX on the top of Ishigakiyama in Odawara.

Yoroizuka says that these activities are based on seven dreams. He didn't tell me what they were, but one of them is to deepen ties with local farms and farmers and to aim for regional revitalization.

"Agriculture is the foundation of human life. If we don't value it, I worry about what will happen to us in the future. I feel very indignant at the trend of attention being focused only on new technologies like AI, and of neglecting agriculture and fishing. Don't we want to have more respect for the people involved in the primary industries?" Yoroizuka says with emphasis.

Currently, in order to revitalize local areas, he serves as an advisor and consultant to six prefectures, and frequently travels to local areas to deepen his interactions with farmers and work together with them to solve problems.

"When we say we're supporting farmers, it has to be a win-win relationship for both parties. It's not like it's just a volunteer thing; we think that unless it's a relationship that benefits both parties, it's meaningless. We purchase non-standard agricultural products at low prices, make delicious Western-style sweets, and spread the appeal of the fruits and vegetables, thereby contributing to the farmers and the prefecture."

Recently, interest in the primary industry has increased due to issues such as rice problems, but there are many aspects that are not visible when living in the city. Yoroizuka goes to the local area to interact with farmers, experience the issues he sees and hears there, and face them. From there, he is taking on the future of the Western confectionery industry and regional revitalization with his own ideas.

From the regions to Japan, and from Japan to Asia. What can be done through confectionery?

Along with his efforts to revitalize regional areas, Yoroizuka's eyes seem to be spreading further towards Asia.

"The various challenges faced are not unique to Japan; they are the same throughout Asia. I believe that there are things that can be gained and overcome by Asia coming together. Although this is solely through making sweets, I have a constant desire to contribute to peace in Asia. Wouldn't it be great if we could eliminate the barriers between nations and join hands to lead the way to a more peaceful world?"

His eagerness to tackle anything is admirable. However, Yoroizuka says that the more famous he becomes, the more criticism he hears.

"I am deliberately trying to increase the opportunities to post on social media and other platforms, but at the same time, the meaning of the words I say is not conveyed correctly, and the media sometimes writes about me in a way that is different from how I intended. I wonder why this happens, but I intend to continue saying what I want to say and not change my attitude of following the path I believe in."

At the heart of Yoroizuka's activities is simply to provide delicious sweets and bring happiness to as many people as possible.

Toshihiko Yoroizuka

Born in Uji, Kyoto Prefecture in 1965. After training at a hotel in the Kansai region, he went to Europe. He spent eight years training in Switzerland, Austria, France, and Belgium. He returned to Japan after serving as the first Japanese chef patissier at a three-star restaurant in Europe. In 8, he opened "Toshi Yoroizuka" in Ebisu, a six-seat counter dessert restaurant. He then opened "Toshi Yoroizuka MIDTOWN", a 2004-seat counter dessert restaurant with an emphasis on a live atmosphere, in Roppongi, and "Atelier Yoroizuka" near Yawatayama Station in Suginami Ward. He also established "Yoroizuka Farm Ecuador", a cacao farm in Ecuador, South America, with the aim of becoming the first company in the world to produce chocolate in-house, starting from the fields. Realizing his long-held dream, in 6 he opened "Yoroizuka Farm", a restaurant and patisserie with a farm of over 14m2011 at the top of Ishigakiyama in Odawara, and in 2000 he opened "Yoroizuka Farm TOKYO" in Shibuya Hikarie, aiming to collaborate with local farmers. He is committed to revitalizing agriculture and local areas through sweets. In 2012, he also launched Toshi Healthy Sweets, specializing in low-carb sweets.

Mio Shimamura

Representative, publisher and editor-in-chief of Premium Japan. After working at a foreign advertising agency, he held positions in charge of marketing and PR at top brands such as Walt Disney, Harry Winston, and Tiffany & Co. In 2013, he founded Russo Co., Ltd. He handles PR for various top brands. Because his parents' home was an environment that taught Japanese culture such as tea ceremony and kimono dressing, he acquired the business rights to Premium Japan in 2017 and established Premium Japan Co., Ltd. in 2018.