The Jane × Cacaogoto Antwerp, Belgium 2026 At The Jane — a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Antwerp, Belgium — we held a collaboration event with Cacaogoto. The theme of the evening: ichigo ichie. The Japanese understanding that no encounter, however familiar the ingredients or the setting, can ever be repeated. Through cacao as a single shared material, we asked: how do European and Japanese sensibilities meet? That night at The Jane was a space to explore the answer. Nick

Where the Future of Cacao Is Debated Amsterdam, Netherland 2026 Chocoa is an international event that brings together cacao producers, chocolate makers, researchers, and buyers from around the world — a gathering where the future of the cacao industry, sustainability, and new possibilities for chocolate are openly discussed. This year, Cacaogoto participated not only with a booth, but also as a speaker in a session themed "Technology & Innovation in Chocolate," and led a hand

Yaoundé, Cameroon 2025 Before visiting Cameroon, I had heard that cacao from the region faced significant challenges in quality and management. It was my first time visiting a cacao-producing country in Africa, and I had no clear picture of what I would find. The first thing I noticed upon landing was the red earth. When I think of cacao-growing land, I imagine deep green. Cameroon was something different. I would later come to understand that this red soil plays its own role

Mörk Chocolate × Cacaogoto Melbourne, Australia 2025 Melbourne is a city that takes seriously the question of what chocolate can be as a drink. This visit began with Giselle Weybrecht — a sustainability researcher and devoted hot chocolate enthusiast I had met at the cacao masterclass in the Dominican Republic — who invited me to a chocolate event in Melbourne. It was Giselle who then connected me with Josephin, the owner of Melbourne hot chocolate brand Mörk Chocolate, which

Eight Days at the Dominican Republic Cacao Masterclass San Francisco de Macorrís, Dominican Republic 2023 This was five months before Cacaogoto came into being. I had left my previous work and was in the middle of reconsidering where I was going — when the opportunity came to join a cacao masterclass in the Dominican Republic. More than searching for something, it may have been a journey to confirm what was already inside me. Cacao Professionals From Around the World, in the

Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands 2024 Cacaogoto imports cacao beans from the Solomon Islands. Through that relationship, we were given the opportunity to visit as part of a program supported by the Australian government. More than twenty hours each way from Japan. In this country of abundant nature and living cultural diversity, a journey began — one of meeting the people and the stories behind cacao. A Farmer Filled with Passion for Cacao The first place we visited was Amazing G

The First Place Cacaogoto Stood Before the World Paris, France 2023–2025 Salon du Chocolat — one of the world's largest chocolate events, held in Paris. A gathering of chocolatiers, chocolate brands, and cacao professionals from around the globe. Cacaogoto participated for three consecutive years, beginning in 2023. We exhibited as part of the Japan Bean-to-Bar Association — but for Cacaogoto, it was also the first time the brand was introduced to the world. 2023 — Cacaogoto,

Before chocolate reaches the mouth, the aroma arrives first. In the moment you bring it close, something spreads — quietly shaping the expectation of what is about to be tasted. Aroma is the entrance to flavor. But aroma is invisible. It can be felt, yet resists words. When you try to share it with someone, something always remains unsaid. The Ko no Zu — Cacaogoto's original aroma chart — was made to give that invisible thing a form the eye can follow. A Hint from the Genji-K

Drinking chocolate. The idea is not, in fact, a new one. Cacao has been intertwined with human life since ancient times — as a drink. Used in ceremony, in medicine, as daily nourishment: liquid cacao runs through a long and unbroken history. It was only much later that sweet, solid chocolate spread across the world. Cacao Ippuku is a return to that origin. Why Whisk It with a Chasen? Pour hot water over 100% cacao chocolate. On its own, the fat in cacao and the water will not

The Questions the Cacao World Is Still Asking — and the Connections Between Them Porto, Portugal 2023 The cacao world holds questions that have not yet been answered. Porto was where I found myself standing in the middle of that conversation. Chocolat Portugal — an international chocolate event held in Porto. A gathering of cacao professionals from around the world, each bringing their own perspective to the question of where cacao is heading. The event was led by Vinte Vinte

I had always assumed chocolate melts. The slow dissolving on the tongue. The aroma that opens in that moment. That was what chocolate was, and I never thought to question it. But a question arose. What if melting means something is lost? An Aroma That Cannot Arrive Fine cacao carries floral notes, fruit, the complexity that comes from fermentation. Yet in warm climates, chocolate is often ruled out before it can be tasted — simply because it melts. And as it loses its form, p