Kyoto-based RAU Patisserie & Chocolate announces its 2026 Valentine's limited collection, available at their store, official online shop, and Valentine's event locations. The collection showcases the artistry of two award-winning chefs who recently achieved a historic milestone in French culinary recognition.
Historic Recognition: La Liste 2025
RAU operates under the concept "scenes into shapes," continuously creating innovative sweets inspired by visual imagery. In June 2025, Chef Pâtissier Yusuke Matsushita and Chef Chocolatière Sachi Takagi achieved a remarkable feat: they became the only Japanese patisserie selected among 36 groups from 18 countries in the prestigious French "LA LISTE."
This world-renowned recognition has established the duo as leaders in the patisserie world, and their 2026 Valentine's collection reflects this level of excellence, offering artistically crafted chocolates and layered flavors perfect for gifting loved ones or treating yourself.
Sachi Takagi's New Products
Sachi Takagi's raw chocolates are plant-based, made with in-house bean-to-bar chocolate. Using organic cacao that the chef personally selected during visits to Costa Rica, these chocolates achieve a fresh yet rich flavor without using cream or butter—relying solely on plant-based ingredients.
Cookie Tin 2026 Version
An assortment of eight original cookies including last year's popular coconut sable and cacao butter cookies (strawberry flavor), plus six new varieties.
- Price: 3,456 yen (tax included)
- Release Date: January 20 (Tuesday)
Hanatsumi Cookies 2026 Version
An assortment capturing the excitement of picking flowers in a field. Small flower-shaped cookies line up adorably, each piece encapsulating the distinct flavors of its ingredients.
- Price: 1,080 yen (tax included)
- Release Date: January 20 (Tuesday)
Hanatsumi Jelly 2026 Version
Sachi Takagi proudly presents this year's pâte de fruit collection. Features three varieties: elegant and refined lychee, deeply sweet and sour raspberry, and pear with its rich, pleasant aroma.
- Price: 1,080 yen (tax included)
- Release Date: January 20 (Tuesday)
Sachi Takagi's Recommended Products
RAU's New Products
"Nami-Nami" is a wave-shaped cream-filled sable inspired by the shared cultural element of tiled roofs in Japan and France. Made with bean-to-bar chocolate using organic cacao that the chef personally selected in Costa Rica, and filled with various textured creams, this popular RAU product has been loved across generations since its release and has become a favorite Kyoto souvenir.
Nami-Nami 3-Piece Assortment
A limited assortment box featuring three varieties including the new "Café au Lait" flavor. The limited-edition packaging features blue-gray with gold foil accents, creating a luxurious finish perfect for gifting.
- Price: 2,700 yen (tax included)
- Release Date: Late January
Nami-Nami 6-Piece Assortment
A six-variety set featuring "Café au Lait," limited-edition flavors "Strawberry & Rose" and "Coffee & Citrus," plus popular favorites "Praline," "Matcha," and "Chocolate." Comes in the same limited-edition packaging.
- Price: 4,860 yen (tax included)
- Release Date: January 20 (Tuesday)
Gateau Chocolat Two-Flavor Set
Rich gateau chocolat using several varieties of original bean-to-bar chocolate. Luxuriously blends RAU's distinctive chocolates including bitter, milk, and plant-based milk varieties. A set of three pieces featuring two flavors: Caramel (2 pieces) and Orange (1 piece).
- Price: 1,944 yen (tax included)
- Release Date: Now available
- Note: Available individually at 648 yen at RAU Patisserie & Chocolate on the 3rd floor of GNS
RAU's Recommended Products
iro
RAU's bonbon chocolates express scenes and imagery as colors (iro), inspired by the chocolatier's experiences, memories, and the excitement of unknown imagination. Available in various flavor combinations.
- Price: From 1,944 yen (tax included) (4-piece box)
GNS 3F "RAU Patisserie & Chocolate" Store-Exclusive Recommendations
Valentine's recommendations available for both eat-in and takeout at "RAU Patisserie & Chocolate." These are store-exclusive items, perfect for special gifts to loved ones.
Shiro
A serene dessert wrapped in winter air. Its pure, uncolored presence allows each person's memories and emotions to naturally add their own colors—a beauty of blank space.
- Composition: Strawberry, raspberry, soufflé fromage, vanilla, etc.
- Price: Eat-in 2,200 yen (tax included) / Takeout 2,160 yen (tax included)
Taki
A dessert capturing the momentary beauty of a cascading waterfall frozen in time. Expressed while recalling the majestic waterfall flowing through nature at a Costa Rican coffee plantation.
- Composition: Hazelnut praline sauce, espresso sauce, amaretto and mascarpone mousse, biscuit, etc.
- Price: Eat-in 1,650 yen (tax included) / Takeout 1,620 yen (tax included)
Valentine Stollen
The distinctive rugged surface evokes cacao pods. Generously filled with various dried fruits, spices, nuts, and cacao in the dough, with French marron chestnut paste scented with rum hidden at the center. Coated with in-house bean-to-bar chocolate and transformed into Valentine attire, fully showcasing cacao's charms.
- Price: Full size 5,184 yen (tax included) / Half size 2,700 yen (tax included)
- Release Date: January 20 (Tuesday)
Berry
An assortment of two types of raw chocolate using wild strawberry, raspberry, and cassis. The fresh sweet-and-sour notes of berries harmonize with the rich flavor of house-made chocolate.
- Price: 3,888 yen (tax included)
- Release Date: January 20 (Tuesday)
About RAU
The patisserie and chocolate brand "RAU" was born in December 2019 at GOOD NATURE STATION in Kawaramachi, Kyoto, bringing together Chef Pâtissier Yusuke Matsushita and Chef Chocolatière Sachi Takagi, both pursuing innovative expression.
While cherishing uniquely Japanese expression, RAU aims to become a global brand loved worldwide.
The brand name "RAU" comes from the ancient Japanese word "raurāshi," meaning noble and beautiful. Along with the deep, soft resonance characteristic of Japanese, it also carries nuances familiar to foreign customers. Under the concept "scenes into shapes," RAU expresses landscapes and scenes from memory through sweets with their unique sensibility. Guests can slowly enjoy the sculptural beauty of handmade molds and the imagery conveyed through aroma.
About Sachi Takagi
"Sachi Takagi" was born in December 2021 as a "plant-nurturing sweets brand" under the name of Chef Chocolatière Takagi from RAU.
With technical skill and ideas as a confectioner, the brand realizes "what plants can do" instead of "what plants cannot do," generating entirely new value from plants by expanding possibilities in flavor creation rather than relying solely on the inherent potential of ingredients.
All raw chocolates are plant-based, using no eggs or dairy products. The brand uses naturally derived colorings—rare worldwide—in sugar paste to freely express colors.
Pursuing flavors achievable only with plants, Sachi Takagi aims to create sweets that many people intuitively choose as "the best" without being conscious of them being "plant-based"—sweets that the heart and body naturally select.
Chef Profiles
Yusuke Matsushita
Chef Pâtissier
After training at patisseries and chocolateries in Tokyo, he opened "Calme Elan" in Tokyo at age 29 in 2014, offering course-style assiette desserts—then unprecedented in Japan. In 2016, he published the book "Specialty Shop's Assiette Desserts."
In 2017, he received an offer for chef pâtissier position at a five-star hotel in Malaysia. To broaden his horizons, he closed his shop and accepted. That same year, he received his current position offer and returned to Japan. Traveling through South America and Europe with Sachi Takagi, he applied these experiences to RAU's brand concept and product development, creating unprecedented confections.
Sachi Takagi
Chef Chocolatière
Inspired by her father, a bread artisan, she entered the culinary world and began her career as a cook at a French restaurant in Tokyo at age 17. After gaining various experiences, she worked as a chocolatière at "Calme Elan" in 2014, then as chef pâtissière at a two-star restaurant in Paris.
In 2018, she accepted RAU's invitation and returned to Japan, actively contributing across multiple areas including brand concept and product development for not only chocolate but all products.
Store Information
RAU Patisserie & Chocolate
Hours: 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM (Last order 6:30 PM)
Offers refined fresh confections by Chef Pâtissier Yusuke Matsushita and baked goods suitable for gifts.
Also features an extensive lineup of authentic chocolate products by Chocolatière Sachi Takagi, including the plant-based sweets line "Sachi Takagi."
The café provides eat-in sweets service and drink menu options.
Location:
GOOD NATURE STATION 3F, 318-6 Inari-cho, 2-chome, Shijo-sagaru, Kawaramachi-dori, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto 600-8022
Online:
Valentine Event Pop-Up Store Locations
Osaka:
- Hankyu Umeda Main Store: January 21 (Wed) to January 29 (Thu) - Brand: RAU
- Hankyu Umeda Main Store: January 30 (Fri) to February 14 (Sat) - Brand: Sachi Takagi
Fukuoka:
- Hakata Hankyu: January 21 (Wed) to February 14 (Sat) - Brands: RAU / Sachi Takagi
Yokohama:
- Sogo Yokohama: January 21 (Wed) to February 15 (Sun) - Brand: RAU
For product lineups at each event location, check the official Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/rau_kyoto/
