“FROM JAPAN TO AUSTRALIA TO JAPAN WITH LOVE”
Nowadays, Nakamura Chocolates is celebrated for its beautiful designs and iconic flavours. However,
it started with two disenfranchised ‘salary workers’ doing 9 to 5 in Tokyo’s concrete jungle. Those
two workers were Yuki Nakamura and Marlon Schoep. And at that time, they looked at the lives of
people around them and realized that people needed and deserved more than that life, and so
began their search for how they could bring colour to the world.
For inspiration they recalled the special moments in childhood, those that were always full of joy.
They were memories of shared anticipation, excitement, pleasure and being fully present. The
feelings when a spectacular birthday cake came out at a party, or family or friends bought a special
ice-cream, or … or someone came home with a box of chocolates which were opened together? So,
Nakamura Chocolates was born as a celebration of this experience. It carries Yuki Nakamura’s family
name and crest, and it was agreed that each box of chocolates had to inspire delight, each chocolate
be a marvel, and each flavour taste exquisite.
After several years in Canada exploring her passion for chocolate, Yuki completed her formal training
at Savour Chocolate and Patisserie School in Melbourne, after which she took a position in the
kitchen of Choux Café in Swanbourne, after which Nakamura Chocolates were born.
Nakamura Chocolates has been running since 2008. The company has won various awards for its
packaging, chocolate craftsmanship and flavours and in 2019 it was a finalist in the Western
Australian Export Awards. This was because in 2017 Hon Takasagoya (a 140 year old Japanese
confectionary and delicacy company) partnered with Nakamura Chocolates with Yuki becoming the
face of Nakamura Chocolates Japan which produces and sells chocolates all over the Japanese
archipelago.
A delightful outlet was opened in Kobe, the capital city of Hyogo Prefecture (with which Western
Australia has its oldest Sister State Relationship). While available in Japan throughout the year,
Nakamura Chocolates has made the Valentine’s Day gift buying period its own. In Japan, women give
chocolates to the men in their lives on this day. A month later, on White Day, all the men who
received presents must return the favour.
In recent years Valentine’s Day sales of Nakamura Chocolates have generated revenues in excess of
seven figures. It has also given Yuki the opportunity to creatively partner with other premium
product providers. For example, Margaret River’s Woodlands Wines Chardonnay was chosen for a
range of liqueur chocolates, as was Howard Park Wines.
In 2019 Yuki’s chocolates had pride of place at two functions hosted by the Australian Ambassador
to Japan, His Excellency Richard Court AM in his private residence. The first occasion was for the visit
by Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan and the second for the Minister for Tourism Paul
Papalia when attending the inaugural flight of All Nippon Airlines (ANA) between Tokyo and Perth.
Yuki is a strong believer in growing the economic and strategic relationship between Japan and
Australia, and is also an Australia-Japan Foundation board member.
