With Valentine's Day just a little over a month away, Japan's chocolate makers and chocolate shops have gone into full swing, announcing their lineups for 2018. For those who plan to visit Japan in February, this is the perfect time to try some unusual chocolates that may not be available in other parts of the world.

Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel in Shibuya has made a name for itself in recent years thanks to its excellent pastry and chocolate shop.

This year, for their Valentine's Day chocolate lineup, they have outdone themselves with a selection of chocolates featuring uniquely Japanese ingredients. Both beautiful to behold and to savor, these chocolates are sure to be a popular item.

Their Cerulean Selection 2018 is available in a box of 10 chocolates or 8 chocolates in different styles.

The 10-chocolate box (2,900 JPY) features:

Upper row

• Umeshu (Japanese plum wine)
• Yuzu (Japanese citron)
• Goma (sesame)
• Kinkan (kumquat)
• Sansho (Japanese pepper)

Lower row

• Matcha
• Kuromame (black bean)
• Sakuranbo (Japanese cherry)
• Shochu liquor
• Soy sauce

The 8-chocolate box (1,900 JPY) features:

• Umeshu (Japanese plum wine)
• Yuzu (Japanese citron)
• Sansho (Japanese pepper)
• Matcha
• Shochu liquor
• Soy sauce
• Kinkan (kumquat)
• Goma (sesame)

Finally, the Cacao Pod Assortment (2,500 JPY) features the following chocolates nested inside a container made of chocolate and shaped like a cocoa pod:

• Truffle (top left) flavored with Scotch whisky
• Passion Mango (top right), containing passion fruit and mango gelee with white chocolate
• Framboise (bottom left), containing raspberry jam and milk chocolate ganache
• Caramel salé, containing caramel chocolate accented with salt

The pastry shop at the Cerulean Tower Tokyu Hotel is open from 10 am to 9 pm every day of the year. Please call 03-3476-3000 to make your reservation or visit them directly at the following address:

26-1 Sakura-gaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku,Tokyo 150-8512 Japan