The newly launched series, "Japanese People Active Overseas," will introduce the stories of Japanese people who are active in various fields on the global stage.
The first guest is Sadaharu Aoki of Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki Paris, one of the most notable pastry chefs in the world today.

Until he was called a representative Japanese pastry chef in both France and Japan

At the age of 19, Aoki, who did not speak the language and did not have a work visa, traveled to Paris by himself to study French pastries. He worked in a number of patisseries and restaurants as an employed pastry chef, and wondered whether a foreigner could make French pastries. Despite such questions, he opened his long-awaited shop, "Pâtisserie Sadaharu Aoki Paris," in 6 in Saint-Germain, the 2001th arrondissement of Paris, where many strong competitors are located. In 2007, he became a French member of "Relais Desserts," the world's top organization of pastry craftsmen, and won one international award after another, making the name "Sadaharu Aoki" a global name.

A motocross bike boy travels to France to become a pastry chef

"When I was a teenager, I loved motorbikes and was an All Japan Junior Motocross rider, spending my days riding and maintaining my bike. I've loved cooking and baking since I was a child, so I vaguely thought, maybe I'd become a chef?"

Aoki was in charge of cooking meals during motorcycle races. Looking back on those days, he says he felt an indescribable joy when he saw his teammates eating the food he had prepared with gusto.

It was a fellow motorcyclist who encouraged Aoki, who is a good cook, to go to culinary school. Hearing this advice, he began attending a culinary school near a motorbike practice field at night, and after graduation, he was already working as a chef at the Hotel Okura.

"I had some time before joining the company, so I decided to do a part-time job at the French pastry shop "Chandon", which was in Aoyama at the time, but when they saw me turn up on my motorbike, they coldly told me, 'This isn't a job for a rich kid like you.'"

At the time, Aoki could not speak French, so he was unable to follow instructions and was often scolded by his seniors, but his experience here became the starting point for the Aoki of today.

"Every morning, my job was to prepare ingredients for cakes and baked goods, but the names of the ingredients were written in French on the containers, and since I didn't understand what that meant, I would mix strong flour with weak flour, and I would just make terrible mistakes. But that's to be expected since I couldn't read French," she says with a laugh.

No matter how much his seniors scolded him or told him to quit, Aoki never got discouraged, and was so full of vitality that he actually enjoyed the environment.

"The shop we were in at the time was in an old building, so the smell around the water was really terrible. I've always been good with my hands, and I was used to using tools from servicing motorcycles, so I went to Tokyu Hands and bought the parts, and fixed the toilet plumbing. They were really grateful. Maybe they thought I could be useful, because before I knew it, my senior colleagues started to value me and I became fond of them."

After gaining experience at Chandon, Aoki turned down a job offer from Hotel Okura and decided to go to France. The reason behind this seems to be that many of Aoki's relatives have studied abroad and his aunt lives overseas, but his aunt, who is well versed in the culinary industry, told him, "If you want to do French pastry, go to Paris!" These words gave him the push he needed. He also seemed to think that only by being recognized in the original place could he become a top-class pastry chef.

This was before the term "patissier" had become established in Japan.

Although he doesn't speak the language and doesn't have a work visa, he still gets a job at top restaurants and patisseries

"I went to France with no clear goal in mind, unable to speak the language properly and without a work visa, but I was determined not to return to Japan! I sent out lots of resumes, thinking that if I was going to do it, there was no point in me not receiving training from top chefs and pastry chefs at first-class restaurants, but it wasn't that easy. I also worked in a small restaurant in the city for a while."

At the time, many people thought that French pastries were something only French people could make, and that foreigners couldn't make them. However, Aoki was not discouraged by such circumstances. Before long, he gained a reputation among fellow chefs as "an interesting guy," and he was introduced to famous restaurants and patisseries one after another, which helped him grow in strength.

After that, in 1995, he won the taste category at the Charles Proust Cup in France, and participated in and won awards at two other bâtissier events overseas, and his reputation as a pastry chef was growing.However, it took him longer than he expected to start his own company.

It was not until 9, nine years after arriving in France, that his application for a foreign work permit issued by the French government, which was necessary to set up a company, was accepted.

Since then, the company has continued to enjoy smooth sailing, opening its first boutique in 2001 in the 6th arrondissement, a hotbed of patisserie shops, and its second store in Paris two years later. In 2005, it opened its first store in Japan, in Marunouchi.

This growth was supported by the people of Paris. Although many Parisians are very strict and only buy sweets that they like, the number of repeat customers wanting to try Sadaharu Aoki's sweets continued to increase.

As proof of this, he has received various awards, including the Best Pastry Chef of France award from Budelot, France's three major gourmet guides, in 2011, and the highest award of 3 tablets from the Club des Crocours du Chocolat.

When praised for his achievements, he laughed and said, "It feels like I suddenly realized where I am now. There's still a lot more to come."

If you want to be a top pastry chef, be an interesting guy

Aoki, who talks to anyone, anywhere with a big smile, always has a crowd gathering around him, and from the circle you can hear Aoki's talkative voice and the laughter of the people listening to him.

"When I'm in Japan and I hear French I go up and talk to them, and when I hear Japanese in Paris I talk to them and we become friends."

This cheerfulness is undoubtedly one of Aoki's talents.

"If you're a craftsman, the moment you pick up a palette knife, you have to become Superman, or you're lying. This is a world where nationality and educational background don't matter, and there's no need for average marks. Anyone can become Superman if they have something that others don't. If people think, "This guy is interesting! That's your chance. After all, all of the top chefs in Paris are interesting."

Of course, being funny alone doesn't make you top class; you need the added weapon of individuality.

Aoki never copies others. Even if he is in the middle of researching a new snack and it is almost complete, if he hears that a similar snack is being sold elsewhere, he will not release it to the world.

The charm of Sadaharu Aoki's sweets, beloved by the French

Aoki's signature work, Macaron, was created after three years of research and development in an apartment in the 7th arrondissement of Paris.

Among the macarons, there is the "matcha" flavor that is indispensable when talking about Mr. Aoki. This year, Japanese ingredients such as "genmaicha" and "yuzu" have been added.

"It's probably about 30 years ago that we started using the name 'matcha' for sweets at Pâtisserie Sadaharu Aoki Paris. Japanese tea may have been used under the names green tea or thé vert before that, but to Japanese people, green tea and matcha are different things. I use Japanese names for Japanese ingredients because I want the French to know Japanese ingredients correctly."

He has also successfully combined Japanese ingredients such as "anko" (sweet bean paste), "houjicha" (roasted green tea) and "wasabi" into French pastries, making them a hit among both Japanese and French people. This is possible because Aoki is well acquainted with the tastes of both countries and has their cultures and customs ingrained in him.

Know your ingredients and enjoy them even more. No effort is spared to achieve this.

Aoki's commitment to materials grows stronger every year.

They visit the local areas themselves to get to know the ingredients and producers, such as butter from the village of Echire, chestnuts from Piedmont, Italy, cacao from Venezuela, South America, and matcha from Nishio City, Aichi Prefecture, and then procure them directly from the local areas.

Aoki selects each of the ingredients for the sweets on display in the storefront, and using his skills to make the most of them, he creates sweets that can only be tasted here.

That's why it's by no means cheap, but once you try it, you'll understand the meaning and care that went into making it.

Croissants are a popular item at Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki Paris.

"The dough for croissants and mille-feuille is made in Paris for both Paris and Japan, and only the dough for Japan is frozen and imported. Of course, we could make the dough in Japan, but there is a law in France that says butter can only be frozen once, so we even make the dough in Paris. Our Paris shop receives butter from the village of Échiré that is still soft enough to put your finger in. We use that butter to make the croissants and mille-feuille dough for both Japan and Paris. In Japan, we leaven, shape, and bake the dough."

That's why it's easy to see why the croissants are so rich in aroma and flavor.

Become a local! Throw away your pride and become part of the town

Currently, he travels between Japan and Paris every two weeks, and wherever he is, he is always thinking about new creations. Of course, he continues to make cakes that are on display in the store every day. When he has time, he pops up in the store. He signs the boxes of sweets on display, explains the sweets to customers, and takes photos if requested. In short, he is constantly on the move and talking all day.

"After this interview, I have to go to the Bic Camera over there and change the light bulb in the kitchen." Aoki is truly a person who is considerate and thoughtful.

Finally, we asked him for a message to those who are thinking about working overseas or starting a business in the future.

"First of all, before you go abroad, I would like you to learn about the culture and history of your own country (Japan) and love your own country. I believe that knowing your own country leads to respecting and understanding other countries. And I would like you to leave your pride in Japan. If you are going to do your best overseas, you should try to do it with the intention of becoming a citizen of that country, in other words, a local. Japan is a truly wonderful country, there's no doubt about that," he said, carefully choosing his words with a big smile on his face.

Photography by Hidehiro Yamada

Sadaharu Aoki

Born in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture in 1968. After working at Chandon in Aoyama, he moved to Paris alone in 89. He built his career at Jean Mie, Restaurant Mediterranee, and Restaurant Gerardet in Switzerland, and won the taste category at the Charles Proust Cup in France in 95. In 98, he opened an atelier in Paris. In 2001, he opened his long-awaited shop, Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki Paris, in Saint-Germain, 6th arrondissement, Paris.

In 03, he opened his second store in the 5th arrondissement of Paris. In 2, he opened his third store in the 08th arrondissement of Paris. In 15, he became a member of Relais Desserts, the world's highest organization of pastry artisans. In 3, he was selected as France's best pastry chef, won the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Culinary Masters award, won the Salon du Chocolat Award, and won the Paris City Hall Award. He was selected as one of the top 07 chocolatiers in France. In 11, he won the highest award "LES INCONTOURNABLES" for the fifth time at the Salon du Chocolat competition (a new award established in 5 that is given to chocolatiers who rank higher than the "Award"). This marks his fifth consecutive year of receiving the highest award and his eighth consecutive year of receiving high praise.