THE HAKUSHU FACTORY LIES IN THE MIDDLE OF A LUSH FOREST IN YAMANASHI

The name Chateraise, a famous Japanese confectionery and patisserie chain originating from Yamanashi Prefecture in 1964, was invented by its founder, Hiroshi Saito (now 90 years of age). The founder came from a family of grape growers. Today there is the lovely Chateraise Belleforet Winery in Yamanashi Prefecture for tourists to visit and enjoy the local wine. Chateraise is said to be inspired by the French word for castle (chateau - pronounced as sha-toh) and raisins (aux raisins - pronounced as o-rayzah) and together means the Castle of Grapes and with poetic licence, the Japanese version becomes Chateraise ( pronounced as sha-te-ray-zay). The patisserie chain began as Amataro in Kofu City. The venturing spirit of Hiroshi Saito led him to introduce fresh cream puffs alongside his Imagawayaki ( a small pancake stuffed with azuki bean paste). Cream puffs are a mainstay in the Chateraise chain today in Japan and globally. 

Chateraise Holdings Co Ltd  owns the confectionery and patisserie chain. The company prides itself with fresh ingredients sourced from local farmers throughout Japan to make its products - fresh cream and apples from Hokkaido, strawberries from Saga and Tochigi Prefectures, peaches from Yamanashi and Ichinomiya, chestnuts from Kumamoto, fragrant yomogi (Japanese mugwort) from the woodlands of Nagano, the list pleasantly goes on. The main Chateraise Hakushu factory is located in a lush forest in Yamanashi whose mineral waters flow from the Southern Alps of Japan.

Chateraise has more than 450 branches in Japan and global franchises of about 100 stores. Singapore is its outpost for S.E. Asia. In 2021 it entered the Middle East market through UAE company INDEX Holding. In Malaysia it has 10 Chateraise outlets charming Malaysians with its fine pastry, cream puffs and cakes. 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

1. The Straits Times. 5 August 2023. Tan Hsieh Yun. https://www.straitstimes.com/life/food/japanese-confectionery-brand-chateraise-is-a-sweets-empire-built-on-10-yen-cream-puffs
2. CNA Lifestyle. 12 August 2023. Try Sutrisno Foo. https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/dining/chateraise-singapore-japan-367226
3. Arab News Japan.6 May 2021. Shams El-Mutwalli Dubai.  https://www.arabnews.jp/en/features/article_45475/
4. Speedy. 14 December 2019. https://spdy.jp/en/news-en/s139062/
5. Nikkei Asia. 16 January 2018. https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Business-trends/Made-in-Japan-cake-exports-satisfy-Southeast-Asia-s-sweet-tooth
6. Franchise Japan. 26 June 2017. https://franchisejapan.biz/fc_magazine/2324/
7. News Directory 3. 31 December 2023. https://www.newsdirectory3.com/chateraise-the-secret-recipe-behind-japans-leading-bakery-brand/
8. The Straits Times. 26 February 2024. Cherie Lok. https://www.straitstimes.com/life/chateraise-opening-first-unmanned-store-outside-japan-in-bukit-batok
9. PWC Family Business Survey. 2016. https://www.pwc.com/jp/en/japan-knowledge/archive/assets/pdf/case-studies-2016.pdf
10. Chateraise. https://www.chateraise.co.jp/global