Filipino chocolate brand to open store in Tokyo

Filipino chocolate brand Auro is expanding to Japan.

The first Auro Chocolate store will open on October 7 in Frenity House in Shibuya City, a special ward of Tokyo. The brand was discovered during a trip to the Philippines by the father of the founder of Japanese distributor Kotowari, which is now exclusively representing the brand in Japan.

Co-founder Mark Ocampo said: “They discovered us through social media. He bought all these chocolates from the Philippines and took them to Japan. They tried all the chocolates they had and chose us.”

Kotowari will manage the approximately 20-30sqm Auro store in addition to promoting the brand in local hotels and restaurants. The said the deciding factor in distributing the Auro brand is the direct relationship between the chocolatier and the cacao farmers who supply beans. Auro assists the farmers with business administration training and quality control, helping to improve their quality of life.