The “Ghana Chocolate House” pop-up store, selling Korean-style desserts, has opened in Tokyo’s Harajuku district in Shibuya.
Launched on April 23, the store commemorates the 60th anniversary of Ghana Chocolate’s debut in Japan and is part of a collaborative project between Korean and Japanese Lotte operations. This initiative aligns with the full-fledged implementation of the “One LOTTE” strategy, a unified management system between South Korea and Japan, pushed by Shin Dong-bin, chairman of the Korean-Japanese conglomerate.
The Tokyo pop-up, themed around the “four seasons,” collaborated with the famous Japanese cheesecake shop “A WORKS” to introduce a new menu item that combines the traditional Korean dessert yakgwa with chocolate. The store also organized a hands-on event where visitors could make their own yakgwa, drawing long lines due to its popularity.
Lotte’s Japanese operation has reportedly adopted intellectual property (IP) from Korea’s Lotte Wellfood and implemented it locally in the Tokyo pop-up.
Lotte Wellfood first introduced its Ghana Chocolate House pop-up store in Seongsu-dong, Seoul, in April 2022. It teamed up with renowned pastry chefs and baristas to create chocolate desserts and beverages, alongside limited-edition souvenirs, generating significant buzz and extending its operation.
According to company sources, Lotte Japan, which operates a confectionery business, took great interest in the Korean Ghana Chocolate pop-up store and planned a shop themed around Korean café culture. During the menu development process, yakgwa was selected from candidates like croffles and salt bread for its strong Korean identity.
“In response to demographic changes such as an aging population, we showcased the pop-up store as part of our strategy to upscale our products, promoting chocolate not just as a snack but as a dessert for adults,” a Lotte Wellfood staffer said “It seems that this marketing approach has also caught the eye of Japan.”
