Dissolving the Boundaries Between Japanese and Western to Deliver the Happiest 'Blank Space'. 'Kohaku', a New Category of Sweets by a Former Pastry Chef in Kyoto, is Born.

In the tranquil atmosphere of Kyoto, a new kind of 'sweets' has been born. KOHAN inc. (Headquarters: Shiga Prefecture, CEO: Suguru Kobayashi) has launched 'kohaku', a sweets brand that re-edits the boundaries between Japanese and Western confectionery and proposes a comfortable 'margin' for everyday life.

Time for the person who holds it to be 'happiest', rather than just 'best'. The shop owner, who has walked the path of a pastry chef since the age of 19, discovered in the historical land of Kyoto the aesthetics of the 'boundary' that are not bound by existing frameworks.

Information on the latest sales status and seasonal limited products is continuously dispatched on the official online shop and Instagram.

kohaku Official HP
https://kohaku-kyoto.com/

kohaku Official Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/kohaku_kyoto_official/

■ The Worldview of 'kohaku' Born from the Philosophy of the Lakeshore
At the root of the brand is the scenery of the 'lakeshore' (KOHAN), which is also the company name. Like the water's edge where the lake and the land melt together, it is a luxurious blank space between 'stillness and motion', 'everyday and extraordinary', and 'Japanese and Western'—being both and neither.

We define sweets not merely as 'things', but as a 'means to design blank space' for busy modern people to face themselves and their loved ones.

■ Signature Product: KOHAKU YOKAN
'Redesigning tradition with the precise structural power of a pastry chef'
Based on 'yokan', a traditional Japanese confectionery material, we have layered the striking acidity of raspberries and the deep aroma of Uji matcha in multiple folds. It is a food experience just like reading through a story. Completely rewriting the common sense of conventional Japanese sweets, the flavor designed with pairing with coffee or champagne in mind also expresses the dignity of the person giving the gift.

■ The 'Melt-in-the-Mouth' Design Adjusted in 0.1mm Units
The shop owner, who has pursued the texture of cream and dough in the world of Western sweets since the age of 19, paid the most attention to the 'lingering melt-in-the-mouth feel' when handling traditional Japanese materials. The firmness of agar, the balance of sugar content, the order of layering ingredients. With meticulous calculation unique to a pastry chef, it is finished in a composition where surprises continue until the last bite.

■ Shop Owner Profile: Suguru Kobayashi
He knocked on the door of a pastry chef at the age of 19 and honed his skills in the world of Western sweets. After that, he served in product development and branding for new businesses at historical facilities with long-established gardens in Kyoto and a production team that handles numerous prestigious spaces.

In 2026, as the culmination of his own work, he established KOHAN inc. In addition to manufacturing and selling sweets, he is also engaged in activities to 're-edit' corporate value through creative food consulting.

[About KOHAN inc.]
With the mission of 'Re-editing Japanese and Western to create the happiest time', we are a creative sweets company based in Kyoto. In addition to operating the brand 'kohaku' by the shop owner, a former pastry chef, we are developing consulting businesses for food branding and product development.