Featured Artist Yukari Nakono
Sweet Alchemy
A Pioneering Blend of
Cacao, Culture, and Japanese Craft
Bridging Worlds: Yukari’s Artistry in Cacao and Wagashi
In a quiet corner of Japan, where the sprouting of young maple leaves signals spring’s end and the aroma of freshly picked sansho drifts along the breeze, Yukari first found her inspiration. Growing up alongside her grandparents, she absorbed the philosophy and technique underpinning wagashi—the refined, seasonal confections at the heart of Japanese tradition. But Yukari’s story doesn’t stop there: with a spirit of curiosity and courage, she ventured beyond familiar borders, immersing herself in the bean-to-bar chocolate world and ceremonial practice in Paris and Australia.
For Yukari, cacao is more than just chocolate; it is a “blessing from nature,” cherished as a fruit, integral to both her art and ethos. She shares: “I realized that this ‘fruit aspect’ of cacao pairs beautifully with the spirit of wagashi, which cherishes the beauty of the seasons and brings out the best of each ingredient. My desire to express the aesthetic sensibility of Japanese traditional culture in a new form through cacao was what inspired me to combine the two.”
The Art and Challenge of Innovation
Ingredient Spotlight:
Shiso (青紫蘇 / Ao-jiso)
Shiso, or green perilla, is a staple herb in Japanese cuisine, celebrated for its bright, herbal freshness. Its unique aroma and flavor profile—somewhere between mint and basil—make it a surprising but perfect partner for tropical cacao pulp in sweets. Yukari’s use of shiso to balance the lively acidity of cacao pulp exemplifies the art of harmonizing tradition with innovation.
Using cacao pulp—a fresh, tropical, and rarely explored ingredient in Japanese wagashi—requires not just technical mastery but a daring, experimental heart. Yukari describes countless trials balancing flavor with structure, finding just the right harmony of acidity and sweetness to craft translucent kingyoku jellies or integrate aromatic aojiso (green perilla). Every new creation is both a risk and a revelation, as she notes: “Cacao pulp and kingyoku are surprisingly well-suited to each other. It was a delightful realization, and one of the most rewarding discoveries in my work so far.”
Yet hers is not merely a story of technique. The act of fusing cacao’s “fruit” character with the subtlety of Japanese sweets invites a conversation about art, nature, and cultural expression—a dialogue that transcends language and borders.
Collaboration and Shared Sensibility
What is “Ma” (間) in Japanese Art and Life?
In Japanese culture, ma refers to the space or pause between things—a meaningful emptiness that defines and enhances what surrounds it. “Ma” is not just blankness, but a formative element that creates balance, harmony, and rhythm.
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Whether in music, calligraphy, or wagashi design, ma gives form to silence, to breath between flavors, and to the quiet connection shared between people. Yukari’s work invites her audience into this gentle space, allowing every taste and tradition to be felt fully.
Yukari’s journey brought her to Melbourne, where a fortuitous introduction to the acclaimed chocolate house Mörk revealed a kindred passion for transparency, creativity, and ingredient-driven storytelling. Workshops with Mörk underscored the universal resonance of certain values: “quietness, ma (the sense of space and timing), and thoughtfulness”—elements that link Japanese and Australian hospitality alike. “Empathy transcended cultural boundaries,” Yukari recalls. “It felt like witnessing a quiet, invisible kind of chemistry…a shared language of the senses that goes beyond words.”
Teaching, Reflection, and New Frontiers
Feedback from students in her recent courses—moments of inner reflection and connection through cacao—deepened Yukari’s conviction that these sweets offer more than taste; they offer space for contemplation and reconnection. “This course is still a completely new kind of initiative… Even so, the experience reaffirmed my desire to continue exploring the depth and potential of cacao not just as an ingredient, but as a medium for creating experiences that gently help people reconnect with themselves.”
The Future: Cacao as "Total Art"
Yukari’s vision, embodied in her brand Cacaogoto, is to invite others into a chaji—a space where beauty is experienced with all five senses (and intuition)—turning chocolate into a “total art form” akin to the tea ceremony. Her ambition: immersive events, installations, and exhibitions where chocolate is not simply eaten, but sensed, felt, and shared in time and story.
She’s inspired by Japan’s long tradition with fermented foods—and by the possibilities of wild Australian spices—seeking to build bridges between cacao’s origins and its countless new forms. As global palates grow more adventurous and ingredient stories rise to the fore, Yukari believes chocolate will be celebrated not only as a sweet treat, but as art: a medium for compassion, connection, and shared cultural expression.
Yukari honors both the ingredient and the artisan, inviting us all to pause, reflect, and relish the quiet power of craftsmanship born from sincerity and thoughtful attention.
A Philosophy Rooted in Care
What is “Ichigo Ichie” (一期一会)?
Ichigo ichie is a cherished Japanese philosophy often translated as “one life, one encounter” or “for this time only.” It reminds us to treasure every meeting as a unique, once-in-a-lifetime event, never to be repeated in exactly the same way. Rooted in the tea ceremony, it encourages mindful presence and gratitude for the fleeting beauty of each moment—core values deeply reflected in Yukari’s cacao confections and her attention to both ingredient and guest.
At the heart of Yukari’s work is the philosophy of “ichigo ichie”—treasuring each fleeting encounter. She honors both the ingredient and the artisan, inviting us all to pause, reflect, and relish the quiet power of craftsmanship born from sincerity and thoughtful attention.
As Cocoa Insider brings her story and evocative imagery to the world, we celebrate Yukari’s innovation, resilience, and the luminous harmony she has coaxed between cultures, seasons, and the fruit of the cacao tree. Her sweets are much more than confections—they are invitations to experience life’s beauty, moment by mindful moment.
Discover more of Yukari’s work at cacaogoto.com
