A chocolate workshop and cafe located in a former school building

An elementary school turned into a chocolate workshop?!

Located along the Tamari Bypass on National Route 2 is Asahi Chocolate Workshop, a specialty chocolate shop. They use the “Bean to Bar” craft chocolate style, handling everything from the raw cacao beans to the finished chocolate bars in-house. It might not look like a workshop at first glance, and for good reason—this is the former Tamari Elementary School, which closed in 2005. The quiet hallways and sunlit staircases evoke a sense of nostalgia.

Delivering something the community can be proud of

The chocolate is produced by the staff and members of “Asahi Multi-functional Facility” (hereafter referred to as Asahi), operated by a social welfare corporation. Following the heavy rains of July 2018, the facility looked for work that could be sustained regardless of disasters and contribute to the local community, leading them to the idea of becoming chocolatiers. Around the same time, Dr. Kiyotaka Sato, a Professor Emeritus at Hiroshima University known as “Dr. Chocolate,” supported their vision. Under Dr. Sato’s supervision, they diligently learned how to use the tools and handle cacao beans. After a year and a half of training, they finally began selling chocolate bars in 2022.

A crucial step in the manufacturing process that determines quality is separating the cacao beans into shells, germs, and nibs. Here, the members carefully sort each bean by hand. “Many of our members have high levels of concentration and do very precise work. As it turns out, chocolate making was a perfect fit for us,” says a staff member.

Unique aromas that vary by origin

They use cacao beans from Ghana, Venezuela, and Tanzania. Their flagship products are “71% Cacao Tablet Chocolates” made with cacao beans from each region and beet sugar. Since cacao beans vary in fruitiness and spiciness depending on where they are grown, we recommend trying a few to compare. They also offer seasonal flavors using Setouchi lemons and additive-free ingredients, and are actively working on new creations.

The cafe adjacent to the workshop serves chocolate drinks that let you fully experience the chocolate, as well as sweets like gateau chocolat and rich chocolate pudding. None of them are overly sweet, allowing the intense and aromatic flavor of the cacao to shine through. You can also find unique items only available at a workshop, such as Cacao Pulp Soda (seasonal), made from the white flesh surrounding the cacao beans, and cacao nibs, which are gaining attention as a superfood.

The chocolate wrapping paper features original designs created by local high school students using illustrations drawn by Asahi members. In the hallways of the old school building, colorful cacao trees and messages were painted in collaboration with Hiroshima City University, reflecting the warm relationship with the local community. Take a moment to soak in the nostalgia with a piece of chocolate born from a blend of people, history, passion, and talent.