ジョスラン・ランボインタビュー「この土地だからこそできること」 Josselin Rimbod Interview “The things I can do because I am where I am”

The popular French pastry shop “Monsieur J,” located in Sougawa of Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture, opened in 2013 and celebrates its sixth anniversary this year. The chef, Josselin Rimbod, is from France. He became extremely fond of sweets from a young age, and could not imagine a path for himself other than becoming a pastry chef. He truly set his sights on being a pastry chef from age 16, and accumulated training experience in various countries. Amidst this, he met his now-wife, Noriko, during his training in Bora Bora, Tahiti. He became independent upon marrying Noriko, and decided to open his own shop in Toyama Prefecture, where his wife is from.
“I not only decided to work in Toyama Prefecture, but I also decided to live here. At first, I was considering the outskirts of Tokyo, but I thought it was just too big a scale for me. On the other hand, the proximity with nature in Toyama Prefecture is close, and I thought I could get the best work-life balance here.” When he began living here, he was very moved by how close the environment is to the mountains and ocean, where he could experience nature.

However, he experienced a difficult beginning when he first opened his patisserie. It is not an easy task, bringing genuine French sweets to the area of Toyama. First, he could not obtain the ingredients he was used to. He spent time finding substitutes, but could not imitate what he envisioned. Then, the humid Japanese climate also affected the flavor and it was difficult to control the sweetness.

The most difficult aspect yet was overturn-ing the perception of macarons in Toyama. Initially, nobody showed interest as there was a huge gap between their idea of the flavor and the real thing. People who tried his creations were shocked, and unanimously said, “I’ve never eaten macarons like these.” Josselin too, was shocked at the exclamation of difference by locals, and resolved it was his mission to change people’s minds and deliver the taste of France through his products. “I like designing the feeling and texture of sweets. I like thinking about the flavor spreading in one’s mouth and its aftertaste. I want to make people happy with my creations, and at the same time, I want to continue to deliver what French sweets are.” As he says this, Josselin’s handmade delicacies glitter in the display case.

Josselin was born and raised in rural France, and always lived near nature. Even now, he regularly makes time to experience nature and clear his head on the weekends. “I often take my camera, which is my hobby, and climb mountains.” His favorite camera is a single-lens reflex camera, a present given to him by his wife, ten years ago when they lived in Bora Bora, Tahiti. He continues to communicate his experiences thus far, and creates t

Josselin Rimbod
From Vendée, France. At age 16, he entered the pastry business. He polished his skills at top hotels and restaurants in France, Italy, Denmark, and Canada. After that, he was pulled to the worldʼs leading five-starhotel in French Polynesia, and provided French flavor to customers of many different nationalities. He opened his business in Japan in 2013. He develops products with themes of local collaborations by using his experiences thus far and his sensibility as a French person, and clever use of Japanese ingredients. The over 20 varieties of macarons he makes are vividly-colored and delicious. All the varieties maximize the flavor of the ingredients, and are enjoyed by everyone, from men to women to even people who do not like sweets.