Japanese confectionery chain Chateraise’s founder dies at 90

It is now well-known for its cheerful, wallet-friendly cakes, cream puffs, pastries and ice cream treats, but Chateraise started out as an ice cream manufacturer. After setting up his ice cream production business in 1954, Mr Saito found himself unable to compete with established brands. To stand out, he introduced unusual products like ice cream puffs, which became very popular. His company currently has over 40 patisserie outlets in Singapore. In Japan, Chateraise (pronounced as “cha-ter-rah-zey”) also operates hotels, golf courses and even wineries (as Mr Saito’s parents were grape farmers).CNA’s tour of Chateraise’s HQ in Yamanashi revealed Chateraise’s interesting marketing strategy. Instead of pushing only traditional advertisements, the brand also conducts ‘fan tours’, where customers can win free trips to visit Chateraise’s farms and factories in Japan via contests and lucky draws.Hiroshi Saito told CNA: “Rather than spending our money on advertising, we promote domestic fan tours, to encourage our customers to experience and appreciate the nature within the Yamanashi prefecture, thereby to understand the natural roots of our ingredients.”