One of the exciting local news in the latter half of 2020 was the opening of Romantic Forest. It took five years of planning to create this new facility, which is a three-minute drive from the Kyoto Higashi Interchange and is located on the foundation site of "Romain Life," the parent company of "Mar Blanche," a top runner in Kyoto's souvenir business. Surrounded by 2,000 trees, both large and small, the building houses a store, a café, and a workshop.

A simple tart consisting of two kinds of custard layered with fluffy whipped cream. Good as a small souvenir, Romain's tart is 1,200 yen.

The rich sweetness of marron cream combined with the saltiness of thinly sliced butter is the No. 1 popular item. Mont Blanc Butter Croissant 350 yen

Mar the Cheesecake, 400 yen, is characterized by its rich taste and rare texture made with plenty of cream cheese.

Yutaro Kawachi, the third generation owner of Roman Life, aimed to create a place that would be appreciated by the local community. He said, "I was worried about what would happen on Mother's Day this year, when we were in the midst of the Corona disaster, but I saw customers taking a social stance and standing in line at our stores in Kitayama and Yamashina. I can't tell you how much courage that scene gave me︒. It is precisely in times like these that I feel a stronger desire to stand firm and deliver excitement to our valued customers."

The branding of "Romain-kun," the fairy character of the forest, on the tea confectionery is cute, and there are also many limited items such as croissants and Romain-kun tarts. The theme of the new products is "snacks that you want to eat every day and that you suddenly feel like eating. We are also currently planning member-participatory events such as cake baking for children and live music concerts. We would be more than happy if we could offer you a wonderful everyday life here and make you feel happy."

Yutaro Kawachi, head of the Romantic Forest
［He is a central figure in the establishment of the Romantic Forest and a kind father of two boys.