How did you get your vocation Seiji?
I've liked making sweet things ever since I was a child. I think it's partly down to my father, who loved cooking. When I was in third year primary I decided to become a pastry chef. To learn all the skills I needed to become one, I wanted to work in a hotel where I could experience a wide range of work, from chocolate through to desserts and ice creams, so I began my career at Hotel Hankyu International.
When we see your preparations, we recognise an individual style straight away. How would you describe that style?
I try to make cakes that are simple and easy to eat using the traditional French patisserie techniques I've learned up to now.
You worked for two years in Lyon and in Paris. Did that experience influence the way you work?
I learned to think rationally about the process of making confectionery. In Japan, the excessive hygiene in food preparation means there's a lot of unnecessary work. For example, in France, after baking a sponge cake, you pour the ganache on the tray, but in Japan you have to move it onto another tray before going on to the next step (he laughs).
Are the tastes of Japanese and European consumers very different?
Compared to Europe, Japanese customers tend to prefer sweets with a smoother texture. They're also very keen on appearance, so we have to be creative with the decoration.
In your opinion, who are the best pastry chefs in Japanese patisserie?
I have great respect for Chef Tetsuya Nakatani at Nakatanitei. I think he has the rare talent of being able to create sweets without being tied to a series of rules and and using only his imagination.