About Us
About Us
From bean to bar—and beyond.
We are nicao, a small craft team based in Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan, handcrafting bean-to-bar chocolate and craft ice cream with care, precision, and purpose.
Our story begins with people—the farmers who grow the cacao, the makers who transform it, and the people who enjoy it. We believe that true flavor is created not by machines, but by hands, time, and intention.
We directly import single-origin cacao from a family-run farm in Guatemala, the birthplace of cacao. Grown without pesticides and carefully selected, each bean is the foundation of our flavor and ethics.
In our small workshop in Niseko, we carry out every step ourselves—from roasting and winnowing to refining and moulding. Every bar is handmade, in small batches, with attention to detail.
Our 70% dark chocolate is made with only three ingredients: cacao, Hokkaido beet sugar, and time. No additives, no flavorings—just the honest expression of the bean.
That care results in chocolate that’s balanced, flavourful, and full of character. You can taste the difference.
Every bar is individually wrapped by hand—the final touch that shows our commitment to craft and care.
At nicao, we value craft, clarity, and intention. From the bean to the final product, every step is deliberate.
From Chocolate to Ice Cream
Our ice cream is a natural extension of our bean-to-bar philosophy. Made with our own chocolate and the same high standards—no additives, no eggs, and only carefully chosen ingredients.
Our Double Chocolate Ice Cream features our house-made dark chocolate chips and cacao powder. Our Matcha White Chocolate Ice Cream blends Kyoto ceremonial-grade matcha with white chocolate chips made from Guatemalan cacao butter and Hokkaido dairy.
It’s not just chocolate ice cream. It’s craft ice cream made from real chocolate. And you can taste that difference.
Why We Make What We Make
Because flavor comes from honesty. Because doing things the slow way still matters. Because care can be tasted.
We’re proud members of 1% for the Planet, donating 1% of our annual revenue to environmental causes. Responsibility to the planet is part of our recipe.
If you’re a retailer, chef, or partner who shares our values, we’d love to hear from you. Welcome to nicao.
How We Got Here
It began in 2016 with a simple question.
“Where does chocolate come from, and how is it made?”
The Beginning
We started with pre-roasted cacao nibs and cacao butter ordered online, along with a small tabletop stone grinder.
The first chocolate we made was far from the flavour we had in mind.
But we kept trying different ingredients, learning how to roast cacao and adjusting the amount of sugar. Little by little, we began to find a flavour of our own.
Trying, Learning, and Trying Again
Even as our chocolate began to take shape, there were still plenty of things we struggled with.
Tempering was particularly difficult. We read about it, experimented, and got it wrong many times. Little by little, we learned how to get it right.
As we began making more chocolate, we added larger stone grinders and other equipment. But our first small grinder is still in use today. Its size is just right for small test batches and workshops.
Each time we solved one problem, another would emerge. Looking back, that ongoing process of trial and error has shaped the way we work today.
The People Along the Way
Looking back, many of the things we've done at nicao began with meeting someone.
Through an introduction, our products came to be stocked at New Chitose Airport. We also created a limited-edition passion fruit chocolate for a retailer there.
Since then, people have introduced us to new stockists, and we've put others in touch with makers we know. One connection has often led to another, sometimes bringing new ideas and products along the way.
More recently, a conversation led to someone asking, “Why don't you try making soft-serve ice cream?” We've now started experimenting with it.
Whether in work or everyday life, we believe the people we meet and the relationships we build matter. We enjoy spending time with people we get along with, and helping each other where we can. Over time, those relationships have helped shape nicao into what it is today.
And Now
Ten years on, we can do a little more than we could at the start.
We make a wider range of things, have more equipment, and work alongside more people.
But we're still a small family business.
And we've come to realise that we're happy with it that way.
When we don't know something, we look into it, try things out, and think again.
That process, which began in 2016, hasn't really changed.
And we're still a work in progress.
