Criticized in Japan for the unorthodox appearance of her "kohakuto" candies, confectioner Alissa Miky didn't let that deter her from pitching sweets with a bold twist for Western tastes.

That resolve has led to a collaboration with U.S. socialite and media celebrity Kim Kardashian and the sweet taste of success.

Now, Miky, 28, is moving toward her goal of paving the way for Japanese artisans to enter international markets.

She launched the Misaky.Tokyo brand in November 2019, offering vegan and gluten-free candies. 

Its colorful Crystal Treats are contained in a green box featuring a bright orange color and sealed with a ribbon. The candies come in various colors, including orange, yellow, green and pale pink, and are shaped in reminiscent of gorgeous jewelry.

They are chewy and have a rich, fruity flavor.

Kohakuto is a jelly-like Japanese confectionery that is hard on the outside and soft on the inside, characterized by its crunchy texture.

CONVINCED SUCCESS LIES OVERSEAS

Actually, Miky had never made traditional "wagashi" sweets before.

She was born in the United States and raised in Japan. While she was attending Waseda University, she was involved in starting up a preserved flower brand that she helped develop into a popular online shop.

After graduation, Miky worked for a food manufacturer, a startup sake brewery and the operator of an auction site for traditional crafts.

She grew convinced that Japanese artisans must make a foray into overseas markets because, although they make high-quality products, their sweets are sold at low unit prices while the shrinking domestic market offers no future prospects.

OVERSEAS MARKET CULTIVATION

To that end, Miky thought it would be better to build a worldwide brand with which she could promote wagashi confectionery and sell products crafted by Japanese artisans.

She found a job at a specialized trading company in Israel to learn to cultivate overseas markets, sharpening her skills in developing products matched for foreign customers in each country.

Fully prepared to launch her business, Miky went to Los Angeles in August 2019 with 2 million yen ($19,400) she had saved. She decided to start with inexpensive kohakuto, reasoning that it would be easier to ascertain customers' preferences before expanding her business to offer expensive products in the future.

HANDMADE BY HERSELF

Miky intended to ask wagashi artisans to create her products, but it was harder than she initially thought to have them re-create traditional sweets to fit the preferences of foreign customers and live up to her expectations.

So she decided to take matters into her own hands.

She rented a professional kitchen where she worked from morning to night to cook kohakuto. After more than 200 trial-and-error attempts, she managed to make candies good enough to put on sale.

Miky was fastidious about making vegan, gluten- and additive-free wagashi for people on restricted diets, who are commonly found outside Japan.

The candies are infused with flavors familiar to consumers around the world, including "yuzu" citrus, "matcha" powdered green tea, cranberry, hibiscus and passion fruit.

No sooner had she released the candies in November 2019 than she received an offer to set up a stall at a farmers market in Los Angeles, with the organizers saying they had never seen anything like that product before.

Other stores gradually followed suit, and she found her products selling at a marketplace held on the premises of a major film studio, a luxury golf club and elsewhere.

CRITICISM FROM HOME

However, her candies drew criticism from people in Japan, with one saying that they were not wagashi and another branding her "Japan's shame."

"Japanese confectionery wouldn't be accepted by foreign customers if you bring them just the way they are," Miky retorted.

For example, non-Japanese people tend to shy away from sweet "anko" bean paste because it is made from beans and it looks dark in color. It would be easily overlooked unless its color and flavor were tailored to fit the preferences of foreign customers.

"It's true that I may be taking a different approach to protecting the tradition," she said. "But I think I can open up a new path for artisans who are breaking their backs if I could provide them with an opportunity to work on a global scale." 

An unexpected offer came along in October. Miky was approached by a fragrance brand launched by Kardashian for a collaboration to include her kohakuto candies into gifts exclusively limited to the brand's 100 patrons.

"When I was contacted, I felt like it was a dream," she recalled.

Kardashian, who has about 190 million followers on Instagram, immediately proved how influential she is.

Misaky.Tokyo gained significant publicity after not only Kardashian herself but also other celebrities who received the gifts posted photos of the candies on the social networking website.

Many of them emphasized that they are on a vegan and gluten-free diet, with some of them commenting that Crystal Treats look beautiful, that the flowery scent is pleasant and that the brand even uses eco-friendly boxes.

Currently, the crystal candies are selling at a starting price of $40 for a box containing five pieces. Although it is pricey, it has become a popular gift item after selling a total of 50,000 pieces.

Miky received a new investment in Japan in November. She intends to expand the lineup to include tea and other products.

Having created a foundation for her cause to promote Japanese artisans to the world in 2020, Miky seems set to put her operation into full swing in 2021.