Japanese High Schoolers, Sweets Shop Develop Apple Pastry

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:15 JST, March 8, 2026

OYABE, Toyama — A pastry developed by local high school students and a long-established confectionery shop using locally grown apples is now available in Oyabe, Toyama Prefecture.

The idea to create a pastry came from the Junior Chamber International Oyabe.

With the cooperation of Wakabayashiya Sohonke, a long-established confectionery shop in the city, five third-year students from the commerce department of Toyama prefectural Isurugi High School began working to develop their “Meltig” sweets in April last year. The sweets are baked with locally grown apples, rice flour and eggs.

Meltig is a type of tigre pastry. Usually tigre is made with chocolate, but Meltig uses apple jam.

The students went through a process of trial and error before coming up with the new product. They first considered making tarts or other apple sweets, but as such products were already on the market, they decided to make their own tigre.

Wakabayashiya Sohonke said it was the first time for the shop to make apple pastries. “It was fun creating something based on the sensibilities of young people,” Eizo Wakabayashi, the shop’s president, said.

“We made desserts that are less sweet, so you can eat as many of them as you want,” said Meissa Mikado, 18, who led the team of high school students. “I think we made an appealing product.”