Observations from a flying visit (May 2025)
Flying from Japan to Europe these days often involves a gruelling journey over Alaska with hours spent gazing at Greenland—or a much more tolerable route through the Middle East. I, for one, lack the patience for the former and typically opt for a stopover in Dubai or Qatar.
Such is Japan’s popularity in the Middle East that Emirates now operates daily A380 flights from Kansai, Narita, and Haneda.
This week, I paused in Dubai to catch up with an old colleague—and, admittedly, to go snowboarding indoors…
Dubai’s Growing Boldness
Dubai isn’t unfamiliar to me. When I lived in Singapore, I led multiple trade missions to the UAE, spending plenty of time in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah. The city has only grown in brashness since then—highways jammed with traffic, real estate billboards dominating the skyline, and a booming luxury market.
At dinner in Jumeirah, my ex-colleague—an expert in luxury goods—leaned in to whisper that the diner next to us was casually wearing a $300,000 timepiece.
Earlier in the day, I had snowboarded at Mall of the Emirates—my first experience on an indoor slope. The run was short, and it seemed that more people were riding the ski lift just to say they’d been on one than actually hitting the slopes. I was amused to see ski signs in Arabic—how long before these appear in Japan? Perhaps sooner than expected.
Châteraisé in Dubai – A Branding Dilemma
After riding, I came across Châteraisé, a Japanese cake shop that may not be familiar to those outside Japan. Founded in 1954, the chain boasts over 500 stores, primarily in suburban areas. In Japan, it’s an everyday brand—not quite premium, but reliably good.
In Dubai, Châteraisé operates three outlets under the franchise partnership of Index Trading.
Branding must have been a subject of serious internal debate. Someone likely argued that “Châteraisé” has a French ring to it, leading them to introduce a new name—Yatsudoki.
Personally, I find “Yatsudoki” a bit of a mouthful and difficult to remember. It’s also a generic name—rooted in an old Japanese saying that 3 pm is the perfect time for an afternoon snack. The branding compromise? Yatsudoki from Châteraisé—a combination of foreign words with multiple syllables.
Would you have signed off on that decision as VP of Marketing? I wouldn’t.
Dubai’s Sweet Tooth & Châteraisé’s Missed Opportunity
Dubai’s consumers love sweets. Supermarkets are packed with snacks, biscuits, crisps, cakes, and a mix of Western confectionery brands alongside sweet dates, a staple.
One of the Singapore SMEs I worked with specialised in curry puff cakes—a reflection of the UAE’s love for spices, thanks to its proximity to India.
Yet, I saw little effort by Châteraisé to adapt its menu for the UAE market. If I had to guess, consumers here likely have an even sweeter tooth than Europeans.
Is that level of sweetness the polar opposite of Japan? Absolutely.
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Final Thoughts
Châteraisé’s journey in Dubai is an interesting one—but have they done enough homework to crack the market? That remains to be seen.