A confectioner whose shop was destroyed by tsunami from the March 2011 mega-quake off Tohoku is targeting the Valentine's Day market with a chocolate flavored by sea salt from the damaged area.

Cleauventerre, based in Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture, tops its Moshio Chocolat with sea salt extracted from its coastal waters, according to chocolate maker Seiji Watanabe, 61.

Until relocating to a neighboring lot in the city in March 2012, Watanabe had been selling his products at the heavily destroyed outlet to "relieve people's sentiments with sweets during such a hard time."