Never had Eclairs Until Japan

I have been living in Japan for about 8 years by now, and only recently I realized that I have been enjoying the chocolate covered treat eclair for about 8 years as well.

Meaning that I had never eaten eclairs before coming to Japan!

They are delicious. I love cream puffs. I love chocolate covered stuff. This is just both.

But that just got me thinking why eclairs were not a thing in my home country, and more importantly, how did it get so beloved in Japan?

What about you? Did you grow up with eclairs?