ROCKET NEWS

 

Champagne-like sparkling beverages also honor director Makoto Shinkai’s latest anime film.

In Japan, the traditional Christmas Eve meal isn’t over until you’ve had a slice of Christmas cake. Most people choose an orthodox strawberry shortcake to cap their celebration, since the red of the fruit and the white of the whipped cream festively match many yuletide decorations, but more individualistic revelers can go with something a bit more individualistic, like this beautifully decorated cake saluting anime mega-hit Your Name.

 

Produced by anime confectionary specialist Anishuga (a combination of “anime” and “shuga,” the corrupted Japanese pronunciation of the English “sugar”), the dessert measures 15 centimeters (5.9 inches) in diameter, meaning it probably won’t feed an entire family, but should be big enough to satisfy you and your anime-loving sweetheart.

 

The tantalizing cross-section reveals a layer of strawberry-flavored cream between the layers of sponge cake, and a rich whipped cream topping. The star attraction may look like a strawberry slice, but it’s actually a chocolate shaped and colored to look like the fruit.

Included with the cake is a 19-centimeter serving plate, once again featuring the iconic piece of artwork used in the film’s promotions.

 

Also, if you’re looking for a fashionable beverage to toast as you linger at the table, Anishuga is also offering bottles of Chanmery, a Japanese non-alcoholic sparkling cider-like beverage, with labels bearing the likenesses of Taki and Mitsuha, the film’s two main characters, in 360 milliliter (12.2-ounce) bottles.

 

The cake, priced at 4,612 yen (US$45), can be ordered online from Anishuga herebetween now and December 15, with delivery available on customers’ choice of date between December 23 and 26. The Chanmery will be on sale for slightly longer, with your last chance to order one of the 1,000-yen bottles (Taki here, Mitsuha here) being December 31.