Strawberry Shortcake or "Ichigo Shōtokēki" (苺ショートケーキ) in Japanese, is the most popular celebration cake in Japan. It's not only considered a Christmas cake, but an all-occasions cake and is typically enjoyed during happy events such as birthdays and other celebrations. Japanese strawberry shortcake is a delicious combination of fluffy and moist sponge, sweet whipped cream and slightly tart strawberries coming together to create the perfect balance in both flavor and texture. In a country that favors cakes with a light a fluffy texture that are not overly sweet, strawberry shortcake ticks all the boxes so it's no wonder that it's Japan's number one cake. The first strawberry shortcake appeared in Japan around 1922 and was created by the founder of Fujiya, a famous Japanese cake company. It is believed that it was inspired by a Western-style cake he saw in an American confectionary market made with layers of crumbly scone-like cake, cream, and strawberries. He replaced the cake with a light sponge and adjusted the sweetness to suit Japanese tastes. It wasn't until the 1970s that it became a popular cake to eat on Christmas when Fujiya started to sell strawberry shortcakes decorated with icing trees and Santa Claus decorations made from sugar. From then on, the popularity of strawberry shortcake as a Christmas cake boomed and you can now find an array of beautiful and festive designs filling cake shops, supermarkets, and even convenience stores all over Japan every December.