Although autumn is well underway, preparations for the Christmas shopping season have already begun in various industries. Christmas cakes are a particular focus of attention every year. Mitsukoshi Isetan will begin accepting reservations for this year's Christmas cakes on October 14th at its three main stores: Isetan Shinjuku Main Store, Mitsukoshi Nihombashi Main Store, and Mitsukoshi Ginza Store. Prior to this, Mitsukoshi Nihombashi Main Store held a preview of its Christmas cakes on October 1st.

This year, under the common theme of "Fantastic Table," each store has planned a highly original Christmas cake. From highly original cakes that appeal to the five senses, to gorgeous cakes perfect for special occasions when three generations of a family gather, to large, hearty cakes, cakes tailored to the tastes of each store's customer base will be available.

Mitsukoshi Nihombashi Main Store will be introducing Christmas cakes aimed at families. The lineup includes 55 types of cakes, including "House at little Christmas" (7,560 yen, limited to 50 pieces), a cake inspired by the Nordic fairy Nisse, created by Anniversary, which sells wedding cakes and anniversary sweets, "Holy Night" (5,400 yen, limited to 50 pieces), a cute cake with a snowman motif created by French pastry shop Occitanial, and "Hazel Chocolate Torte" (5,184 yen, limited to 70 pieces), made with plenty of chocolate, by Demel, a long-established Western confectionery brand that is a supplier to the Vienna Royal Court. Regarding this year's special features, a Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi representative said, "Last year's sales were 118% higher than the previous year, so they have grown, but since there is a limit to the maximum number of cakes we can physically give to customers per day, we planned the special with an emphasis on image rather than sales. This year's special feature is that we can express the store concepts of each of our three main stores, something that can only be done at a department store." Furthermore, regarding the special features at the Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi store, they said, "The theme is 'Fairy Christmas,' so there are many cakes with motifs aimed at families who enjoy Christmas together. For example, fairies, gift box shapes, tiaras. We asked our pastry chefs to create cakes that would please both boys and girls, so while we do have a selection of simple cakes like shortcakes, there are more relatively decorative cakes this year." Furthermore, Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi's store theme is a "culture resort department store," and this spirit is evident in more than just cakes in this special. "Eating a cake is now a given, and it's both delicious and fun, so we wanted to create the same fun while choosing and browsing the catalog, and aimed to create Japan's most playful cake catalog. What we actually did was to 'get away from the catalog'. We turned the catalog into a 'picture book'. We included a story on every page about Nisse, a fairy from Scandinavia preparing for Christmas, and aimed to create something that two or three generations could enjoy, right from choosing their Christmas cake," she revealed.

In addition, the Isetan Shinjuku flagship store will feature 42 cakes themed on "serendipity" (seizing good fortune), depicting "a destiny-changing encounter," while the Mitsukoshi Ginza store will feature 50 cakes themed on "ohako," showcasing the signature recipes and techniques of chefs and brands.