TOKYO: The Japanese take their Christmas cakes seriously. So when some "Strawberry Frill Shortcakes” ordered online from Takashimaya Co started showing up at customers’ doorsteps in crumbled heaps, the incident was destined to become headline news, complete with deep-bowed apologies broadcast on national television.
The confectioneries in question were delivered in the days leading up to Christmas, selling for ¥5,400 (US$38) apiece - not a small sum in Japan, where decades of deflation mean that lunch in Tokyo can still be had for less than $7. The cakes were meant to be frozen and shipped, to prevent disasters like the one that befell about a third of those who ordered the pastry.
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