Japanese Christmas Cakes 2015: Kamen Rider Ghost, Shuriken Sentai Ninninger, Yo-Kai Watch and Pretty Cure

Japan celebrates Christmas a bit differently than us here in the US. They have a tradition of having a Christmas cake, usually a strawberry shortcake of some type with with Christmas decorations on it. You can find these cakes at major bakeries around Japan and at local convenient stores. Places like  7-Eleven and other convenient stores only in Japan like Lawson carry the cakes that have to be specially ordered. They aren't cheap or ugly in these lower end shops, in fact they're usually quite exquisite or funny.

Bandai, which is kind of a joke here in the US for quality and best known for making cheap games is a powerful business in Japan and has its hands in almost all the top children shows and toys. They also sell their own Christmas cakes based on hit children cartoons and shows in Japan they're a part of.

The selection of Christmas cakes each year differs by the current version of the hero for Kamen Rider or Sentai Rangers (Power Rangers) with a special toy on the cake. Other cakes are based on popular animes for young girls and boys. If parents order the cakes they can sometimes get a special recorded call from the heroes of the shows for their children.

For Kamen Rider fans that means a special collectible power-up item each year, this year with Kamen Rider Ghost, you get a special Christmas Eyecon, a power-up used by the current Kamen Rider, Ghost.

Japan only order page

* Update An adorable ad for the Kamen Rider Ghost cake

Here's some from Capcom and others.