Hotel Indigo Inuyama Urakuen, a lifestyle boutique hotel in Inuyama -- Nagoya's inner sanctuary town, home to two national treasures -- is opening reservations for Christmas cake starting Thursday, August 20, 2026, at its restaurant, Indigo Home Kitchen 車山照.
Two Christmas cakes bring Inuyama's history, culture, and the hotel's own neighborhood story to the table this year. A shortcake built around the hotel's original crest and a mechanical cake inspired by the region's karakuri (mechanical doll) culture combine Inuyama's charm with Hotel Indigo's playful spirit for a holiday collection available this winter only. Locally loved ingredients, including Gifu Prefecture's original brand strawberry "Mino Musume," are carefully selected and finished one by one with the pastry chef's sensibility and skill. Beautiful to look at and detailed down to the last touch, both cakes are designed to make Christmas with loved ones a little more festive -- a collection that expresses the neighborhood's story in the language of sweets, seen through Hotel Indigo's own lens.
KAMON Shortcake
Price: ¥6,000 / Size: 12 cm diameter
A gluten-free shortcake built around Hotel Indigo Inuyama Urakuen's original crest.
The crest design worked into the cake draws on scenery and culture unique to Inuyama, including the tatami mats of the national treasure tea room "Jo-an," the Uraku camellia, and the bamboo grove and round window of the Japanese garden Urakuen. At the center, a motif styled after camellia pollen represents the 13 floats (yama) of the Inuyama Festival. The sponge blends rice flour with mochi flour, achieving a moist, chewy texture despite being gluten-free. The refined sweetness and gentle tartness of Gifu Prefecture's original brand strawberry "Mino Musume" harmonize with the fresh cream, while chocolate decorations shaped like bamboo and the traditional "snow ring" pattern add a wintry, Japanese touch to the flavor.
KARAKURI -- Turn to Twelve
Price: ¥18,000 / Size: 15 cm diameter
A playful, mechanical Christmas cake inspired by Inuyama's celebrated karakuri culture.
Guests first receive the cake showing "5:30 PM," a time long said to symbolize "change" or "a turning point." Moving the clock hands forward to 12:00 AM reveals the cake's hidden true form. A dacquoise made with walnut powder is layered with feuillantine chocolat and caramel ganache montée, then combined with a four-cheese mousse. At the center sits a tea brulee made with Ronnefeldt's "Tea Star Selection" Golden Assam, its fragrant aroma harmonizing with the rich, cheesy flavor. Once the clock strikes 12:00 AM, Gifu Prefecture's original brand strawberry "Mino Musume" is revealed. The clock face, dial, and hands are made with "ELKANO 60%" chocolate from MAISON CACAO's chocolate brand VIDA, offering the flavor of fine cacao.
The moment the clock hands reach 12:00 AM, "KARAKURI -- Turn to Twelve" reveals its hidden true form. Together with a layer of Gifu Prefecture's Mino Musume strawberries, it delivers a special experience full of surprise and discovery.
Mino Musume: Gifu's Original Brand Strawberry
The "Mino Musume" strawberry, grown by Minori Farm in Kakamigahara City, Gifu Prefecture, is an original brand variety unique to Gifu Prefecture. Bred specifically for use in cakes, Mino Musume is known for its refined sweetness, with a sugar content of 10 to 12 degrees, balanced against a pleasant tartness. Its large, cone-shaped fruit shows a striking contrast between a deep red skin and pure white flesh, earning it the nickname "crimson diamond." A rich, refreshing aroma, a pleasantly firm texture, and resistance to losing its shape are further points of appeal, and its balanced flavor -- not overly sweet -- pairs especially well with shortcake. Mino Musume is a regionally exclusive variety grown only within Gifu Prefecture, currently centered on Gifu City, Kakamigahara City, and Motosu City, and it is expected to draw further attention as a high-quality strawberry born from the prefecture's climate and its growers' expertise.
Reservations and Inquiries
Reservations are accepted via the official website or by phone.
Reservation period: Thursday, August 20 to Sunday, December 20, 2026
Pickup period: Wednesday, December 23 to Friday, December 25, 2026
Time: Weekdays: 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Location: Indigo Home Kitchen 車山照 (in-store pickup only)
Phone: 0568-61-2211
Prices include tax and service charge. Photos are for illustration purposes. Contents may change depending on ingredient availability. Please inform staff in advance of any allergies.
