Chabatake Cake (Mainichi)

       KAKEGAWA, Shizuoka -- A green tea cake ordered by shogi phenom Sota Fujii during the first round of the Osho title championship has suddenly sold out, the mayor in this central Japan city announced on Jan. 11.

       Ryuo title holder Fujii, 19, and Osho title holder Akira Watanabe, 37, faced off in the championship's first round held at Kakegawa Castle in the Shizuoka Prefecture city of Kakegawa on Jan. 9 and 10. The winner of the round ordered the green tea Chabatake Cake on Jan. 10, and Kakegawa Mayor Takashi Kubota announced the sales surge the very next day.

       The design of the cake, created by the Kakegawa Grand Hotel and Japan Agricultural Cooperative Kakegawashi, is based on the city's tea plantations. In addition to the green tea cake, the city also has apparently received numerous inquiries about a local confectioner's "wagashi" Japanese sweet shaped like a plum blossom, and strawberry shortcake made with Kakegawa-grown Beni-hoppe strawberries, that Fujii ordered on Jan. 9.

       A Kakegawa Beni-hoppe strawberry shortcake that Sota Fujii ordered on the first day of the Osho title match's first round is seen in Kakegawa, Shizuoka Prefecture, on Jan. 9, 2022. (Mainichi/Yohei Koide)

       "We were able to present Kakegawa's charms (to all Japan)," said Mayor Kubota. "We're honored to have hosted this showcase match, and it had significant meaning (for the city)." He added that "the deep-steamed green tea" offered at a live event to explain about the contestants' moves was also well received by participants, and that it was a good opportunity to promote Kakegawa products.

       Though defeated by Fujii in the latest match, Watanabe had won six straight matches held at Kakegawa Castle. Regarding the Osho title holder's orders of kiwi juice and strawberry juice during the match, Kubota speculated, "He likely knew the tastes of kiwis and strawberries, which are Kakegawa's specialties."

       The mayor told the news conference, "Kakegawa Castle has hosted the title match 13 years in a row, and this has all been possible because the Shimada Kakegawa Shinkin Bank, the regional promotional group Zero no kai and the city of Kakegawa have worked together. As the mayor, I'm happy that the Osho title match was successful."

       (Japanese original by Koichi Fukuzawa, Hamamatsu Bureau)

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