Japanese luxury department store, Takashimaya, has issued an apology for delivering 807 collapsed strawberry Christmas cakes out of the 2,900 that were ordered. The incident caused a backlash on social media. The senior managing director of Takashimaya, Kazuhisa Yokoyama, expressed remorse by bowing deeply at a news conference in Tokyo. The cakes were made and frozen by Win’s Ark, a confectionery firm in Saitama, and were delivered by Yamato Transport. An internal investigation has been conducted, but the cause of the collapsed cakes remains unknown.

Although only 1% of Japan’s population identifies as Christians, many people in the country celebrate Christmas by exchanging gifts and enjoying festive meals with loved ones. The colors red and white, which are represented in a strawberry cake, symbolize celebration. In addition to cakes, it is also customary for the Japanese to serve KFC fried chicken on Christmas Eve. Takashimaya’s strawberry shortcake is made with layers of chiffon and fresh strawberries, covered in carefully piped white icing that resembles the frilled hem of a dress. Each cake costs 5,400 yen ($38; £29).

However, many customers received their cakes in a less than perfect state. Photos shared on social media showed sliced strawberries sliding off melted icing and messed-up chiffon layers. One customer even tried to camouflage the collapsed cake with fruits and chocolate sprinkles. The post gained 16.1 million views. Despite the negative feedback, some social media users praised the customers’ creativity in redecorating the cakes.

Takashimaya issued an apology on Christmas Day and again on Wednesday. Mr. Yokoyama stated that they would strengthen their relationship with their business partners to improve their management system and prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

Original news source: Japan: Takashimaya apologises for 807 collapsed Christmas cakes (BBC)

🎧 Listen:

Slow

Normal

Fast

📖 Vocabulary:

Group or Classroom Activities

Warm-up Activities:

– News Summary
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs or small groups.
2. Give each group a copy of the article.
3. Instruct the groups to read the article and summarize the main points in 3-5 sentences.
4. After a designated amount of time, have each group share their summary with the class.

– Opinion Poll
Instructions:
1. Write the following question on the board: “Do you think Takashimaya handled the cake incident appropriately? Why or why not?”
2. Give each student a piece of paper and ask them to write their response to the question.
3. Collect the papers and tally the number of responses for each opinion.
4. Lead a class discussion, allowing students to share their opinions and supporting reasons.

– Sketch It
Instructions:
1. Divide the class into pairs.
2. Assign each pair a different scene from the article (e.g. Takashimaya’s news conference, customers receiving their cakes, social media posts).
3. Instruct each pair to create a sketch or drawing that represents their assigned scene.
4. After a designated amount of time, have each pair present their sketch to the class and explain their artistic choices.

– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions:
1. Prepare a list of vocabulary words from the article (e.g. confectionery, frilled, backlash).
2. Divide the class into teams.
3. One student from each team will come to the front of the class.
4. Show the chosen student a vocabulary word and give them one minute to draw a picture representing that word on the board.
5. The team members will guess the word based on the drawing.
6. Repeat the process with a new student from each team until all the vocabulary words have been used.

– Future Predictions
Instructions:
1. Ask students to imagine they are consultants for Takashimaya.
2. Instruct them to write a short paragraph predicting how this incident will impact the company in the future. They should consider factors such as customer trust, reputation, and sales.
3. After a designated amount of time, have students share their predictions with the class and discuss the different perspectives.

🤔 Comprehension Questions:

1. How many collapsed strawberry Christmas cakes were delivered by Takashimaya?
2. Who made and froze the cakes?
3. How did the senior managing director of Takashimaya express remorse?
4. What is the significance of the colors red and white in relation to Christmas in Japan?
5. What is another traditional food served in Japan on Christmas Eve?
6. How is Takashimaya’s strawberry shortcake made?
7. What did some customers do to try to fix the collapsed cakes?
8. What steps will Takashimaya take to prevent similar incidents in the future?
Go to answers ⇩

🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:

Japanese luxury department store, Takashimaya, has (1)______ an apology for delivering 807 collapsed strawberry Christmas cakes out of the 2,900 that were ordered. The incident (2)______ a (3)______ on social media. The senior managing (4)______ of Takashimaya, Kazuhisa Yokoyama, expressed remorse by bowing deeply at a news conference in Tokyo. The cakes were made and frozen by Win’s Ark, a confectionery firm in Saitama, and were delivered by Yamato Transport. An internal investigation has been conducted, but the cause of the collapsed cakes remains unknown.

Although only 1% of Japan’s population (5)______ as Christians, many people in the country celebrate (6)______ by exchanging gifts and enjoying festive meals with loved ones. The colors red and white, which are represented in a strawberry cake, (7)______ celebration. In addition to cakes, it is also customary for the (8)______ to serve KFC fried chicken on Christmas Eve. Takashimaya’s strawberry (9)______ is made with layers of chiffon and fresh strawberries, covered in carefully piped white icing that resembles the frilled hem of a dress. Each cake (10)______ 5,400 yen ($38; £29).

However, many customers received their cakes in a less than perfect state. Photos shared on social (11)______ showed sliced strawberries sliding off (12)______ icing and messed-up chiffon layers. One customer even tried to camouflage the collapsed cake with fruits and chocolate sprinkles. The post gained 16.1 million views. Despite the negative feedback, some social media users (13)______ the customers’ (14)______ in redecorating the cakes.

Takashimaya issued an (15)______ on Christmas Day and again on Wednesday. Mr. Yokoyama stated that they would strengthen their relationship with their business partners to improve their management (16)______ and prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
Go to answers ⇩

💬 Discussion Questions:

Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.

1. What is your opinion on Takashimaya’s handling of the collapsed cake incident?
2. How would you feel if you received a collapsed cake for a special occasion?
3. Do you think it is important for companies to apologize publicly when they make a mistake? Why or why not?
4. Have you ever had a negative experience with a product or service? How did the company handle it?
5. What is a traditional dessert or food that is served during a special occasion in your culture?
6. How do you think social media has changed the way companies respond to customer complaints?
7. Do you think it is fair for customers to share their negative experiences on social media? Why or why not?
8. Have you ever tried to fix or redecorate a damaged or imperfect product? How did it turn out?
9. How important is presentation when it comes to food or desserts? Why or why not?
10. Do you think it is necessary for companies to have a strong relationship with their business partners? Why or why not?
11. How do you think Takashimaya could prevent similar incidents from happening in the future?
12. Have you ever had a cake or dessert that was beautifully presented? How did it make you feel?
13. How do you think Takashimaya’s reputation will be affected by this incident? Why or why not?
14. Do you think it is important for companies to take responsibility for mistakes made by their business partners? Why or why not?
15. How would you react if you received a collapsed cake from a luxury department store like Takashimaya? Why?

Individual Activities

📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:

Match each word to its meaning.

Words:
1. apology
2. backlash
3. remorse
4. confectionery
5. festive
6. customary
7. chiffon
8. camouflage
9. creativity
10. redecorating
11. strengthen
12. relationship
13. management
14. incident
15. prevent

Meanings:
(A) An expression of regret for a mistake or wrongdoing
(B) The way in which two or more people or groups regard and behave toward each other
(C) A feeling of deep regret or guilt for a wrong committed
(D) According to the traditional way of doing something
(E) A lightweight, sheer fabric often used in clothing or decoration
(F) The use of imagination or original ideas to create something
(G) Related to the making or selling of sweet baked goods
(H) Relating to a joyous celebration or occasion
(I) A strong and adverse reaction by a large number of people
(J) To stop something from happening or arising
(K) To disguise or hide the appearance of something
(L) The process of dealing with or controlling things or people
(M) An event or occurrence, especially one that is noteworthy
(N) The act of decorating something again or in a new way
(O) To make something more robust or forceful
Go to answers ⇩

🔡 Multiple Choice Questions:

1. What caused the backlash on social media?
(a) Late delivery of the cakes
(b) Expensive price of the cakes
(c) Lack of variety in cake flavors
(d) Collapsed strawberry Christmas cakes

2. Who made and frozen the cakes?
(a) Takashimaya
(b) Yamato Transport
(c) Win’s Ark
(d) Kazuhisa Yokoyama

3. What is the cause of the collapsed cakes?
(a) Overbaking
(b) Unknown
(c) Poor transportation
(d) Faulty ingredients

4. What percentage of Japan’s population identifies as Christians?
(a) 10%
(b) 25%
(c) 1%
(d) 50%

5. What do the colors red and white symbolize in a strawberry cake?
(a) Love
(b) Celebration
(c) Luck
(d) Purity

6. What is the custom in Japan on Christmas Eve?
(a) Serving KFC fried chicken
(b) Exchanging gifts
(c) Going to church
(d) Decorating a Christmas tree

7. How much does each cake cost?
(a) 2,900 yen
(b) 8,070 yen
(c) 3,800 yen
(d) 5,400 yen

8. What did one customer do to try to fix the collapsed cake?
(a) Camouflaged it with fruits and chocolate sprinkles
(b) Returned it to the store for a refund
(c) Threw it away
(d) Ate it as it was

Go to answers ⇩

🕵️ True or False Questions:

1. The incident caused a backlash on social media.
2. The cakes were made and frozen by Win’s Ark, a confectionery firm in Saitama, and were delivered by Yamato Transport.
3. No internal investigation has been conducted to determine the cause of the collapsed cakes.
4. Despite only 1% of Japan’s population identifying as Christians, many people in the country celebrate Christmas by exchanging gifts and enjoying festive meals with loved ones.
5. It is not customary for the Japanese to serve KFC fried chicken on Christmas Eve.
6. The colors red and white, symbolized in a strawberry cake, represent celebration.
7. Takashimaya, a luxury department store in Japan, has not apologized for delivering 807 collapsed strawberry Christmas cakes out of the 2,900 that were ordered.
8. Takashimaya’s strawberry shortcake costs 5,400 yen ($38; £29) and is not made with layers of chiffon and fresh strawberries, covered in carefully piped white icing.
Go to answers ⇩

📝 Write a Summary:

Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.

Writing Questions:

Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.

1. How many collapsed strawberry Christmas cakes were delivered by Takashimaya?
2. Who made and froze the cakes that were delivered by Takashimaya?
3. What is the significance of the colors red and white in Japan’s Christmas celebrations?
4. How did customers react to receiving the collapsed cakes?
5. What steps will Takashimaya take to prevent similar incidents in the future?

✅ Answers

🤔✅ Comprehension Question Answers:

1. How many collapsed strawberry Christmas cakes were delivered by Takashimaya?
807 cakes

2. Who made and froze the cakes?
Win’s Ark, a confectionery firm in Saitama

3. How did the senior managing director of Takashimaya express remorse?
He bowed deeply at a news conference in Tokyo.

4. What is the significance of the colors red and white in relation to Christmas in Japan?
The colors red and white symbolize celebration.

5. What is another traditional food served in Japan on Christmas Eve?
KFC fried chicken

6. How is Takashimaya’s strawberry shortcake made?
It is made with layers of chiffon and fresh strawberries, covered in carefully piped white icing.

7. What did some customers do to try to fix the collapsed cakes?
Some customers tried to camouflage the collapsed cakes with fruits and chocolate sprinkles.

8. What steps will Takashimaya take to prevent similar incidents in the future?
Takashimaya will strengthen their relationship with their business partners to improve their management system and prevent similar incidents from happening again.
Go back to questions ⇧

🎧✍️✅ Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:

(1) issued
(2) caused
(3) backlash
(4) director
(5) identifies
(6) Christmas
(7) symbolize
(8) Japanese
(9) shortcake
(10) costs
(11) media
(12) melted
(13) praised
(14) creativity
(15) apology
(16) system
Go back to questions ⇧

📖💭✅ Vocabulary Meanings Answers:

1. apology
Answer: (A) An expression of regret for a mistake or wrongdoing

2. backlash
Answer: (I) A strong and adverse reaction by a large number of people

3. remorse
Answer: (C) A feeling of deep regret or guilt for a wrong committed

4. confectionery
Answer: (G) Related to the making or selling of sweet baked goods

5. festive
Answer: (H) Relating to a joyous celebration or occasion

6. customary
Answer: (D) According to the traditional way of doing something

7. chiffon
Answer: (E) A lightweight, sheer fabric often used in clothing or decoration

8. camouflage
Answer: (K) To disguise or hide the appearance of something

9. creativity
Answer: (F) The use of imagination or original ideas to create something

10. redecorating
Answer: (N) The act of decorating something again or in a new way

11. strengthen
Answer: (O) To make something more robust or forceful

12. relationship
Answer: (B) The way in which two or more people or groups regard and behave toward each other

13. management
Answer: (L) The process of dealing with or controlling things or people

14. incident
Answer: (M) An event or occurrence, especially one that is noteworthy

15. prevent
Answer: (J) To stop something from happening or arising
Go back to questions ⇧

🔡✅ Multiple Choice Answers:

1. What caused the backlash on social media?
Answer: (d) Collapsed strawberry Christmas cakes

2. Who made and frozen the cakes?
Answer: (c) Win’s Ark

3. What is the cause of the collapsed cakes?
Answer: (b) Unknown

4. What percentage of Japan’s population identifies as Christians?
Answer: (c) 1%

5. What do the colors red and white symbolize in a strawberry cake?
Answer: (b) Celebration

6. What is the custom in Japan on Christmas Eve?
Answer: (a) Serving KFC fried chicken

7. How much does each cake cost?
Answer: (d) 5,400 yen

8. What did one customer do to try to fix the collapsed cake?
Answer: (a) Camouflaged it with fruits and chocolate sprinkles
Go back to questions ⇧

🕵️✅ True or False Answers:

1. The incident caused a backlash on social media. (Answer: True)
2. The cakes were made and frozen by Win’s Ark, a confectionery firm in Saitama, and were delivered by Yamato Transport. (Answer: True)
3. No internal investigation has been conducted to determine the cause of the collapsed cakes. (Answer: False)
4. Despite only 1% of Japan’s population identifying as Christians, many people in the country celebrate Christmas by exchanging gifts and enjoying festive meals with loved ones. (Answer: True)
5. It is not customary for the Japanese to serve KFC fried chicken on Christmas Eve. (Answer: False)
6. The colors red and white, symbolized in a strawberry cake, represent celebration. (Answer: True)
7. Takashimaya, a luxury department store in Japan, has not apologized for delivering 807 collapsed strawberry Christmas cakes out of the 2,900 that were ordered. (Answer: False)
8. Takashimaya’s strawberry shortcake costs 5,400 yen ($38; £29) and is not made with layers of chiffon and fresh strawberries, covered in carefully piped white icing. (Answer: False)
Go back to questions ⇧