May 5 is Children’s Day as well as boys day in Japan. Families with sons hang carp streamers for May 5 to celebrate the Children’s Day. The families with boys also decorate their homes with a cool samurai helmet called “kabuto“. Samurai helmet/kabuto is cool looking and I would love to own one even though I don’t have a son.
So, are you wondering where I found this Koinobori (carb streamer) cake for Children’s Day in Jakarta? Guess what? My Japanese friend in Jakarta baked this gorgeous pink carp cake!!! As she was getting the koinobori/carp cake out of a paper bag, I popped the question about where she found it. When she proceeded to tell me that she actually baked that professional looking koinobori/carp cake, my chin dropped! She said it was her hobby to bake and she baked almost everyday. Wow. Can I be your tester? She went through a few steps just to make the sponge cake. When it comes to baking, I go for simple recipes. (However, I would rather bake from scratch than using a boxed mix.) Anyways, I told her that she could do business with her baking and she should start blogging about her baking! She describes herself as an analogue and tells me that she’s not well versed in a cyber world. Should I go over to her home and take photos as she bakes?
ジャカルタに住んでいながら、どこでこんな素敵な鯉のぼりのケーキを手に入れたの？って思いました？実はこれ、ジャカルタ在住の日本人の友人が作ってくれたんです！！すごいでしょ？袋から鯉のぼりのケーキを出している時に、思わず「どこで買ったんですか？」って訊いてしまいました。彼女が焼いたというお返事が返ってきた時は、口があんぐりと空いてしまいました。友人はお菓子作りが趣味だそうで、毎日のように作っているとか。憧れちゃいます。試食する人が必要だったら、呼んでくださいね、なんて．．．私の場合、お菓子作りとなると、簡単なレシピばかり選びます。（それでも、箱の中に入っているケーキミックスを使ってお菓子を作るよりは、最初から自分で作る方が好きですが。）友人には、ケーキのビジネスができる腕だと思うし、ブログを始めたら、人気が出るのではないかなと伝えました。彼女のお返事は、アナログ派のためブログを書くのが難しい、とか。もったいない！私が彼女の家に言って、彼女がケーキ作りをしている所を写真に撮るとか？（勝手に．．．）
It looked like this when my friend got the carp cake out of her bag. She brought some cute crafty stuff from Japan.
日本人の繊細なところいつも感動します！鯉さんがめっちゃ可愛い！かほさん、もう一人男のコ作らないんですか？ヾ(=^▽^=)ノ
もう一人ね〜。考えるよ〜。っていうか、年齢のこともあるから、そう考えてばかりも居られない！あは〜、性別までは決められないよね．．．
that cake is really cool looking, I can’t imagine the work it took!
That cake looks cute and yummy. Can you tell me what is so special about Japanese Children’s Day? Thanks.
Children’s Day originated as Boys Day on May 5 (5/5). (BTW Girls Day is March 3 (3/3).) It is a national holiday to celebrate children’s happiness. I read that Duanwu Festival, which is celebrated in China and other East Asian and Southeast Asian countries is related to the original Boys Day in Japan. Then, this Boys Day became Children’s Day. More importantly, many Japanese companies and schools are closed from April 29 to the end of the first week, depending on how the holidays fall into the dates and this week with consecutive holidays is called Golden Week in Japan. April 29 is Showa Emperor’s birthday and now it’s called Showa Day, May 3 is Constitution Memorial Day, May 4 is a green day (this day became a holiday because it’s sandwiched between two holidays), and May 5 is Children’s Day. Families with sons across the nation in Japan decorate their homes with koinobori from April to early May, in honor of their sons and in the hope that they will grow up healthy and strong. I hope this helped you understand the meaning of the holiday!
How interesting Kaho, Mexico also celebrates El Dia del Nino (children’s day), but the date is different, it’s April 30.
the cake is beautiful! I totally agree, you should stop by her house and take photos of her work.
HAPPY CINCO DE MAYO!!!!
THIS is amazing… something I wish I was capable of doing…
Wow, that cake looks great. I really really want one!!! I probably won’t eat it though, it’s too cute to be eaten 🙂
I know! I thought so, too, and the next thing I knew, my plate was empty…
Almost forgot … We have Children’s Day too in Indonesia, but we calebrate it on July 23
Nice!
Hi Kaho! I love this cake SO MUCH! Would it be possible to post the method and recipe for this? I would love to try it!! Thank you.
Thanks! This cake was made by my Japanese friend and I don’t have the recipe and method myself. I’m away from Jakarta at the moment, but after I get back in town, I plan on having a collaborated work with her. 🙂
Thanks for the reply! Look forward to it, your friend sounds like a talented baker!! Glad I found your blog 🙂
Hi! as i was looking at your blog I saw this cute looking Koinobori cake, I was wondering can i have the recipe if its possible . Thank you……:D
I don’t have its recipe and the recipe is in Japanese, so it’ll take me a while for me to organize a post about the recipe. I will try to have a collaborated post with her once I return to Jakarta and get settled…. I can’t promise when I can do it, but I’ll try to do it soon! Thanks for being patient!!!