In Japan, a Christmas cake (kurisumasu keeki) is practically a fixture of December 24 and 25. Most people order weeks in advance, so the popular whole cakes are often fully booked by the time Christmas arrives.
This guide covers when reservations open for the 2026 season, the confirmed deadlines and pickup dates, and whether you can buy a cake on the day without ordering ahead.
If you want a specific cake, reserve it. Japan's three big convenience-store chains started taking orders in mid-September, and most cake shops and department stores post their details in October.
Christmas chicken is another holiday staple worth ordering ahead. For that, see KFC Christmas in Japan 2026 (reservations and pickup).
Convenience Store Reservations (Now Open)
The convenience stores move first. For the 2026 season, all three major chains opened reservations in mid-September:
- 7-Eleven: early-bird items opened on September 14 (Mon)
- Lawson: reservations opened on September 15 (Tue)
- FamilyMart: opened on September 16 (Wed) (Okinawa stores from October 1)
So you do not have to wait until December. Cake shops and department stores start a little later, mostly around October. Isetan Mitsukoshi has confirmed its 2026 start dates: October 1 (Thu) for MI Card members and October 2 (Fri) for everyone else.
Deadlines and Pickup Dates (The Three Big Convenience Stores)
The key details are the reservation deadline and the pickup date. Here are the officially announced 2026 dates for the three chains.
Store | Reservation deadline | Pickup period |
|---|---|---|
7-Eleven | In store: Dec 16 (Wed) or Dec 19 (Sat) / app: Dec 17 (Thu) or Dec 20 (Sun) | Dec 19 (Sat) – 25 (Fri) |
Lawson | In store: Dec 18 (Fri) 6 p. | Dec 19 (Sat) – 25 (Fri) |
FamilyMart | Early-bird until Dec 1 (Tue) 9 a. | Dec 20 (Sun) – 25 (Fri) |
FamilyMart's "December 1" is only the deadline for the discounted early-bird booking. Regular reservations run later, set by pickup date, but the final cutoff is not published, so check in store or on FamiMart Online.
At 7-Eleven the deadline shifts with your pickup day. For pickup on December 19–23, the in-store deadline is December 16 (Wed) and the app deadline is December 17 (Thu); for the busy December 24–25 pickup, they move to December 19 (Sat) in store and December 20 (Sun) on the app. Note that the app (7NOW) deadlines fall in the morning of those days, so do not assume you have until the evening.
Lawson works the other way around: its app deadline (December 13) is nearly a week earlier than the in-store one (December 18). If you order through the app, count on the earlier cutoff.
Cake Shops and Department Stores (Typical Timing)
Cake shops such as Fujiya, Ginza Cozy Corner and Morozoff usually begin taking orders around October, and their 2026 dates had not been officially posted as of late September. Chateraise is the exception: it typically opens reservations in late September, right about now, so bookings for 2026 may already be available. With any of them, check the official site for the latest before you order.
- Fujiya: in-store reservations usually open in early October, with a deadline around mid-December. Orders in store and via the official shop "Family Town."
- Ginza Cozy Corner: online reservations (store pickup) usually close in mid-December, with pickup in late December.
- Chateraise: reservations usually open in late September and close around mid-December. Its "Cashipo" app rewards early bookings with points.
- Morozoff: reservations from autumn, through its online shop and department-store counters.
Department stores are the ones most likely to ship a cake to a home address. Isetan Mitsukoshi and Takashimaya have their 2026 feature pages up, but each product's deadline, pickup date and pickup counter are fixed once the lineup is released, so check the item you want.
Buying One Without a Reservation
The short answer: maybe, but not reliably. Whole cakes depend on what is left in stock, and because popular items go to reservations first, the walk-in supply can be thin.
At convenience stores, smaller cakes sometimes sit on the shelf on the day, but whole cakes are hit or miss by store. Some department stores offer a limited number of cakes for walk-in purchase around December 23–25, and lines may form before opening. Whether it happens in 2026 depends on each store's announcement.
If you have a specific cake in mind, booking is the safe route. If you plan to buy without a reservation, try going before December 24 and 25, or arrive as soon as the store opens. You'll have better luck.
How to Reserve (and Tips for Visitors)
You can reserve in store or online. At the convenience stores, besides the in-store form, 7-Eleven takes orders on the "7NOW" app, Lawson on the "Lawson" app, and FamilyMart on "FamiMart Online" (some stores do not offer app booking). Cake shops take in-store orders and, at many chains, online through their official shops.
Booking early can save a little. 7-Eleven runs a 10% early-bird discount on selected items from September 14 (Mon) to November 30 (Mon). FamilyMart also offers a discount and limited bonus points on early bookings placed by December 1 (Tue) 9 a.m. (the amount is not stated officially).
One thing for visitors to Japan: these reservations tend to assume Japanese-language forms, a Japanese account, and in-store pickup, so ordering on your own can be tricky without some Japanese. The most reliable option is to reserve in person, filling out a paper form and paying at the register, since the apps generally require Japanese-language input. If you really want a cake during your stay, ask the shop in advance about pickup options and timing that work for your trip.
This article was translated from the original Japanese with AI assistance and reviewed by our editorial team. The Japanese version is authoritative.