Popular shops often have insane waitlists, sometimes stretching for months between order and delivery. But hey, dedicated fans are always down for the wait.
But what about a wait that clocks in at over a decade? Can something ordered that long ago actually show up? Will the person even *be* around to receive it? Recently, a Japanese X user shared their wild story of "actually receiving an order placed 13 years ago," sparking a massive buzz online.
X user "Izou" posted a screenshot of a voicemail transcript, revealing a message from a shop informing him that the bread he ordered 13 years ago was finally ready.
The message even included lines you'd almost never hear for a regular order, like "We know it's been a while since you placed your order..." and "We'd like to confirm if your address is still the same." Talk about a blast from the past!
According to Izou, the shop is called "Kita-Kamakura Tenshi no Pan & Cake Gateau d'ange," run by Izumi Tayura, a former keirin cyclist who retired due to injury, and his wife. However, Izou wasn't the one who placed the order all those years ago—it was his wife.
Thirteen years ago, his wife watched the TV show "Nakai Masahiro no Kinyoubi no Sumatachi e" (also known as "Nakai's Friday Smiles"). At the time, a "nama shokupan" (Japanese milk bread) craze was sweeping the nation, and she became interested in the shop, ordering three items: nama shokupan, walnut bread, and stollen.
After getting the voicemail, Izou immediately called the shop back, honestly admitting he had zero recollection of placing such an order. Turns out, the shop staff seemed completely unfazed by his confusion.
Given it was a 13-year-old order, many customers had moved, and some had even passed away, making them impossible to contact. So, when the shop realized Izou was actually calling them back, they were understandably thrilled.
▼ In fact, the shop's official website even has a notice:
Currently, most items from the shop require a wait of 20 years or more for delivery. However, seasonal limited-edition items like honey and jam might ship significantly earlier depending on the situation. The shop is currently fulfilling orders received on March 8, 2013 (the day "Nakai's Friday Smiles" aired). Due to the massive surge in orders that day, they are still gradually working through them, which will take many more years to complete.
But after all that waiting, the bread itself didn't disappoint. Izou raved, "The bread was incredibly soft and absolutely delicious."
As of now, the standard wait time for items from "Kita-Kamakura Tenshi no Pan & Cake Gateau d'ange" has stretched to over 20 years—a full seven years longer than when the original order was placed 13 years ago.
Who knows where we'll be or what we'll be doing in 20 years? Maybe thinking of it as a time capsule gift to your future self is part of the fun!