A "perfect" excuse to indulge on parfait day

June 28th is "Parfait Day". And the reason for the date of the anniversary is really cool! On this day in 1950, pitcher Fujimoto Hideo (1918-1997) of the Giants achieved the first perfect game in the history of Japanese professional baseball. The word for "perfect" in French is "parfait" which is why it was chosen as "Parfait Day".

In addition, the first two perfect numbers in mathematics are believed to be "6" and "28"; thus the 28th of June (the 6th month) is a perfect day. Furthermore, it is said that the anniversary was decided because June is the season when melons are available. Melons are often used in parfaits in June. Strawberries are also used and although its the tail end of the season, strawberries are still available.

I think "parfait" is a pretty global word? They are a Western-style dessert with layers of cream and fruit, sometimes with syrup and granola or cornflakes. They are similar to ice cream sundaes and knickerbocker glories. They are quite popular in Japan, although they were probably more popular during the Showa period. There is currently a Showa Retro boom as this would have been the 100th year of the Showa era.

Have you eaten parfait in Japan? Will you indulge today?