Is There Christmas in Japan? | Education Abroad GeoBlog

This is a question that I was getting from my family. Of course at fist, I gave a resounding “Yes, of course!” but as I look back on it, I don’t know if I should be so sure.
Japan has a lot of of access to all things Western from clothes to entertainment to language. Therefore, the knowledge of particular Western holidays is also well known if not also celebrated (Halloween and Christmas for example). Christmas being as huge as it is (Santa does go worldwide, after all), Japan puts a real effort into decking the halls, streets and whatever else needs decking, like the KFC Colonel for example. (compliments to Lera for the pic!)

Christmas time and Christmas can be celebrated in a variety of ways of course, but it comes down to being with one’s family. In Japan, this is hardly the case. Christmas gives off this romantic holiday vibe. It’s a time where it is necessary to have a date and if you don’t, you are probably crying in your room (sound familiar, Valentine’s Day?)
Since Christmas is a holiday for lovers, you better believe all the stores are open, casually playing Christmas music. Slurping ramen and listening to Mariah Carey’s All I Want for Christmas is You is the most entertaining moment of the season, I think. Such an unlikely combination.

After exchanging gifts with my host parents and having some breakfast, they went grocery

shopping and then my host dad went to the pool to work up an appetite.
Now, Christmas dinner does have a role in Japan, but it is much less extravagant and more commercialized than anything I have ever seen. The big thing to do is to make a reservation at KFC about a month in advance. Not only make a reservation for your order, but for your pick-up time. This stuff actually gets sold out, it is that serious.

Japan loves foreign things, but when they get imported, they also get a bit distorted. That distortion evolves, unnoticed, on this small island and manifests itself into something distinctly Japanese. If you can appreciate a bit of a twist, then it is quite enjoyable.

Next up on the calendar, a look at a real family oriented, tradtional holiday in Japan: New Years.

Location: minami-ku, nagoya-shi, aichi-ken, Japan

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