Christmas in Japan
When we came back from America to Japan as children, we brought the tradition of Christmas with us. This meant a Christmas tree with ornaments with our names on it, flashing colorful lights, a roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, three-bean salad, cranberries. Presents were opened on Christmas morning. So of course it was a culture shock to learn that Christmas was not a holiday in Japan; we had to go to school that day.
How does Japan celebrate Christmas? In Western societies, Christmas can feel like a given. It’s often “forgotten” that it is a Christian holiday, and has little to do with Eastern religions or beliefs. In Japan, it has been warmly welcomed by the commercial sector as a winter event rather than a religious one, especially from the postwar period onward as Western-style consumption and department store culture grew.
Growing up, KFC Japan did an excellent job of promoting 「クリスマスにはケンタッキー」 (Christmas means Kentucky / KFC for Christmas). My Japanese brother-in-law says they really did have KFC chicken every Christmas. Very convenient, since his parents’ store was open every day and a ready-made bucket of chicken was a simple way to create something “Western” and festive.
Another very Japanese “Christmas” thing is the Christmas cake. The Japanese 「ショートケーキ」 (shōtokēki) is a white sponge cake with whipped cream and bright red strawberries, usually decorated with a little chocolate plaque that says “Merry Christmas.” Oftened pictured on Tv or mangas are fathers buying Christmas cakes on their way home, trying to make it back before the children fall asleep. Many stores sell cakes at a stand in front of the shop, and toward the end of the evening they would be heavily discounted.
For a long time, the term “leftover Christmas cake” was used for unmarried women over 25: after the 25th, the cake is considered less desirable, just like women beyond that age. Thankfully, that expression is increasingly seen as outdated and sexist. Christmas Eve, on the other hand, is still a special day for couples, treated as the ultimate date night with illuminations, fancy dinners, and hotel stays, while Christmas Day itself is just another working day.
