Christmas is one of the most anticipated holiday seasons in Japan. Brightly decorated Christmas trees, illuminations, red, white, and green tinsel, wreaths decorating shop windows, peppermint flavoured coffees, and hot chocolate with festive marshmallows just bring in the holiday spirit!
You may be surprised to know that December 25 is not an official holiday in Japan. This is because only 1.5% of the Japanese population is Christian.[1]
Rather than a religious holiday, Christmas in Japan is marketed more as a holiday for couples. A lot of young people may look forward to getting a date for the exciting Christmas evening. But many people prefer to spend the Christmas evening with the family, just relaxing and preparing for the upcoming New Year holidays.
Let’s have a look at the unique traditions of a Japanese Christmas:
What Japanese People Eat During Christmas
- KFC is a must. You might have heard that KFC is the go-to menu for Christmas. And it has a surprising story behind it! In 1970, the manager of the first KFC in Japan came up with a brilliant marketing strategy — to build a KFC Party Barrel [2]. In December, the daily sales for some restaurants can rise to 10 times their usual sales. Taking advantage of this, KFC made an addictive tagline, 「クリスマスにはケンタッキー」Kentucky for Christmas. The Party Barrel idea took off, and by 1974, the marketing manager who came up with the idea ended up serving as the president of KFC!
Even today, many families consider it a tradition to buy KFC for Christmas, with children eagerly looking forward to the spread. - Christmas Cake. While rum cake with fruits and nuts seems to be the choice for people around the world, the most popular cake for Christmas is Strawberry Shortcake. It is characterised by fluffy white whipped cream, sweet and tart strawberries, and moist sponge.
Even if you miss out on ordering your cake in advance, you can grab a last-minute slice at any convenience store. As the famous Japanese idiom says, 「デザートは別腹」There’s always room for dessert.
Where Japanese People Go During Christmas
- Christmas Illuminations. Illuminations are the highlight of experiencing Christmas in Japan, especially in Tokyo. Tokyo Midtown, Marunouchi, Roppongi, and Azabudai Hills hold special illuminations from Christmas to New Year’s, where visitors can walk under the sparkling lights.
Odaiba hosts the Daiba Memorial Tree- a special, large-scale Christmas tree for visitors to see and take photos with. You can find Rainbow Bridge in Odaiba lit up in coloured lights instead of the usual white. - Christmas Markets. In recent years, Christmas markets have been a popular choice for couples to celebrate Christmas. Many markets feature live performances of bands, carol groups, statues of Santa, illuminations, and shops selling specialty goods for winter.
For food, you will find many stalls selling European-style dishes such as sausages, pretzels, stews, and clam chowder. To keep you warm in the cold winter, you can enjoy mulled wine (Glühwein), eggnog, or tasty hot chocolate topped with soft marshmallows.
How Japanese People Spend Christmas
We asked the FAST OFFER team how they spend their Christmas.
Here’s what they had to say:
「いつもは家で家族とチキンを食べます。今年は上野公園で大きなクリスマスマーケットがあるので、そこでホットワインを飲みながら、クリスマスソングの演奏を聞いたりして楽しみます。とても綺麗なイルミネーションが見れるので、日本に来たら是非見に来てみて下さい！」
I usually eat chicken at home with my family. This year, there will be a huge Christmas market in Ueno Park, so I’m going to enjoy drinking mulled wine and listening to Christmas music. You can see some really beautiful illuminations, so if you come to Japan, please come and see them!
「イルミネーションを見に行く、家族でケーキやご飯を食べる、友達と集まってクリスマスパーティーをする、大体1ヶ月前からクリスマスソングを聴きます」
Going to see illuminations, eating cake and dinner with family, getting together with friends for Christmas parties, and listening to Christmas songs about a month before
「ケーキ買って食べる、または、クリスマスの飾り付けをする、プレゼント交換します」
Buy and eat cake, decorate for Christmas, or exchange gifts.
Favourite Christmas Memories from our FAST OFFER Team
We also asked them about their favourite Christmas memory!
「クリスマスが誕生日なので毎年良い思い出です 笑」
My birthday is on Christmas, so it’s a good memory every year, haha.
「小学生の時に友達と大きくて可愛いお菓子の家を作った思い出があります。」
I remember making a big, cute gingerbread house with my friends when I was in elementary school.
「母とクッキーを焼きます。」
Baking cookies with my mom
「家族と行った箱根山のホテルの小旅行が思い出深いです。レストランにはとても大きなクリスマスツリーが飾られていて、素敵な雰囲気でした。」
I have fond memories of a short trip to a hotel in Mount Hakone with my family. The restaurant had a huge Christmas tree decorated, creating a lovely atmosphere.
Christmas in Japan is truly a special occasion, whether you are single and celebrating with friends, going out with a significant other, or spending quality time with your family. The FAST OFFER team wishes you a happy holiday season!
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