Every country has holidays. Every culture has festivals. Sometimes, they can even cross borders – as has happened with Christmas in Japan. Although by and large irreligious, the Japanese have adopted that Christian celebration, albeit not with pious fervor. Rather, Christmas is seen as another reason to party; like the increasingly popular Halloween, it’s a time to have fun, and maybe take their girlfriends. So let’s talk about Christmas: What it means to the Japanese, how they celebrate, and how you can join in the festivities for anyone curious about how Christmas is celebrated in Japan.

What Christmas means in Japan

Of the 120+ million people living in Japan, less than 2% are Christians. As such, it’s hard to pretend that the holiday is seen as a holy observance. Rather, for the Japanese, it’s a secular holiday shaped by the native Shinto and Buddhism. What does the birth of Christ have to do with that? Nothing – but the seasonal aesthetics, the idea of giving and receiving, and of celebrating the people you love – those naturally appeal to the native Japanese, so to see them co-opt the Western holiday for their own purposes is only natural, not to mention adding winter lights to their aesthetics of spring sakura, summer matsuri, and autumn leaves. A country that focuses this much on the beauty of things can only gravitate toward reindeer and Santa as part of modern Japanese Christmas traditions.

It’s a light breather before the season’s real centerpiece: New Year’s. Like the rest of its Asian neighbors, New Year’s (shōgatsu) is central to celebrations, so everything else is just entertainment and play. Whereas for New Year’s, you’re supposed to be with family, Christmas is for your friends or lovers. So, the impression you get is that it’s casual – less nativity, more carol. Of course, you can still attend church and pray in mass, but the focus here is play, love, and the spirit of giving in what many tourists think of as a uniquely Japanese Christmas experience.

How the Japanese Actually Celebrate

In America, we like to think of the 25th as “the main event”. Opening presents is quite fun, after all. But Japan cares more about the 24th, the “Eve”. Boyfriends and girlfriends often use it for date night, where they’ll go out, see the lights, maybe exchange a gift, and use it as an early Valentine’s Day. If you’re single, well, there’s always KFC (more on that later!). Still, work is as usual, so there’s no days off – Christianity isn’t a major thing here, after all and this difference is one of the biggest contrasts between Christmas in Japan vs the West.

Some families with children might celebrate. Christmas cakes are a thing often enjoyed during this season, after all. You only might have a small (plastic) tree. There might be a present or two too, but nothing huge; we don’t do the morning of gift unwrapping like we do in the West. Just something close, personal, and stripped of the big after unwrapping mess. By the 26th, all talk of Christmas is gone, and everything shifts to New Year’s mode. Many businesses even start taking time off – expect to see Tokyo a little quieter as the country transitions from Christmas events to New Year’s traditions.

The KFC Phenomenon: Why Japan Eats Fried Chicken at Christmas

You’ve probably heard of this, but yes, Japan has a fried chicken fixation in the weeks running up to Christmas. This goes back to 1974; KFC had just started in the country four years prior. Hearing some foreigners lament the lack of turkey in Japan (it’s still very expensive over here), Okawara Takeshi, a manager of Japan’s first KFC, wondered if they could swap out the American fowl for a fried one more readily available. Thus was launched the “Kentucky for Christmas (クリスマスにはケンタッキー)” campaign which became the foundation of Japan’s famous KFC Christmas tradition.

It took off quickly. Perhaps it was the Americaphilia of the time. Perhaps it was the novelty of it. Perhaps it was simply the audacity. All the same, it stuck around, and even today, KFC will take reservations for a whole fried chicken to share with the whole family. It’s really quite impressive. Lines will form, and it can take almost an hour to get inside some restaurants. You might even call it a national ritual at this point. Chicken is in such great demand that some stores even get as much as 20% of their annual revenue during the holiday season making KFC on Christmas one of the most iconic Japanese holiday customs. Okawara, by the way, went on to become president and CEO of the entire Japanese branch. Talk about a success story.

Summary

Christmas in Japan is unique. It’s less religion, more vibes, adapted and suited to fit Japanese culture. Light, romantic, commercial, and playful, it’s the time to enjoy yourself before the heavy and high New Year. Have a cake. Go on a date. Just do something fun. Maybe even eat some KFC and enjoy one of the most recognizable Christmas traditions in Japan. It’s Christmas in Japan. Just take a load off and enjoy yourself.

For holiday travel advice, talk to us at Tabibiyori. We’ll be glad to help.