Want To Celebrate Christmas In Japan? Here's What It's All About!

It's the time of the year that people do the most Romantic Things...

December 25th is not a national holiday in Japan. Japanese people work and go to school as usual.

Only about 1% of the Japanese population is Christian, the major religion in Japan is Buddhism and Shinto.
But in spite of that, the Japanese are very fond of celebrations, and Japanese Christmas is a big thing here.

Preparations for Christmas in Tokyo begin early.
People spend on Christmas trees, Santa clauses, Christmas gifts and Christmas decorations.

It's True: Amusing Christmas Traditions In Japan

Strangely, here in Japan the Japanese New Year, called O shogatsu is more like a traditional Western Christmas, while the Japanese Christmas is more of a Romantic day, like Valentine's Day.

Children receive presents from a Buddhist monk who is seen as the Japanese equivalent of Santa Claus ('Hotei-Osho').

Christmas Eve is celebrated by eating a Christmas cake, made of sponge cake, strawberries and whipped cream. Stores drop the price of it drastically on December 25th in order to sell everything out by the 26th.

In recent years the Christmas Chicken dinner has become very popular. Many Japanese make reservations for their 'Christmas Chicken' ahead of time at Kentucky Fried Chicken!
Most Japanese believe that Westerners celebrate Christmas with a chicken dinner too (from Kentucky...)

Christmas Eve has been built up by the media as being a Romantic time, so it holds a special meaning for young people, especially women and teenagers.

Like Valentine's Day in the USA, men are expected to express their love for the women in their lives.
It's the big time for anyone selling Teddy Bears, flowers and jewelery...

Fancy restaurants and hotels are fully booked in advance. Dinner includes spectacular and glamorous shows.

Sending Christmas cards to friends is another one of the Christmas traditions in Japan. A Japanese Christmas card is a popular custom here.

Another unique tradition is 'End of the year gifts' (between companies and to the boss)called Oseibo.

Year-end presents are also given to people who have done you a favor during the year - teachers, and family friends.

The custom is to purchase the gifts at department stores, so the receiver can check the price and return something which is around the same sum.

Christmas In Japan parties get mixed with the famous Bounenkai forget-the-year-parties!.
Companies, hobby groups, sports groups have drinking parties, which typically end with streets and subways full of drunk people trying to get home...(its still very safe, no worries).

The Secret Of History Of Japanese Christmas

In 1639, the Tokugawa shoguns banned all international trade. The missionaries were thrown out of Japan. All locals who practiced Christianity were killed.
Japan was cut off from the rest of the world.

Christianity along with Christmas practices reemerged at the beginning of the Meiji period.

During World War II, all celebrations and customs, especially those from America, were understandably stopped after the Japanese defeat.

From the sixties on, the influence of American TV dramas with the rapid growth of "the bubble economy" in Japan turned Christmas popular again (and very commercial).

Continue Reading:

Don't forget to check out Best Tokyo places for Romantic Things to do in Tokyo

Christmas Decorations in Japan

Japanese New Year

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