Chicken roasting on an open fire, Sanders nipping at your nose...
No amount of corny puns can sufficiently stress just how integral Kentucky Fried Chicken is to Japan's recognition of Christmas. It's estimated that 3.6 million Japanese families get their holiday meal from the Colonel, according to data tracked by Japan's national rail transit service.
Whitworth University Japanese international student Lisa Yamamoto attests to KFC's importance in Japanese Christmas celebrations.
"Every worker [at KFC] has to be there on Christmas because it's the most common thing," she says.
Legend has it that this KFC Christmas craze originated in 1974, when KFC Japan's CEO launched a Christmas campaign to engage the country with a foreign brand. Now, KFC is a bedrock of Japanese people's celebration of Christmas. On KFC Japan's website, a whole gambit of Christmas meals are available for preordering from Nov. 2 to Dec. 22 so that they may be enjoyed from Dec. 23 to 25.
Christmas celebrations in Japan don't stop at KFC, however.
Throughout the nation, landmarks are illuminated with beautiful and unique light displays, such as Tokyo Station. In Hibiya Park, Tokyo, and Sapporo, Christmas markets take place throughout the entire winter season. Another main attraction is Tokyo Disneyland, where a swath of international and local guests gather to admire its production of "Christmas Fantasy."
Yamamoto, a Whitworth sophomore from the Hyogo Prefecture, emphasized that celebrations vary between regions.
"Not many people go to Universal Studios Japan where I live," she says. "I'm living in the Kansai area, and many people go there to see the big trees [and] the views."
After gathering together and eating a fancy meal, Japan departs from its similarities to American Christmas traditions when it comes to gift-giving.
In Japan, Christmas Eve is more equivalent to Valentine's Day. It's an incredibly romantic holiday during which younger couples book fancy dinners, exchange luxurious gifts and take in the decorated city streets. On Christmas Day, friends and couples host and attend parties. Because Christmas is not a nationally recognized holiday, many businesses remain open during these days.
Yamamoto celebrated Christmas with her family for the first 10 years of her life. She ate, of course, KFC and also "Christmas Cake," which is a light, resplendent spongy cake with whipped cream and frosting, topped with strawberries.
She opened presents from underneath a Christmas tree and believed in Santa Claus. She says Christmas celebrations with her family stopped after her younger brother finally outgrew his belief in Santa.
"If you're not in a relationship, we have a friend's Christmas party," Yamamoto says, adding that she'll celebrate with friends in Spokane this year.
Christmas celebrations in Japan may seem slightly diminutive in comparison to America's, but that's because Japan's main holiday, New Year's, is right around the corner. During New Year's, family members come together, exchange gifts and eat fancy meals. They usher in the new year by visiting temples on the first three days of January, a centuries-old tradition, and wish for happiness and health during the year to come. ♦