It’s Christmas time…and Xmas is celebrated in Japan, but not to the extent that it is in Western countries.
In Japan, New Years is the biggest holiday. Actually, Xmas isn’t a legal holiday here…I mean, it’s a work day (unless it falls on the weekend).
In Japan, クリスマス (Christmas) is mainly for couples and families with children.
Couples often go on a date to look and クリスマス・イルミネーション (Xmas illumination).
(Click here to visit a website that shows many places around Japan to see クリスマス・イルミネーション (Xmas illumination). (That site’s in 日本語 (Japanese) only)).
And they may also go to 東京ディズニーリゾート (Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea) for the Disney Christmas event that they have there (of course, this is less popular with couples who aren’t in the Tokyo area).
Families with children may also go to 東京ディズニーリゾート (Tokyo Disneyland or Tokyo DisneySea), if they’re in this area.
But in Japan, most homes aren’t decorated for Xmas…especially uncommon are Christmas trees. Stores and shopping malls, on the other hand, are very decorated for Christmas from November until Xmas day (after that, the decorations quickly change to the more important New Years decorations).
In Japan, Santa Clause will leave presents near the pillows of young children in Japan on Christmas Eve. On average, Japanese children receive fewer Xmas presents than children in Western countries.
On Christmas Day, it’s popular for families to have a Christmas dinner. But it’s different from Xmas dinners in other countries.
When Japanese people think of Christmas dinner, most think of Kentucky Fried Chicken® and a strawberry poundcake that is called クリスマス・ケーキ (Christmas cake).
Kentucky Fried Chicken® started a campaign about thirty years ago at Christmastime by decorating their shops for the holiday and offering set meals advertised as American style Christmas dinners.
And now, on Christmas Day, Kentucky Fried Chicken® always has long lines outside their stores and their deliverymen are driving all around town on the Kentucky Fried Chicken® mopeds.
The KFC 「パーティ・バーレル」 (“Party Barrel“):
At Christmastime, KFC Japan even sells 1% alcohol bottles of “Christmas champagne”.
Kentucky Fried Chicken® isn’t the only ones busy at Christmas in Japan, cake shops have lines of customers buying the クリスマス・ケーキ (Christmas cakes):
Tokyo Five 
Mom…
>it’s kind of funny about Kentucky Fried chicken acting like they are the traditional Christmas dinner in America! nothing could be further from the truth
Just Japanese style.
>has it caught on really well?
Yes, as I said above…to most Japanese people Xmas dinner = KFC, and there are long lines outside their stores on Xmas.
>we haven’t had Kentucky Fried Chicken since we visited you last
The last time you ate KFC was in 1996??
Actually, we had KFC that day because it was Xmas when you visited.
> the Christmas lights look so beautiful, esp. the white lights on all the trees in Toyko!
Did you look at the website that I linked in this post?
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Sir Pent…
>Kentucky Fried Chicken as traditional American Christmas dinner. THAT is awesome!
As I said, Xmas isn’t a real holiday here. So eating KFC is fine (besides KFC in Japan is quite good!)
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p.s. the Christmas lights look so beautiful, esp. the white lights on all the trees in Toyko!
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Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!! I think it’s kind of funny about Kentucky Fried chicken acting like they are the traditional Christmas dinner in America! nothing could be further from the truth, at least, in my opinion. but it is a good marketing strategy I guess. has it caught on really well? we haven’t had Kentucky Fried Chicken since we visited you last and that was a long time ago. it was expensive too, I don’t remember exactly how much , but around $50-60. for 4 adults and 3 children! that is a lot!
we will have a very quiet Christmas and New Year this year. our wish is that we could have another family reunion and this time of the year would be a good time to do it. we should start planning and saving now and maybe in a few yrs we could actually pick a spot that would be a half-way location for everyone to meet for a week or maybe two. that would be my dream come true.
pls give your family our love. Dad says to tell you that he plans to drop a line tomorrow. love to all, Mom
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Kentucky Fried Chicken as traditional American Christmas dinner. THAT is awesome!
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naokoさん、
I saw your cake. You made it yourself?
Looks great!
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Hahaha!!
Just now, I posted the photo of my Christmas cake on my blog! It is an indispensable thing for the Japanese xmas party!!
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I just noticed on my blog’s stats that someone found my site by doing a websearch for “how to get to tokyo tower from yokosuka”.
I don’t have such directions anywhere on my blog…but if you have a question like that, I can easily answer it.
Feel free to ask me either as a comment on this blog or as an email (by clicking my Contact Me page.)
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