Christmas in Japan

Christmas in Japan is celebrated, but the atmosphere is quite different to that of western or Christian countries. Only about 1% of Japan is estimated to be Christian, with the majority of people being Buddhist and Shinto. The first Japanese Xmas, however, was celebrated in 1552 with the missionaries.

Christmas has taken on a role similar to that of Valentine’s Day in Japan. Less family oriented events are planned and it is more of a couple’s time. Tokyo Disney World and Osaka’s Universal Studios are key Xmas destinations.

I often perform at restaurants and cafes during the season, with the concerts often aimed at couples going out for the evening. Silent Night and a few other Christmas songs go well, but I have found that the majority of what we would consider common songs haven’t gone well because they just don’t have Japanese versions of the song and therefore don’t really related to it.

This couple’s-only holiday may change in the future though. I have seen more and more schools having Christmas parties for the kids and society seems to be embracing the idea of Christmas lights and exchanging presents. My daughter’s nursery school decorated a whole classroom with Xmas trees and various decorations all of the kids made together in class.

I doubt it will ever take on the spiritual feeling often associated with the holiday because the religious stories are generally so far removed. I have read that some places claim that the increase in Christmas in Japan is due to the increasing migration of non-Japanese people.

I doubt this really has anything to do with it. In general, the media is behind the push for this holiday to go commercial. They get more stories and photos of over-decorated houses and companies get to sell more Christmas related products.

Kentucky Fried Chicken pretty much dominates the scene at Christmas time. Even though they struggle to keep up with the fast-food market in Japan, they started a huge PR campaign a while ago that sold the idea that every American family goes out and buys KFC and bonds over their grease and fat at Xmas. This is by far their best selling time of year.

Christmas in Japan is becoming more popular, but it is still a lead in to the much-anticipated New Year’s holiday. People don’t get time off from work like they do for New Year’s, so that is really when the family bonding takes place. Even though the Japanese Christmas takes on a different form, it still brings an air of festivities different than any other time of year.

A Buddhist Christmas?
Japanese Holidays