I’m a few days late on this one. Sorry, I was busy working. As was most of the country. Christmas isn’t a holiday here; it isn’t even noticed by a big portion of the population. Japan is not a Christian nation and so it should make perfect sense that they wouldn’t celebrate a Christian holiday. End of story, right? Well, no. It’s not quite that simple.

First, the Japanese idolize American culture. Anything American is instantly cool, anything the hollywood stars do is instantly copies by millions of schoolkids, anything… well, you get the idea. And Christmas? Well, American’s celebrate Christmas, so Christmas celebration has managed to work it’s way here in many ways. People decorate their houses with lights, hang other xmas decorations, and play xmas music. Typically the non-religious songs (like frosty and jungle bells), tho I have heard a few religious songs slip in. Note, most of this music remains in English and is not translated, even tho few understand English well enough to follow an English song.

Oh yes, and people go shopping. As Charlie Brown observed a half-century ago, Christmas has become something of a commerial. The constant message that you have to spend money to enjoy the season is overwhelming. Here too in Japan. The department stores push the bejesus out of Christmas, urging Japanese customers to buy just about everything in the store. And it works. Sales are thru the roof during this season!

Christmas Eve night is a date night. Couples typically go out and have X-mas Chicken at KFC or any of the dozen places that now serve it. Christmas Day is then is a completely normal day, except perhaps with the addition of Christmas cake for many families for dinner.

And that’s it. No Santa, no baby Jesus, no presents Christmas morning, no Christmas movies, or egg nog. Some catholic schools (many girls schools are catholic schools) force the kids to do the typical nativity scene play, but as far as I can tell the students usually don’t know what they are doing and are quick to point out (at least to me) that they aren’t Christians so it’s stupid to do.

But now it’s over. Many over 30 didn’t notice it even came. Now on to New Years which is the real holiday. More to come.