Last Updated: Dec 23, 2023

Christmas in Japan

Illuminations, Mariah Carey & KFC?

This story was originally published on donnykimball.com and has been syndicated here on Medium

Ahhh Christmas… cue the traditional festivities, costly shopping, Christmas melodies, glittering lights, and…KFC?!?! What the hell? Yes you read that right! Christmas in Japan is definitely a different beast when compared to Western countries. From good gone bad to straight-up quirky, the yuletide season in Japan just isn’t what Westerners envision back home. Let’s take a look at what you can expect from Christmas in the land of the rising sun.

First off, Christmas in Japan is not founded on any religious undertones like in Western countries. Indeed for many, it is just another workday. Historically, Japan has been rather antagonistic toward Christian teachings and thus has a very small congregation. If you are interested, you can reference this article for more information on the bloody history of Christianity in Japan.

Despite this troubled history, Japan’s modern incarnation of Christmas has adopted traditions from America while conveniently overlooking the holiday’s origin (you know, like Jesus’s birthday and all that). While Christmas was imported over many years, the holiday now manifests itself in strange ways thanks to marketers’ unique spin.