Christmas is a holiday that is celebrated almost worldwide, and Japan is no exception. Many of the Christmas customs that are common in Western countries are also common in Japan, but Christmas in Japan also differs in many ways.

In Japan, Christmas is a secular event that is not influenced by religion. It is nothing more than a popular event for pure enjoyment.

The History of Christmas in Japan

Christmas was first introduced to Japan in the mid-1500s by Jesuit missionaries. However, this all came to a halt during the Edo period and Christmas was not reintroduced until the beginning of the Meiji period.

In 1900, Meijiya opened a department store in Ginza that sold Christmas products. This was followed by a popular song in 1912 about the department store’s Christmas decorations, leading to the popularity of the holiday in Japan.

Ginza in the 1920s

Even now, in families with small children, the culture of Santa Claus visiting on Christmas Eve has spread widely in Japan. It is customary for parents to prepare presents and place them by the pillow when the children are asleep.

A Christmas Poster in Aeon Mall in Nagoya

So just like children all around the world, Japanese children spend Christmas Eve looking forward to the next morning and opening presents from Santa Claus. For young adults, there is a custom of exchanging gifts among couples on Christmas.

Christmas is a Holiday for Couples

In Western countries, like Europe and North America, Christmas is generally a time spent with family and New Year’s a time with friends.

However, in Japan, it is customary to spend New Year’s with family. While Christmas is reserved for couples to enjoy a romantic dinner together and then take an evening stroll to admire Christmas lights.

Christmas is a Holiday for Couples

Japan’s Obsession with Christmas Illuminations

Christmas lights are referred to as illuminations in Japan. Although these illuminations that color Japan’s winter towns were not originally tied to Christmas, the two have become very closely related.

Nabana no Sato Tunnel of Lights

Every year when winter comes, cities are lit up with colors that fascinate anyone that walks by. It’s not very common for people to decorate their house for Christmas in Japan.

Shopping Mall Christmas Trees

So to make up for it, just about every shopping center across the country will have decorated trees and displays related to Christmas in an attempt to capture the magic of the season.

Reindeer Display at an Office Building in Nagoya

Pass the Christmas Fried Chicken Please

My fondest memories of Christmas dinner are a huge honey baked ham, a roasted turkey, green beans, and mashed potatoes. But in Japan, the most popular Christmas dinner staple is fried chicken.

Chicken Dinner and Christmas Cake Display

The demand for fried chicken during the Christmas season is so high that many Japanese and American fast food chains, like KFC, will begin accepting reservations in November. It’s gotten to the point that even convenience stores like Seven Eleven and Family Mart now offer Christmas chicken dinners.

Chicken Dinner Offer at Family Mart

Japanese Christmas Cake

Christmas desserts such as gingerbread houses, snowball cookies, and Christmas themed cut-out cookies were commonplace during my childhood. In Japan, the tradition is to eat an elaborate Christmas cake.

Christmas Fruit Cake

Sure, in Europe and North America there is also a culture of enjoying cakes at Christmas. But these cakes are usually fruit cakes. Japan is very different, with strawberry shortcake-based sponge cakes being the most common Christmas cake.

Japanese Christmas Cakes

The origin of the Christmas cake in Japan dates back to 1922, when the confectionery manufacturer Fujiya released a cake decorated with cream and the slogan Let’s eat cake for Christmas! The cakes were decorated with a sugar candy Santa and strawberries. At that time, cakes were a luxury item and most people could not afford to buy them.

Today there are other cakes that offer a wide variety of flavors and decorations, but the fresh cream and strawberry cake is still the most popular Christmas cake in Japan.