The western shows and media have given us their perspective of Christmas but turkeys and wine is not how the festival is celebrated everywhere. Japan, for example, offers a unique and romantic Christmas experience, celebrating the holiday in a distinctly local way that differs from the usual Western traditions.
Christmas traditions in Japan include ordering a KFC, eating strawberry cakes, enjoying romantic dinners, watching illumination events, and going out for hot springs or skiing. Make restaurant bookings in advance, plan outings on Christmas Eve and stay till the New Years’ Day for a traditional Japanese experience.
While it may not be an official holiday in Japan on Christmas Day, the country’s illuminations, romantic atmosphere, and yearly Christmas traditions are fascinating to experience. The beauty and mystical vibe of Christmas might even enhance for you in this country.
Famous Christmas Traditions in Japan
1. The KFC party buckets
KFC has become the go-to Christmas meal in Japan, popularized by a highly successful marketing campaign started in 1974. The KFC stores are so busy on Christmas day that people have to place orders weeks in advance to receive the chicken buckets on time, or have to queue up from early morning for hours at the stores.
The stores are mostly referred to as ‘Kentucky’ rather than KFC among the locals, and reservations can be made on their Japanese website after selecting the pick-up store and time.
2. The Christmas Cake
The Japanese Christmas cake is another famous delicacy after KFC. It is made with strawberry, vanilla sponge, with chocolate Santas or snowmen as toppings. While that’s not the only style for making the cake, every bakery, grocery store, and even convenience stores begin selling these cakes near the Christmas season. The cake’s red and white colors reflect the colors of the Japanese flag, which is one of the reasons why the cake gradually grew into such a popular Christmas tradition.
3. The Illuminations
Illumination events in Japan are very popular, lighting up the streets, trees, and buildings of cities beautifully in big cities like Osaka and Tokyo. They create an unmatchable, dreamy Christmas environment. One such event is the Tokyo illumination at Roppongi. Large crowds enjoy the view of Tokyo Tower and the streets being lit up from evening to almost midnight during the weeks leading up to Christmas, including late November.
Other than that, malls, restaurants, and public spaces are also covered with various illuminations like the Tokyo Station in the capital, the Kaiyukan Aquarium in Osaka, or the onsen near Nagashima, Nabana no Sato. Millions of LED lights create breathtaking displays worth watching.
4. The Romantic Vibe
A unique aspect about the Japanese winter holiday season is that December 24th in Japan is more of a couple’s holiday than a family holiday like in the West. It is often remarked as the second Valentine’s Day. Couples book fancy dinners and take long strolls amidst the brightly lit streets of Japan. The sight of restaurants filled with young couples rather than families is not surprising.
Many places also feature Christmas markets, themed mainly after German Christmas markets. The Tokyo Christmas Market, the market at Yebisu Garden Place, as well as the Red Brick Warehouse, are a few places where you can find amazing Christmas decorations, including Christmas trees and skating rinks.
Travelling here with your partner is bound to be a great romantic experience. Just take your BookMyForex Forex Card with you and let us take care of the payment part while you focus on the time with your special someone.
Tips for celebrating Christmas in Japan
1. Travel With Trains
Highly consider travelling with the Japan Rail Pass. It is the easiest and most affordable way of commuting in the country, with the convenience of traveling all through Japan. It gives you unlimited travel on most trains, buses, ferries and monorails. It’s available for 7, 14 or 21 days for tourists. Considering the Christmas rush and the need to travel to different cities to experience the festive vibe, the rail pass is an essential.
Reserving your seats in advance on trains also makes your trip more comfortable considering that it’s the holiday season and a lot of Japanese people go back to their hometowns. We also suggest you buy Japanese Yen in advance to avoid any last minute hassles.
2. Go Out for Hot Springs
If you are a bit into adventure, you should try going skiing and then taking time off in hot springs, surrounded by snowy views in Nagano or Hokkaido. Nozawa Onsen or Zao Onsen are also known for their hot springs. For skiing, Hakuba, Niseko, and Madarao are famous destinations. Niseko is generally more crowded and expensive due to the large number of tourists. These towns often have resorts that offer both skiing activities among others as well as hot springs.
Due to the large number of people in the line however, and delays due to snowstorms, you should be prepared to wait a while.
Plenty of sunny days and the comfortable cold weather make a Japanese December cozy, which adds to the calm Christmas atmosphere of Japan.
3. Christmas Eve is the Main Day
The real energy of Christmas can be felt not on December 25th but rather on 24th since Christmas Day is not a holiday for most people and they celebrate Christmas Eve with much more enthusiasm.
24th December and the previous week therefore are the days worth visiting and spending in Japan rather than the Christmas Day itself. That is also when the traditions are followed and illuminations can be enjoyed.
4. Make Bookings in Advance
Book restaurants or hotels a week in advance for romantic dinners since good ones are full on Christmas Eve. Moreover, some good fine dining restaurants do not accept walk-ins and only allow reserved bookings. You can also avoid the traditional Christmas KFC rush too by booking in advance. Doing the same for resorts, for skiing and hot springs is also wise since you will avoid the high costs during peak time.
Hence, plan your trip itinerary carefully.
5. Make Plans for New Years’ Day Too
Apart from the fabulous fireworks offered by resorts as well as the fireworks in the city, Japan has even more beauty to offer for the start of a new year. Spending both Christmas and New Years’ in Japan will give you a special mix of festive spirit, romance, traditional and serene celebrations, which is ultimately a very fulfilling celebration.
Stay for New Year’s to experience an even more traditional Japanese winter. Shrines like Meiji Shrine in Tokyo and Heian Shrine in Kyoto are visited by both locals and tourists, praying for good luck in the coming year. It’s a very spiritual and cultural event. Joya no Kane is a famous New Year’s tradition where Buddhist temples strike their bells 108 times at night. Many temples invite people to strike the bells themselves. One such site for Joya no Kane is Zojoji temple near Tokyo Tower.
About the Author
Bhawna Nijhawan is the Content Manager at BookMyForex and the go-to person for creating engaging, informative content that resonates with the platform’s diverse audience. With over 8 years of experience in content writing and more than 4 years in the forex industry, she knows exactly how to simplify complex forex topics into something everyone can relate to.
