Christmas and Japanese Youth

How do Japanese Jr. High and High School students celebrate Christmas?

First you have to remember that Christmas is a 20th century import to Japan. It's popular, well liked and carries a feeling of nostalgia. However, most people don't really know what they are nostalgic about. Maybe it's easiest to describe what Japanese Christmas has that's the same as in Canada, then a few things it has that Canada doesn't, and then what it doesn't have.

First, the music is the same. You hear all of the same Christmas carols and songs. Then there is all of the lights. Not every house, but quite a few houses have some beautiful lights but where you see the most lights is in the shopping areas. Amazing light shows! Sanata Claus also shows up, as much or more than in North America. It seems that Japanese kids believe in Santa more than Canadian kids do. In most homes, children get one present each from Santa. So, another thing shared by the two cultures is the shopping rush, though it is probably worse in Canada.

There are a few Christmas things in Japan that Canada doesn't have. One of the main ones is Tokyo Disneyland. Mickey Mouse and company seem to be one of the main features of Christmas and huge numbers of people celebrate Christmas in Disneyland, starting sometime in November. Another very big thing in Japan is December 24th, Holy Night, dinner shows. Usually a fancy restaurant with some famous popular singers. Finally, December 24th also has a lot of hotel specials for young couples, as December 24th is perhaps the biggest date night of the year.

This may already show you some of the things from a Canadian Christmas (even as it gets watered down over the years) that aren't very common in Japan. Christmas is not particularly a family day. Children are off of school for winter break but neither the 24th or the 25th is a holiday. The 23rd is off for the emperor's birthday but Christmas day usually sees people of to work as usual. There is not really a Christmas meal, although it has become a very wide custom to have Kentucky Fried Chicken (from a Colonel Sanders in a Sanata suit) and almost everyone has a Christmas Cake (white with whipped cream and strawberries). There aren't a lot of family customs or feeling. Some houses get Christmas trees but they are usually small and in almost all homes the decorations are down by the 26th. New Year's is the family time with visits to a temple for blessings.

While the Christmas carols are there, one thing that is missing from them is any meaning. Almost no one knows what the words are (often they are in English) and almost no one knows what they mean. Also, while there is the gift from Santa, there is no concept of exchanging gifts. People are always very surprised to hear that in our family children also give gifts and we give to each other.