Christmas in Japan

In Japan, Christmas has been embraced as a popular commercial holiday that people love to celebrate. The majority of the population in Japan is Shinto and Buddhist, so the religious meaning around December 25th and the period itself does not exist. Unless it falls on a weekend, December 25th is just a normal work day in Japan.

Incredible illuminations, gifts, and romantic moments: this is how Christmas has managed to find a place for itself in a country with such different traditions. Big brands also offer good deals in order to sell their remaining stock and attract customers for end-of-year gifts.

In Japan, Christmas is all about the presents! As a family, the event is focused on children, because young Japanese believe in Santa Claus, while couples tend to spend Christmas eve together, not with family. A typical Christmas dinner is a bucket of fried chicken from KFC, followed by a slice of strawberry cream cake.

In reality, beyond the lights and gifts, Japanese Christmas is more like New Year in the West. Teenagers and young adults tend to spend a fun Christmas with their friends, while couples consider it a romantic holiday and prefer to enjoy it in privacy at a nice hotel.

Read more about Christmas in Japan in our article.