Jingle jingle jing, my heated lumps of coal! It’s that time of year again, when saying that it’s that time of year instantly conjures thoughts of ho-ing old men and deadly, deadly bees. Wait, not bees. Something else. Tinsel! That’s it.
As the 25th day lurks ever closer like a deadly bee waiting to strike, I prepare myself for a decidedly different Christmas experience. Of course, this is my first Christmas as a wedded man, but it’s also my first Christmas completely immersed in the Japanese way of doing Christmas. And as much as the Christmas tradition has been skewed by the melting pot and corporate mentality of America, it’s only screwed up that much more when America’s Christmas is brought to Japan.
I’ve always been interested in Christmas traditions from around the world, and as far as I can tell, Japan’s is the weirdest. Or at least the farthest removed. I’d like to share with you Christmas as I see it here in Nihon, because most writings about it that I’ve read on the internet have been dead wrong!
First off, Christmas tradition in Japan has been around for a while. I’m not sure how long because no one I ask here seems to know and again, the internet is pretty clueless. One of my teachers said the first time he got something for Christmas was thirty years ago when he was about ten years old. It’s safe to assume, though, that a lot of the American Christmas traditions seen here were brought over after the occupation.
From what I’ve been told, Christmas was geared mainly toward children until about the 1990s. At that point, romantic couplings of people and animals took advantage of Christmas. Couples went on dates on Christmas Eve and exchanged presents. Offices sometimes had Christmas parties. Children still got presents or some type of boot filled with candy. And it’s been that way for about ten years.
It seems to me though, that Christmas has really picked up steam even within the last year. In 2008, I really really really wanted a Christmas wreath for my door. I set out early and searched everywhere. Nothing. Thankfully, Katie made one for me, so it was fine. However, this year, I’ve easily spotted over thirty different varieties of wreath at various stores.
Also, Christmas trees have really become the thing to have. Last year, I got one about as high as my knee for 3000yen ($30USD). Before that, I don’t even know how available they were. The JET who used to live in my apartment had a tree shipped to her from Michigan, and that was only three years ago. This year, you can get a good four-foot tree for 5000yen. I don’t know why.
One of my friends at church told me that it’s only been in the last few years that Japan has caught onto the idea of Christmas as a family holiday. The emphasis on sweethearts going on dates has waned as families have wanted to do more things together. Thus all the trees and lights and craziness.
Thankfully it hasn’t swollen to American proportions, like a child stung by some type of deadly bee. It remains mostly in check. However, when I went to buy lights for our apartment on December 5th, they were straight gone. Something’s happening.
Despite these changes toward Western Christmacicity, there are some parts of Japanese Christmas tradition that were well-ingrained into society long ago.
Hotei awry
First off, I want to dispel this myth that a Buddhist monk named Hotei-osho acts like Santa Claus and brings children presents on Christmas. I don’t know where this started, but I’ve read it all over English websites about Japanese Christmas. Even the Simpsons Christmas special makes mention of it. But in all my time here, I’ve never heard anyone talk about him.
I finally asked one of my teachers about him and she said she never heard the name before. I asked a whole class of students and they didn’t know either. Finally one of the second year teachers knew what I meant once I explained about who he is and what he does. He said there was a Buddhist monk who helped poor children like St. Nicholas, but no one believes he brings them presents nor does he have anything to do with Christmas. He's basically just a regular Buddha.
So the main gift-giving fat man is still Santa. No one really cares about him or sees him appearing in Christmas specials, but they know his basic deal and what he looks like. I have noticed a tendency to show multiple tiny Santas rather than one regular one. On cards and stickers and decorations, I’ve seen gaggles of tiny santas driving cars, surfing, and mostly just swarming cozy houses with their joy. I’m sure it’s mostly due to the fact that a hundred tiny santas are much cuter than a corpulent old man. I can understand that.
Cakes Alive!
Another tradition that’s weird, but not all that bad, is Christmas cake. Everybody orders one and it’s a huge deal. Not that there’s anything wrong with eating cake on Christmas, but it’s just that Japanese Christmas pretty much revolves around this cake. You have to order one weeks in advance, it costs about 3000yen ($30USD) for the tiniest cake, and to top it all off it doesn’t really taste that good. But man oh man, God pity the family without a Christmas cake to eat on Christmas Eve. What losers. There’s no greater jingly shame.
The Christmas cake tradition isn’t so weird because it came from Germany (though my students are all surprised that Americans don’t eat them). But the Christmas tradition that supposedly came from America but actually came from nowhere is KFC. Everybody pre-orders a bucket of Kentucky Fried Garbage to pick up for Christmas dinner. Just like in America! Also the Colonel Sanders statues inherent to every restaurant get dressed as Santa. Creep Factor 5!
Retail Detail
Stores here are all about Christmas as they discover the true meaning of the holiday (the answer is money). Christmas is just as great a time to turn a profit in Japan as it is in America. So there’s Christmas excess all over the place.
One of my favorite things that Japanese retailers do is blare as much of something as the can. During the regular seasons, the grocery store plays its own theme over the loudspeakers in the ceiling. The boom box in produce plays the vegetable song, the amp in the fish department plays the fish song, the meat section has a ham song, and pretty much every section of the tiny grocery store blares its own song. But in the spirit of the season, every depatrment of the grocery store lays down its arms and plays Christmas music…of different varieties at different speeds all at the same time. This is true of the malls and department stores too. It's sheer muzak madness, only desirable for the camp of it all.
On that note (get it?! MUSICAL NOTE!), the most popular Christmas song is still “Last Christmas” by WHAM! and “All I want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey. Katie’s teacher was surprised to hear that WHAM! isn’t popular in America. I have both songs memorized by heart.
One of my most favorite weird things is the children’s Christmas boot. Gone are the stockings of the west, and in their place are big fake boots filled with pre-packaged candies! It kind of defeats the purpose of stocking stuffers, but you can’t deny the coolness of a huge Hello Kitty or Power Ranger boot fixin’ to blast your three-year-old Japanese head off.
Logo a-go-go
The last thing to mention is the “Merry Christmas” logo. Not that there’s an official copyrighted standard or anything, but at some point it seems everyone agreed on what the font and style of “Merry Christmas” should look like forever. I see this everywhere. On cakes, on boots, in stores, on packages, and especially on Christmas trees. Our Christmas tree even has a big gold “Merry Christmas” logo on the front. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with it. I just find it perplexing that, for over thirty years, no one has ever wanted to try anything different, but in fact worked very hard to look the same as everyone else.
Actually, I really shouldn't be all that perplexed.
Despite all this encompassing Christmasness swarming around me like deadly, deadly bees, I still can’t manage to get into the Christmas spirit. It may be the simple fact that I’m busier than ever before and haven’t had time to finish decorating the apartment. Or that I haven’t watched “A Christmas Story” fifty times yet. I think the real reason though is that I know none of it’s real here. It’s all for show and sales. New Year’s is the main event and Christmas is just something to pass the time until bounenkai (forget the year drinking party).
But I shouldn't lose hope just yet. The Western world has had over 1000 years of Christmas craziness rolling full force. Japan has had less than fifty. I'm sure in time Japan will catch up and mold its Christmas traditions into something more meaningful. With a little luck, Japan may even gain something in their traditions that we lost in ours. It may become a holiday of true joy and giving, unlike the materialistic grab-factory it is in the United States.
But wherever you are and whatever the state of your Holiday celebrations, I wish the you the best Christmas or other type holiday you could ever ask for. And always remember that "Dracula" is a classic novel that should be read in its entirety and never skimmed through or cheated on with CliffNotes.
Merry Christmas every Brown!
THIS is the kind of Christmas tradition I want to see more of. Dancing Tigers. Booyah.
As the 25th day lurks ever closer like a deadly bee waiting to strike, I prepare myself for a decidedly different Christmas experience. Of course, this is my first Christmas as a wedded man, but it’s also my first Christmas completely immersed in the Japanese way of doing Christmas. And as much as the Christmas tradition has been skewed by the melting pot and corporate mentality of America, it’s only screwed up that much more when America’s Christmas is brought to Japan.
I’ve always been interested in Christmas traditions from around the world, and as far as I can tell, Japan’s is the weirdest. Or at least the farthest removed. I’d like to share with you Christmas as I see it here in Nihon, because most writings about it that I’ve read on the internet have been dead wrong!
First off, Christmas tradition in Japan has been around for a while. I’m not sure how long because no one I ask here seems to know and again, the internet is pretty clueless. One of my teachers said the first time he got something for Christmas was thirty years ago when he was about ten years old. It’s safe to assume, though, that a lot of the American Christmas traditions seen here were brought over after the occupation.
From what I’ve been told, Christmas was geared mainly toward children until about the 1990s. At that point, romantic couplings of people and animals took advantage of Christmas. Couples went on dates on Christmas Eve and exchanged presents. Offices sometimes had Christmas parties. Children still got presents or some type of boot filled with candy. And it’s been that way for about ten years.
It seems to me though, that Christmas has really picked up steam even within the last year. In 2008, I really really really wanted a Christmas wreath for my door. I set out early and searched everywhere. Nothing. Thankfully, Katie made one for me, so it was fine. However, this year, I’ve easily spotted over thirty different varieties of wreath at various stores.
Also, Christmas trees have really become the thing to have. Last year, I got one about as high as my knee for 3000yen ($30USD). Before that, I don’t even know how available they were. The JET who used to live in my apartment had a tree shipped to her from Michigan, and that was only three years ago. This year, you can get a good four-foot tree for 5000yen. I don’t know why.
One of my friends at church told me that it’s only been in the last few years that Japan has caught onto the idea of Christmas as a family holiday. The emphasis on sweethearts going on dates has waned as families have wanted to do more things together. Thus all the trees and lights and craziness.
Thankfully it hasn’t swollen to American proportions, like a child stung by some type of deadly bee. It remains mostly in check. However, when I went to buy lights for our apartment on December 5th, they were straight gone. Something’s happening.
Despite these changes toward Western Christmacicity, there are some parts of Japanese Christmas tradition that were well-ingrained into society long ago.
Hotei awry
First off, I want to dispel this myth that a Buddhist monk named Hotei-osho acts like Santa Claus and brings children presents on Christmas. I don’t know where this started, but I’ve read it all over English websites about Japanese Christmas. Even the Simpsons Christmas special makes mention of it. But in all my time here, I’ve never heard anyone talk about him.
I finally asked one of my teachers about him and she said she never heard the name before. I asked a whole class of students and they didn’t know either. Finally one of the second year teachers knew what I meant once I explained about who he is and what he does. He said there was a Buddhist monk who helped poor children like St. Nicholas, but no one believes he brings them presents nor does he have anything to do with Christmas. He's basically just a regular Buddha.
So the main gift-giving fat man is still Santa. No one really cares about him or sees him appearing in Christmas specials, but they know his basic deal and what he looks like. I have noticed a tendency to show multiple tiny Santas rather than one regular one. On cards and stickers and decorations, I’ve seen gaggles of tiny santas driving cars, surfing, and mostly just swarming cozy houses with their joy. I’m sure it’s mostly due to the fact that a hundred tiny santas are much cuter than a corpulent old man. I can understand that.
Cakes Alive!
Another tradition that’s weird, but not all that bad, is Christmas cake. Everybody orders one and it’s a huge deal. Not that there’s anything wrong with eating cake on Christmas, but it’s just that Japanese Christmas pretty much revolves around this cake. You have to order one weeks in advance, it costs about 3000yen ($30USD) for the tiniest cake, and to top it all off it doesn’t really taste that good. But man oh man, God pity the family without a Christmas cake to eat on Christmas Eve. What losers. There’s no greater jingly shame.
The Christmas cake tradition isn’t so weird because it came from Germany (though my students are all surprised that Americans don’t eat them). But the Christmas tradition that supposedly came from America but actually came from nowhere is KFC. Everybody pre-orders a bucket of Kentucky Fried Garbage to pick up for Christmas dinner. Just like in America! Also the Colonel Sanders statues inherent to every restaurant get dressed as Santa. Creep Factor 5!
Retail Detail
Stores here are all about Christmas as they discover the true meaning of the holiday (the answer is money). Christmas is just as great a time to turn a profit in Japan as it is in America. So there’s Christmas excess all over the place.
One of my favorite things that Japanese retailers do is blare as much of something as the can. During the regular seasons, the grocery store plays its own theme over the loudspeakers in the ceiling. The boom box in produce plays the vegetable song, the amp in the fish department plays the fish song, the meat section has a ham song, and pretty much every section of the tiny grocery store blares its own song. But in the spirit of the season, every depatrment of the grocery store lays down its arms and plays Christmas music…of different varieties at different speeds all at the same time. This is true of the malls and department stores too. It's sheer muzak madness, only desirable for the camp of it all.
On that note (get it?! MUSICAL NOTE!), the most popular Christmas song is still “Last Christmas” by WHAM! and “All I want for Christmas is You” by Mariah Carey. Katie’s teacher was surprised to hear that WHAM! isn’t popular in America. I have both songs memorized by heart.
One of my most favorite weird things is the children’s Christmas boot. Gone are the stockings of the west, and in their place are big fake boots filled with pre-packaged candies! It kind of defeats the purpose of stocking stuffers, but you can’t deny the coolness of a huge Hello Kitty or Power Ranger boot fixin’ to blast your three-year-old Japanese head off.
Logo a-go-go
The last thing to mention is the “Merry Christmas” logo. Not that there’s an official copyrighted standard or anything, but at some point it seems everyone agreed on what the font and style of “Merry Christmas” should look like forever. I see this everywhere. On cakes, on boots, in stores, on packages, and especially on Christmas trees. Our Christmas tree even has a big gold “Merry Christmas” logo on the front. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with it. I just find it perplexing that, for over thirty years, no one has ever wanted to try anything different, but in fact worked very hard to look the same as everyone else.
Actually, I really shouldn't be all that perplexed.
Despite all this encompassing Christmasness swarming around me like deadly, deadly bees, I still can’t manage to get into the Christmas spirit. It may be the simple fact that I’m busier than ever before and haven’t had time to finish decorating the apartment. Or that I haven’t watched “A Christmas Story” fifty times yet. I think the real reason though is that I know none of it’s real here. It’s all for show and sales. New Year’s is the main event and Christmas is just something to pass the time until bounenkai (forget the year drinking party).
But I shouldn't lose hope just yet. The Western world has had over 1000 years of Christmas craziness rolling full force. Japan has had less than fifty. I'm sure in time Japan will catch up and mold its Christmas traditions into something more meaningful. With a little luck, Japan may even gain something in their traditions that we lost in ours. It may become a holiday of true joy and giving, unlike the materialistic grab-factory it is in the United States.
But wherever you are and whatever the state of your Holiday celebrations, I wish the you the best Christmas or other type holiday you could ever ask for. And always remember that "Dracula" is a classic novel that should be read in its entirety and never skimmed through or cheated on with CliffNotes.
Merry Christmas every Brown!
THIS is the kind of Christmas tradition I want to see more of. Dancing Tigers. Booyah.
