In Japan, Christmas has become a popular holiday. Every year Japanese celebrate Christmas with Christmas trees, Santa Claus, and gift-giving but focus more on love. "It's more of a holiday for couples. Families might exchange gifts but not as much as in the U.S. It’s more commercialized,” said Rina Hayashi, an ICS senior from Japan.
Japan, a traditionally Buddhist country, has seen the popularity of Christmas increase through the American media. This influence has led Japanese to focus Christmas celebrations around shopping and Santa Claus. In most of the western world, during Christmas families spend time together and strengthen family bonds, but Japanese don’t associate Christmas with family. Spending the holiday evening with friends or one’s romantic partner is much more common, according to Hayashi.
A Christmas season that lasts for all of December in the United States simply is not common in Japan. There is no unified set of Christmas traditions in Japan, and students who have lived there and experienced Christmas in Japan tell of the several activities that are common for the season.
“From a westerner’s perspective, it’s nonexistent,” said Erik Adams, a junior in biology from Oregon who served his mission in Japan and spent two Christmases there. “Work continues as usual. Nothing really happens. They understand it’s an American holiday, and they see the fun in it, but not really the traditions.”
Christmas, created in Europe, has different traditions throughout predominantly Christian countries, but they all center on the Nativity story, or Christ’s birth. Japan’s exposure to Christmas came through American movies, so Santa is a much bigger figure than Christ.
“It’s really boring,” said Kaho Sumikawa, a sophomore in TESOL from Japan. “They take out the story of Jesus Christ, so it’s just about presents and food. Only kids get presents, and the food is normal.”
Raised in the LDS Church, Sumikawa sees the absence of Jesus Christ in the typical Japanese Christmas celebrations and she said she had a different Christmas experience than most Japanese. Her mother always invited the missionaries over for a more Christ-centered Christmas, and they would go caroling.
Perhaps the most common practice in Japan is their choice of Christmas dinner. “Lot’s of people go to eat at KFC. They just celebrate the Christmas day,” said Mei Yoshida, an ICS sophomore from Japan.