Christmas in Japan

[SSJup81]

Originally Posted by MMM

You mean "Last Christmas" by WHAM, right?

Nope, I haven't heard that at all. The only place I've come across that song is the karaoke place as a song choice.

From what I can recall, I've heard Jingle Bells and White Christmas. I know I've heard more, but at the time, I wasn't really paying much attention. Next time I go to the dept store or the station, I'll take more notice of what's playing.

[bELyVIS]

Originally Posted by steven

And bELyVIS, that price sounds about right. I think for a cake that could feed about 5 people you'd be looking to spend about $50.

It was a very small cake. 5 small pieces and it was mostly unsweetened whipped creme.
I think my staff steered me to the most expensive cake shop in Osaka.

[steven]

Haha, yea it sounds like you got an expensive cake. It sounds like your staff migth've pulled a fast one on you, that's too bad. I hope at least they enjoyed it.

I guess you could look at it as a lesson on cake in Japan. Sweet doesn't always equate to good. In fact, cake that's too sweet is kind of a downer to Japanese people as far as I can tell. There is kind of a subtle sweetness and lightness to Japanese cake.

Christmas cakes really are a work of art though. I have to admit, I laughed quite a bit the first time I'd heard of the concept. I thought to myself "those Japanese have got it all wrong", when in fact, upon further inspection, it is something from the UK. It's funny how it seemed so foreign to me even though it was something from the UK, another English speaking country. Imagine that . No offense to you UK folks by the way, you did bless the world with "Last Christmas", after all (which I'd also never heard of before I came to Japan... shows how much I know I guess).

I wonder if the idea of dating on Christmas in Japan didn't come from that song... in all seriousness though, does anyone know where that custom came from? I'm quite curious.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by SSJup81

Nope, I haven't heard that at all. The only place I've come across that song is the karaoke place as a song choice.

From what I can recall, I've heard Jingle Bells and White Christmas. I know I've heard more, but at the time, I wasn't really paying much attention. Next time I go to the dept store or the station, I'll take more notice of what's playing.

When I am in Japan in December it feels like the only song I hear. I also watch a lot of TV, so it appears there a lot, too.

I think it would be hard to deny that Japanese pop culture has adopted "Last Christmas" as the theme song as the season.

[Nyororin]

I also don`t find I encounter Last Christmas all that much. Enough that I know the song, or rather the chorus, but not to the point of hearing it everywhere. The more familiar Christmas carols seem more common, at least recently.　Tatsurou Yamashita`s Christmas Eve seems a lot more common. I think I heard it twice while shopping yesterday.

I believe that the whole dating on Christmas Eve comes from the simple fact that there are the trappings of the holiday, but none of the religious significance of it. I also seem to recall reading that it sprung up from the decorations put up in Ginza back in the 20s and 30s. The town would be decorated for Christmas, and all the lights on at night... Giving it more of a winter festival feel than anything else. And who do you take to a nighttime festival being held at an already prime date spot?

As for fried chicken... I think that KFC really found a niche there. I have heard that they make more than half the income for a year in the week around Christmas.
Turkey just isn`t really available or feasible to cook, so chicken sort of takes it`s place. KFC just got lucky with that campaign.

It seems sushi is really starting to pick up as a Christmas meal though. Everywhere is offering sushi plates, and they`re already taking reservations for them.

Cakes... Well, I really hate sponge and whipped cream cakes. Especially when topped with strawberries. "Christmas cakes" usually make me cringe. We do order one, but from a proper cake shop. We usually get a more traditional yule log type, with nuts and fruit mixed in.

[SSJup81]

Well, I paid attention to what I was hearing and I heard Sleigh Ride, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Jingle Bells, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, and Last Christmas.