Although Christmas itself is a religious holiday celebrated by Christians, it has become an annual celebration in many parts of the world, including Japan. In many ways, Christmas in Japan would be quite familiar to anyone who has celebrated Christmas in Europe or America or other countries.
However, in other ways, the customs differ, and Christmas in Japan can be a fascinating, perhaps somewhat surprising experience - from the long lines at KFC to purchase fried chicken, to placing orders for Christmas cakes as early as October, to the strangely familiar sound of Wham’s 1984 track “Last Christmas” echoing through shopping malls and playing in the background of Christmas themed TV shows.
In this lesson, we'll learn about some of the things that are commonly encountered during Christmas in Japan.
To complete this lesson, work through the activities below.
Estimated time: 15 minutes