Christmas in Japan brings elaborate and beautiful decorations and displays, perhaps even of a higher quality than other countries that traditionally celebrate Christmas. Many shops are decorated; it’s largely a commercial event. After all, Christmas seems to be largely about giving a present to your kids, or taking your girlfriend out for a date (and giving her a present!) on Christmas Eve under the romantic Christmas lights.
For example, in Tokyo, the “illumination” in Marunouchi district is very popular as a date spot. After Christmas, the commercial Christmas hype vanishes, Christmas Day is a normal work day, and the New Years preparations begin.
To add to the local style of Christmas, I’ve noticed that many of the shops or shopping districts have marketing themes running, where it seems to be the done thing to insert [adjective] in front of the word “Christmas”. It’s as if they are competing with each other to see which one can have the most interesting English adjective to use for their own Christmas celebrations. Have a look below and you’ll see what I mean.
It’s a Bright Christmas in the Marunouchi shopping district.
And it’s a Heart Warming Christmas at the shops inside Shinagawa Station.
Atre shopping centres are having a Precious Christmas.
Tokyu Plaza at Shibuya is holding a Charming Christmas. (Sorry for the low photo quality.)
Isetan Department Stores are having a Wonder Christmas.
Tokyu Hands is running a “Play Home” theme. But I’m not sure that I really understand it.
At Loft, they want to reconfirm that they really love Merry Christmas. Ah, that’s cute.
Address Daikanyama’s “Dixsept Christmas” has a designated start and finish date (like all good things in Japan, it must have a defined beginning and end), which seems to go for longer than 17 days. Maybe it’s only the 17th time that they’ve had Christmas there…
And finally, some shopping districts, like these banners hanging on the light poles around Shibuya, are having a plain old Merry Christmas.
I’m now back in Australia for Christmas, with hot weather. It was around 39C degrees in Melbourne yesterday, which is a lot hotter than Tokyo when I left last weekend. Wherever you celebrate, and whether your Christmas is Precious, Heart Warming, Charming, Bright or even just plain and Merry, I hope you have a good one.
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