CHRISTMAS IN JAPAN

Only about 1% of Japanese are Christians.  The rest are Buddhist and/or Shinto (You can be both.).  So it may come as a surprise that Christmas is a big deal in Japan though it is not a religious celebration but a romantic time..*  It is a time to consume KFC fried chicken and white frosted Christmas cake plus, usually on Christmas Eve, the exchange of presents.  Orders for the fried chicken start as early as October, and it is the busiest time of the year for KFC in Japan..

(Picture from WSJ, December 19, 2015))

Japanese can be surprised to find out that chicken is not the usual dish for Christmas in America or elsewhere.

When I was in Japan in 1965 there was no KFC in Japan, but then I returned in 1975,  KFC was all over the place, though I don't recall ever eating in one.  In addition, Mister Donut was prominent as well.  Because eating in restaurants in Japan is very expensive, I used to eat breakfast in a Mister. Donut, and it was very crowded.  Of course the Golden Arches of McDonalds was there in abundance, and a Big Mac cost $1.35 which was a lot more than in 85 cents in America at the time (in fact, expensive by Japanese standards), but they were cooked to order and were better than at home.  I often had a big Mac for dinner while in Tokyo in 1975.

* http://www.whychristmas.com/cultures/japan.shtml;
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/in-japan-christmas-isnt-a-holiday-its-kentucky-fried-chicken-day-2015-12-19