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We Wish You a Merry Christmas and a Subarashii New Year...?

Japan's Winter Holidays Explained

Suppose you're tired of the traditional American merchandising onslaught that occurs each Christmas (or more appropriately, just after each Thanksgiving). You think, "Maybe I should grab one of those discount round-trip airfares to Tokyo and get away from it all!" If so, you might wish to reconsider: over the last thirty years, Japan has come to embrace our favorite Western holiday season with all the passion and spending power- if not exactly the same traditions- as we have.

For the Japanese, Christmastime has come to symbolize "romance" on a grand scale, more comparable to our Valentine's Day. The birth of Christ hardly matters in a nation of less-than 1% Christian believers, and even Santa Claus is found more often in print advertisements - and not usually in shopping malls with scores of youngsters seeking face time with The Big Guy. Instead, think of it as being an annual senior prom of sorts for adults. Anyone who truly IS anyone will find a date (like our New Year's Eve), splurge on gifts, exquisite dining and first-rate shows, with the final destination often taking the form of a luxurious inn or major hotel. Hotel packages are advertised in November for special Christmas Eve and Christmas Day hotel/show/food combinations, and are all the rage. Bottom line: If you can't get a date for Japanese Christmas, one is considered to be somewhat of a wallflower.

Other Japanese traditions at Christmas seem a little more familiar to Westerners, but still with a twist. "Do you have your Christmas cake yet?" is one example of a common question in Japan, with the American equivalent substituting perhaps the words "tree" or "turkey" for "cake". No, they don't put presents under the Christmas cake, but it is every bit as traditional to the Japanese to purchase one (much to the delight to Japanese bakers) as it is for us to strap a pine tree to the top of ye olde station wagon, a la Griswold. In fact, explaining to a Japanese person the fact that "Christmas Cakes" are not a Western custom will most likely instigate a degree of shock and confusion.

However, as in America, the Japanese Christmas is not all "retail" and commerce. Music plays a large role in the traditions of Christmas anywhere - and Japan is no exception. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, or "Daiku" ("The Great Nine") is performed in various locations during the winter holiday. Mass choruses can often be found singing "Joyful,

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