It’s like Valentine’s Day times a billion. For Japanese families, New Year is the big thing and Christmas has become a time when the young of Japan go on dates, exchange presents with their significant others or, in the case of many of my students, spend the fortnight before feeling increasingly miserable and alone, and desperate to hook up with someone. (Come stay at the Odd Hotel! Elevators stop on every second floor and rooms are uneven.) Due to the power of marketing, over the last decade it has morphed into something of a romantic event. A few of the shops acknowledged it by advertising half-hearted sales (HEARTS 50% OFF!) vaguely linked to the titular mythical birth of the Christ and there were illuminations around train stations and the odd hotel. When I first came here, it pretty much didn’t exist. After my parents divorced it became even more so – two Christmases! Twice the turkey! Two whole days where alcohol at breakfast is not only acceptable but positively encouraged! Double the effort from Santa!Ĭhristmas in Japan is a weird thing. My family have never been the close, clingy kind – we are geographically spread out and early on in my life independence and a love of travel were held up as aspirational traits – but Christmas was special. When I first moved to Japan Christmas was the hardest time of the year.
0 kommentar(er)
