After World War II, American culture began to spread in Japan and brought Christmas with it. Over time, the holiday evolved into something uniquely Japanese.
During the winter holidays in Japan, Christmas is a time for couples to enjoy fine dining and hotel stays. (News 18 Hindi)
Christmas is celebrated worldwide as the birthday of Jesus Christ. However, in Japan, it takes on a different meaning, similar to the second Valentine’s Day. Young couples in Japan celebrate this day with great enthusiasm and fun. But why is Christmas celebrated this way in Japan, and since when? Here are some interesting facts about Japanese Christmas.
In Japan, a country of 124 million people, Shinto is the most widely practiced religion, followed by 80 percent of the population. Christians make up less than 1% of the population. Despite this, Christmas is celebrated with great enthusiasm in the country. According to a CNN report, the Japanese don’t think of Christmas as a religious festival, but rather as a pop-cultural event in the West, full of glitter, lights and Santa Claus.
Why is Christmas different in Japan?
Christianity was introduced to Japan in the mid-16th century. However, it was suppressed for more than two and a half centuries during the Tokugawa period, a period marked by Japan’s strict social order and isolationist policies. After World War II, American culture began to spread in Japan and brought Christmas with it. Over time, the holiday evolved into something uniquely Japanese.
During the winter holidays in Japan, Christmas is a time for couples to enjoy fine dining and hotel stays. Restaurants and shopping centers are bustling with activity. Luxury hotels charge up to $2,000 per night, bookings are often full. In Japan, young people usually live with their parents until marriage, so Christmas gives couples a chance to spend quality time together.
The Japanese government takes advantage of this unique version of Christmas as the ‘Couple Festival’. Japan is facing a decline in marriage and birth rates, with last year’s birth rate hitting a record low of 1.20 percent. This is significantly less than the 2.1% needed to maintain a stable population. In this context, a celebration like Christmas that promotes union between couples provides a small but meaningful cultural boost.