Christmas in Japan: KFC, Romance, and Surprising Holiday Traditions

At the very first drinking party I ever attended as an English teacher in Japan, the topic of Christmas came up. Someone asked me what it was like in the U.S.—but here’s the kicker: I’d never actually celebrated it. I’m not a Christian.

When I said that, they hit me with a question I still haven’t forgotten:

“What does being a Christian have to do with Christmas?”

I just blinked at them. My brain stalled. What do you mean, what does being a Christian have to do with Christmas?

The sarcastic voice in my head screamed, It's literally in the name!

But to them, Christmas wasn’t about the birth of Jesus—any more than Halloween is about honoring saints. It wasn’t a religious holiday. It was just... a thing people do. With cake. And fried chicken. And maybe a date.

That moment stuck with me. Because while Japan and the West share a few holiday traditions, they rarely share the deeper meaning—or even the day off.

Off the top of my head, the only national holiday officially observed by both Japan and the U.S. is New Year’s Day.

And from there? Things get juicy.

The Early Days of Christmas in Japan

Christmas throughout Japan was once a private, even hidden holiday. When Christianity first arrived with Francis Xavier in 1549, it was met with hostility. Many Japanese saw it as a foreign intrusion threatening their traditional beliefs and ancestral customs. Early Christians, both foreign missionaries and Japanese converts, were heavily persecuted. In 1614, the Tokugawa shogunate issued the Christian Expulsion Edict, banning Christianity outright. Missionaries were expelled, and followers hunted down.

Unsurprisingly, there were no public displays of Christmas or Christianity during this period. This ban reflected a growing suspicion of foreign influence, which culminated in the Sakoku (closed country) policy of the 1630s. Under Sakoku, trade was tightly controlled, and traveling in or out of Japan was punishable by death.

The ban on Christianity was officially lifted by the Meiji government in 1873. Later, freedom of religion was codified in the Meiji Constitution of 1889 under Article 28. While this article guaranteed religious freedom, the right was limited by the emperor’s overarching authority and the state’s endorsement of Shinto as a civic duty. Religious expression was tolerated as long as it did not conflict with state ideology.

Interestingly, Shinto was not officially recognized as a “religion,” but was instead framed as a system of national morals and rituals. This allowed the government to promote it while claiming religious neutrality.

Christianity and other religions were tolerated only as long as their practices remained private and did not interfere with duties owed to the emperor. Find more info here on the Meiji constitution here.

By ColBase: 国立博物館所蔵品統合検索システム (Integrated Collections Database of the National Museums, Japan), CC BY 4.0, 
Link to the original image here

True freedom of religion didn’t come to Japan until post-World War II, when the current constitution was enacted on May 3, 1947—a date now part of Japan’s Golden Week holiday. This constitution granted everyone the right to practice any religion freely and forbade the state from favoring any religion. It also freed the populace from participating in state-endorsed Shinto rites that had been compulsory under State Shinto during the imperial era. Find more info here on Japan's current constitution here.

Modern-day Christmas in Japan reflects the influence of the U.S. military presence after WWII. It features all the classics: illuminations, Christmas trees, gift-giving, Santa, and more.

Today, Christmas in Japan is more of a commercial and romantic occasion than a religious one. It’s celebrated with festive lights, KFC dinners, and date nights—rather than church services or nativity scenes. You do not get the day off, and everything is open and operates like it is a normal day.

But there are larger differences between how Christmas is celebrated in Japan and the United States.

The way Christmas is viewed in Japan’s general zeitgeist is multi-layered, largely due to savvy marketing strategies by two companies: KFC and Tiffany’s. You might be wondering, “What does a fried chicken restaurant and a jeweler have to do with Christmas?” I’m glad you asked.

KFC: Japan’s Unexpected Christmas Tradition

Photo by Brian Chan on Unsplash

Western holiday traditions often get filtered through local perspectives—and Japan’s take on Christmas dinner is no exception. When many Japanese people see images of a golden, roasted turkey surrounded by side dishes, their minds jump straight to one thing: fried chicken. Partly because turkeys are not native to Japan, and are quite rare. Fried chicken is the long-held association.

KFC’s marketing team seized this perfectly. Toss in the Colonel’s white beard and red outfit, and voilà—a Santa look-alike was born. The brand’s red-and-white colors only strengthened the connection: “Hey, Santa might actually be the Colonel!”

Thanks to this brilliant campaign, eating KFC at Christmas quickly caught on. According to Wikipedia, the franchise owner—and later CEO—of KFC Japan created party buckets as a way to replicate the turkey dinner experience for expats and offer everyone else a tasty alternative.

Today, enjoying fried chicken at Christmas is a genuine tradition for many Japanese families. It’s so popular that grocery and convenience stores stock it heavily, and reservations at KFC must often be made weeks in advance. Have you ever tried booking a KFC Christmas dinner? Here is the link to KFC in Japan's Wiki.

A Day for Lovers

Japan’s Christian population sits at around 1%, so for the vast majority of people, Christmas has no religious roots. Beyond fried chicken and Christmas trees, it’s largely seen as a secular holiday. But then came the economic boom of the 1980s where people had cash to burn, and companies were more than happy to give them reasons to spend it (shocker).

Somewhere between the glittering storefronts and high-rise bonuses, Christmas found a new identity: a night for romance.

TV dramas and movies of the time painted Christmas Eve as the ultimate date night. The moment to hold hands in a park full of lights and whisper your feelings in the cold December air. Sounds familiar? That’s because over time, Christmas in Japan started looking a lot like Valentine’s Day in the U.S.—minus the heart-shaped chocolates.

 
(Curious how Valentine’s Day itself plays out in Japan? It’s a fascinating story of chocolate hierarchies, gender expectations, and a follow-up holiday you’ve probably never heard of. Check it out here.)

Jewelry brands like Tiffany’s and women’s magazines picked up the cue, marketing Christmas as the day for romantic gift-giving. And the tradition stuck.

Hotels also began offering “Christmas Couples Packages”, and yes, they were for exactly what you’re imagining. (Raise those eyebrows in the air and wave 'em like you don’t care.)

The ambience of Christmas in Japan often takes on a romantic tone. In major cities, dazzling illuminations—Christmas light displays—are set up to inspire young love. While people rarely decorate their homes, shops, malls, restaurants, and public spaces fully embrace the season, creating festive attractions big enough to draw couples eager to take their chance on love.

New Year’s: The All-Too-Familiar Familial Retreat

If Christmas in Japan is a holiday for lovers, then when do Japanese families come together? Enter New Year’s.

“Oshōgatsu” (お正月) runs from January 1st to 3rd, and it’s during this time that people typically travel to their hometowns to visit family. Traditions include sharing a New Year’s meal called osechi, a multi-dish feast made up of symbolic foods. Families also send each other New Year’s cards (nengajō), and elders hand out otoshidama (New Year’s money) to children. Visitors often bring souvenirs to share, and most people visit a shrine to perform hatsumōde, the first prayer of the year.

 
In a way, Japan’s Christmas feels more like Valentine’s Day in the West, while Japan’s New Year’s resembles Western Christmas — a time of family, tradition, and reflection.

Interesting, right?

The Curious Case of Japanese Santa

While Japan may not be deeply rooted in Christian tradition, that hasn’t stopped Santa Claus from making himself at home here — with a bit of a Japanese twist. In Japan, Santa-san is the familiar jolly figure from the West, complete with a red suit and white beard, often spotted in malls and department stores during December.

But many Japanese kids quickly figure out that “Santa” looks suspiciously like someone they already know... their parents.

Enter:

• O-tosanta (お父サンタ) – A wordplay on otousan (dad) and Santa.
• O-kasanta (お母サンタ) – You guessed it — this is Mom doing Santa duty. She might be the one wearing the fake beard and itchy Santa suit! Both terms are seen as inside jokes between everyone who participates in the theater of Santa’s mythical gift giving.

It’s Christmas magic, Japanese family-style. Many familiar Western traditions have found a place here. Kids are told Santa is real (until they figure it out), and even classic Christmas songs have Japanese versions. For example, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer has his own Japanese song—but fun fact: Rudolph's name never appears in it!

Even smaller traditions, like leaving out milk and cookies, are slowly making their way into Japanese homes, though its not yet common. As the world becomes more connected, these little festive customs continue to spread, adding unique twists to the season in Japan.

One funny question I often got was, “How does Santa enter the house with no chimneys?” As you might guess, houses in Japan don’t typically have chimneys. I’d tell them he had a magical key. Without fail, the kids would shout, “泥棒だ!” — “A robber!”

More than anything, Santa Claus in Japan is a commercial and cultural symbol rather than a spiritual one. He’s here for the fun, the magic — and let’s be honest — the marketing.

Final Thoughts

So there you have it—Christmas in Japan, a holiday that’s less about church pews and more about twinkling lights, KFC buckets, and stolen kisses under the glow of festive illuminations. It’s a fascinating mix of imported traditions, savvy marketing, and genuine moments that have been reinvented for Japanese tastes.

But if you think Christmas in Japan is quirky, just wait until you see how they celebrate New Year’s—or Valentine’s Day. Stick around, because there’s plenty more to uncover about how Japan makes these holidays their own.

After all, understanding Japan’s take on the holidays isn’t just about fun facts—it’s a glimpse into how culture adapts, evolves, and sometimes surprises us.

So, what’s your favorite holiday twist in Japan?