Japanese Christmas Traditions & Customs

Although Christmas is not a traditional holiday in Japan, since only 1% of the Japanese population is Christian, the celebration of “Kurisumasu” (as it is known in Japanese) has become increasingly popular over the years.

In Japan, the date is marked by a mix of Western influences and unique Japanese traditions, resulting in a distinct celebration that reflects both the global spirit and local character.

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Do the Japanese celebrate Christmas?

Japan is a country where most people are Buddhists and Shintoists with very few Christians. In Japan, due to commercial influence, Christmas has its space among the Japanese, even though Christmas is not considered a National Holiday.

Some Japanese people usually exchange gifts, eat cream cakes with strawberries, and fried chicken from KFC. They go out with friends and have a small party organized in a karaoke or another venue. In Japan, the holiday is more important on the 24th than on the 25th and has little religious significance.

Starting in November, decorations fill the streets, and some houses also get into the spirit. Businesses prepare to sell their sweets, cakes, clothing, poultry, and themed decorations. Despite this, the 25th is not a holiday and people work normally.

Christmas is a Valentine’s Day

In Japan, for many people, Christmas is not a holiday to spend with family, but with a loved one. For singles, it is really crucial to have someone to spend Christmas Eve with. The red decorations spark passion, the atmosphere, and the snow makes the night even more beautiful and romantic.

Unlike the West, during Valentine’s Day in Japan, the Japanese do not exchange gifts but rather chocolates. Christmas is the opportunity for the Japanese to give gifts to their loved ones. This custom has existed since 1930.

There is an anime that portrays this holiday and this special night for couples very well; it is called “Amagami SS” and is based on a novel of the same name. There are several other animes that show this special date and how the characters react to it.

Oseibo – Gift Exchange

The gift exchanges at the end of the year in Japan are not something original to Christmas. “Oseibo” represents a typical habit of Japanese culture to give gifts at the end of the year, during the Edo period. Gifts are sent between December 20 and 28 and can be confused with the Christmas gift exchange.

The act of giving gifts every year aimed to thank the support and assistance of collaborators, people of higher hierarchical levels, and extended to relatives, teachers, and friends. A tradition different from giving gifts to loved ones.

With the emergence of Christmas, these gift exchanges mixed, but it can be said that “Oseibo” has a different conception, very particular to Japanese culture. We recommend reading our article on: the meaning of gifts in Japan.

History of Christmas in Japan

Christmas was first recorded in Japan through a mass held by Jesuit missionaries in Yamaguchi Prefecture in 1552. Some believe that Christmas celebrations occurred before this date.

But Christianity was banned throughout Japan in 1612. During the prohibition of Christianity in Japan, some Dutch and Japanese people in Nagasaki used the Dutch winter festival as a way to secretly celebrate Christmas.

In 1914, a Christmas illustration was published in “Kodomonotomo,” a children’s magazine published by Motoko Hanin and Yoshizaku Hanin. During the Taisho Era, many other children’s or women’s magazines featured numerous illustrations related to Christmas.

The birthday and holiday of two emperors coincided on December 25, which greatly boosted the growth of Christmas in Japan, especially after these dates were changed. By 1930, more than 7,000 establishments were getting into the Christmas spirit.

On July 20, 1948, the birthday of Emperor Taisho was removed from the holiday calendar, and Christmas was established as an annual event. It coincided with Emperor Akihito celebrating his birthday on December 23 a few years later, further boosting it.

In the 1960s, with the expanding economy and the influence of American TV, Christmas became popular. Some factors such as songs and TV series, the birthday of Emperor Akihito (holiday on the 23rd), and KFC’s advertising campaign to sell chicken helped Christmas become popular among the Japanese.

In Japan, Christmas is not a Christian holiday, but rather a commercial holiday and a Valentine’s Day. This leads us to conclude that although the Japanese are not Christians, they are very open to learning about new beliefs.

Christmas Vocabulary – How to say Merry Christmas in Japanese?

Christmas in Japanese is called Kurisumasu (クリスマス), and Santa Claus in Japanese is Santa (サンタ) sometimes referred to as santa-chan. Now let’s see some other words in Japanese related to Christmas. I hope you enjoy this Christmas vocabulary!

There are several ways to say Merry Christmas in Japanese. Some are adaptations of English; it is common to use abbreviations and other interesting Christmas expressions. The two main ways to say it are:

Merii Kurisumasu [メリークリスマス] – Merry Christmas;
Meri Kuri [メリクリ] – Japanese abbreviation;

We have other words like “Kurisumasu Ibu” [クリスマス・イブ] which means “Christmas Eve” that in Japan is like a Valentine’s Day where couples go on dates and stay in hotels. Christmas Day is called “Kurisumasu dee” [クリスマスデー].

Kurisumasu Keeki [クリスマス・ケーキ] – Christmas cake;
Kurisumasu Tsurii [クリスマスツリー ] – Christmas tree;
Kurisumasu Irumineeshon [クリスマスイルミネーション] – Christmas illumination;
Santa Kurosu [サンタクロース] – Santa Claus;
Kurisumasu Kyaroru [クリスマスキャロル ] – Christmas carol;

In Japan, during Christmas, it is common to consume fried chicken or karaage, so the words furaido chikin [フライドチキン], kurisumasu chikin [クリスマスチキン] and karaage [唐揚げ] are frequently mentioned during this period. All thanks to KFC’s Christmas marketing.

Other related words are:

Yuki [雪] – Snow;
Shichimenchō [七面鳥] – Turkey;
Tonekai [トナカイ ] – Reindeer;
Hokkyoku [北極] – North Pole;
Purezento [プレゼント] – Gift;
Suzu [鈴] – Bell;
Yuki no kesshou [雪の結晶] – Snowflakes;
Danro [暖炉] – Fireplace;
Shoushoku [装飾] – Decoration;
Yukidaruma [雪だるま] – Snowman;
Akahana no tonekai [赤鼻のトナカイ] – Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer;
Hiiragi [ヒイラギ] – Holly;
Jinjābureddo hausu [ジンジャーブレッド・ハウス] – Gingerbread house;
Kyandi Kein [キャンディケイン] – Candy cane;
Yuki [雪] – Snow;
Shichimenchō [七面鳥] – Turkey;
Tonekai [トナカイ ] – Reindeer;
Hokkyoku [北極] – North Pole;
Purezento [プレゼント] – Gift;
Suzu [鈴] – Bell;
Yuki no kesshou [雪の結晶] – Snowflakes;
Danro [暖炉] – Fireplace;
Shoushoku [装飾] – Decoration;
Yukidaruma [雪だるま] – Snowman;
Akahana no tonekai [赤鼻のトナカイ] – Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer;
Hiiragi [ヒイラギ] – Holly;
Jinjābureddo hausu [ジンジャーブレッド・ハウス] – Gingerbread house;
Kyandi Kein [キャンディケイン] – Candy cane;
Iesu [イエス] – Jesus;
Tenshi [天使] – Angels;
Hoshi [星] – Star;
Magusaoke [まぐさ桶] – Manger;
Naya [納屋] – Stable;

Other Japanese Words Related to Christmas

Learning Japanese during this period can be very enjoyable. Vocabulary such as “Oseibo,” “Kuri Bocchi,” “Sori,” among others, can be of fundamental importance for tourists or students traveling in Japan during the holidays.

サンタさん = Santa San = Santa Claus.
サンタクロース = Santa Kurosu = Santa Claus.
クリぼっち = Kuribocchi = Spending Christmas alone.
祝賀行事 = しゅくがぎょうじ = Shukuga Gyouji = Festivities, Celebrations.
飾り = かざり = Kazari = Decoration.
花火 = はなび = Hanabi = Fireworks.
祝い = いわい = Iwai = Celebration.
贈り物 = おくりもの = Okurimono = Gift(s).
お土産 = おみやげ = Omiyage = Souvenir(s).
煙突 = えんとつ = Entotsu = Chimney.
橇 = そり = Sori = Sleigh.
サンタハット ou サンタ帽子 ou サンタクロース帽子 = Santa Hatto ou Santa Boushi ou Santa Kurosu Boushi = Santa hat.
お歳暮 = おせいぼ = Oseibo = Gift Exchange (at Christmas and New Year).
KFC = ケンタッキーフライドチキン = KFC (fast-food chain highly popular during Japanese Christmas).
恋 = こい = Koi = Passion.
愛 = あい = Ai = Love.
赤 = あか = Aka = Red color.
ケーキ = Keeki = Cake.
雪の結晶 = ゆきのけっしょう = Yuki no Kesshou = Snowflakes.

Christmas Illumination in Japan

Christmas illumination is quite popular in Japan, so much so that it happens months before December, with specific dates for the presentation of the illuminations even before Christmas. I was in November in Japan and there were already lights in Gunma.

In Japan, this illumination is called Irumineeshon [イルミネーション] or also Denshoku [電飾]. Although it is widely seen during Christmas, year-end illuminations are just tourist attractions in squares, parks, and other locations.

The origin of illuminations in the world dates back to the 16th century. In Japan, illuminations began on April 30, 1900, during a ship observation ceremony on the coast of Kobe, where each ship emitted light to illuminate the surface of the sea, creating a beautiful view.

During the Meiji era, large illuminations were also held at trade fairs in Osaka and Tokyo. In Japan, Meiji-ya, which deals with imported products, made a significant incursion in Ginza during the Meiji era.

Christmas Illumination Events in Japan

Below we will leave a list of the most popular illumination events and their start dates. Remember that some may last until the end of January or longer. We will leave the event name in Japanese to facilitate your search on Google.

Province	City	Event Name	Start Date
Hokkaido	Sapporo	さっぽろホワイトイルミネーション	Mid-November
Miyagi	Sendai	SENDAI光のページェント	December 12
Fukushima	Koriyama	ビッグツリーページェント・フェスタin KORIYAMA	End of November
Ibaraki	Tsukuba	つくば光の森	End of November
Tokyo	Shibuya	表参道イルミネーション	Beginning of December
Niigata	Minato-ku	NIIGATA光のページェント	Mid-December
Gifu	Niigata	長良川イルミネーション	Mid-December
Osaka	Gifu	OSAKA光のルネサンス	Mid-December
Osaka	Osaka	御堂筋イルミネーション	Mid-December
Hyogo	Osaka	神戸ルミナリエ	Beginning of December
Hyogo	Kobe	神戸ライトメッセージ	Mid-November
Hyogo	Kobe	光の街・洲本	End of November
Nara	Sumoto	飛鳥光の回廊	Around September
Wakayama	Asuka Village	白砂のプロムナード	Mid-November
Hiroshima	Shirahama	ひろしまドリミネーション	Mid-November
Kagawa	Hiroshima	高松冬のまつり	Beginning of December
Nagasaki	Takamatsu	きらきらフェスティバル	Mid-November