It was a strange feeling waking up on Christmas day thousands of miles from home as it’s always been a family affair. When my sister and I were children, we would alternate between which grandparents we’d be staying with and this has now transitioned to my parent’s house. But that certainly wasn’t the only thing that made this day (and time of year) a bit odd. Gone was the yearly tradition of a turkey dinner and in its place a ‘tradition’ of eating an unholy amount of KFC. But before we go any further, let’s back up a bit.

In the West, Christmas is the family holiday and New Years is one spent with friends and partners, but in Japan that situation is reversed. Christmas is effectively another Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Day is the time the family gathers for a traditional meal. Though the Japanese certainly do get excited about Christmas for more than a single day, all through December you’ll find Christmas markets with all the usual food and drink items and dotted around will be a few Christmas decorations and lights. Though the latter is very sparse compared to what we are used to. Gone though are any religious references to the birth of Jesus, this is a purely commercial holiday. If you work for a Japanese company, it’s just another day at work which I would find very strange.

So, what’s all this about KFC? I’m sure you’ve probably heard of the fabled Japanese Christmas KFC and yes, it is real and yes it does still exist. There is a real lack of Turkey in Japan so traditional Christmas meals were not something easily achievable for expats living in the country. However, when KFC arrived in the 1970s, they quickly realised there was big gap in the market that could easily be filled by something Japan did have in abundance – chicken. From there special Christmas menus were devised and the rest is history. It’s by far their busiest time of the year, doing up to ten times their normal business.

So naturally with friends visiting from the UK (which thankfully meant I didn’t spend Christmas alone) we all wanted to have fun with this ‘tradition’. I put in a reservation in November at the KFC closest to our accommodation where we would be staying in Osaka and then all was left to do was bring the reference number and collect our bounty. We ordered one of the Christmas barrels and then some extra chicken and chips, quickly realising we had ordered too much. The extra portions of chips were enormous and there probably was enough chicken in the barrel for three people anyway. To round things off, also included was a white tiramisu which was very nice and a lobster lasagne which did little more than bring back memories of eating school dinners. Honestly why would KFC of all companies think a lobster lasagne was a good idea? Let alone make one. The pièce de resistance however was a complete surprise, a special commemorative plate to celebrate Kentucky Christmas 2024. It’ll certainly make an amusing souvenir from my time in Japan.

Come the 26th of December however, every sign of Christmas is scrubbed. There’s no continuation of the festive season. However, that is because Japan is making way for the holiday that is most important to them and while you don’t see a lot of Christmas decorations, you do see plenty for New Years. Kadomatsu gates start appearing in front of businesses, Shime Kazari rings start appearing on people’s front doors and if you managed to get beyond that door, you’d probably see the Kagami Mochi. All these decorations are related to native Shinto beliefs and are put up to bring good luck and blessings from the gods.

A midnight countdown for the new year with fireworks is very much a western thing (the Japanese keep their fireworks for one of many festivals in summer), but there is a different tradition of hatsumode, the first shrine visit of the year. This is something that can be done in the first few days but the keenest do it at midnight. My friends and I headed to Meiji Jingu, one of the most important shrines in Tokyo, and we were joined by thousands of other people (mostly young Japanese) who all waited until the clock struck the hour. Initially there was a short ceremony at the shrine (broadcast on big screens so that everyone could see) and eventually the crowds were allowed to progress to the Shrine in blocks (organised by the police) to pay our respects.

On New Year’s Day itself the traditional meal is Osechi, an eclectic mix of foods that are all symbolic in bringing good luck and health for the new year. I was very lucky to be invited to a friend’s house to spend the afternoon with their family eating all this traditional food. It was also good practice for my Japanese, though I don’t have any photos to share.

For one last major event I went with my friends on their last day in Japan to the Imperial Palace to see the Emperor’s New Year’s address. This is only one of two days of the year (the other being the emperor’s birthday which is the 23rd of February) that additional parts of the Imperial Palace grounds are opened to the public. Much like at Meiji Jingu, we were a few amongst thousands and the atmosphere was really special due to all the paper Japanese flags that were being handed out. They created such a great noise when everyone waved them enthusiastically. As some of you will know, I had already seen and photographed the emperor during his state visit to the UK last year but this time I was incredibly surprised and excited that not only were other members of his family on the balcony with him, but also his father and mother, Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita. Being over ninety years old Akihito is a living link to the past of old Imperial Japan and for someone who is so enthusiastic about this country it was great to see him with my own two eyes.

The winter holidays draw to a close a few days later and it’s back to work, at least for those who have a regular job. For me as a freelancer it’s back to frantically contacting and chasing people in the hope they haven’t spent all their funds in the preceding two weeks and have an event that needs a photographer. I guess some things aren’t so different to back home. While I have enjoyed seeing a different side to the festivities this year, I do think that if I stay in Japan longer, I’ll definitely make a point of going back home each year. A video call can’t replace a hug or elbows at the dinner table for that matter, and if the Japanese are spending time with family, then I probably should too.

Have you spent Christmas in Japan? Let me know in the comments down below.

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