Traditionally, the Japanese did not celebrate Christmas. Shinto, the indigenous religious system of Japan, presents a number of challenges for Christian missionaries because of how intertwined Shinto, the animistic polytheistic-like belief system, is with Japanese culture, traditions and Imperial Family. Buddhism, when introduced to Japan, didn’t face the same challenges because Buddhism can peacefully coexist with Shinto, and many Japanese participate in celebrations and services from both as well.
Christianity in Japan
In the 1500s, Alessandro Valignano, an Italian Jesuit missionary, organized and supervised the efforts to spread Christianity to Southeast Asia, including Japan. When Valignano first visited Japan, he wrote a sort of “guide” for the Jesuit missions that would work in Japan. He created a pseudo-hierarchy for the Jesuit missionaries that he modeled after the Buddhists in an effort to conform to the hierarchical society in Japan. This irritated many of the missionaries, particularly when Valignano told them to behave according the their “class” in his hierarchy design. This hierarchy put some Jesuit priests on par with the local Japanese daimyo (territorial lords, upper class Japanese at the time) which resulted in more lavish dining and personal servants or guards.
Today, Christianity is a definite minority in Japan with about 3-million Japanese Christians, comprised of nearly all major denominations.
Christmas in Japan
Christmas in Japan is considered and celebrated as a commercial holiday. As in the West, Christmas lights are strung for decorations, Santa Claus is quite well-known, people and businesses hold Christmas parties and friends exchange gifts.
Unlike in the West or with traditional Christian Christmas celebrations, Christmas in Japan is not a family holiday and most Japanese that do celebrate, do so with friends or partners, whether boyfriend, girlfriend or spouse. Christmas Eve is a particularly romantic time for couples and the gift exchange is usually something personal or meaningful, though not necessarily romantic in nature.
Christmas cards are not usually exchanged or sent, but New Year’s cards are sent by a majority of Japanese family, friends and businesses.
Japanese Christmas Cake
Something interesting in Japan is Christmas Cake; an entirely Japanese-created seasonal treat that many Japanese still do not know is not eaten in the West. The creation is believed to have been created by stores, coinciding with the commercial aspect of the holiday. The cake may be chocolate or vanilla, but vanilla sponge cake is considered the most common. The cake is iced with whipped cream, usually, and decorated with fresh strawberries, marzipan decorations, chocolate decorations or festive plastic toppers. Christmas Cake is often purchased and consumed on Christmas Eve.
Unmarried Japanese women are sometimes referred to as Christmas Cake when they reach the age of 25. This reflects older Japanese thought styles, but the sentiment is that after the 25th Christmas Cake is no longer any good. This occurs less often now, however, with the ever-growing and ever-changing society.
Other Japanese Christmas Traditions
Since Christmas is viewed as a Western holiday, Japanese will sometimes consume Western-style foods on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as well. These are not necessarily the traditional foods eaten in the US, Europe or other Western regions, but they are considered “stereotypical” foods by the Japanese.
Pizza, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Western-style take-out foods are usually ordered well in advance for Christmas parties. Depending on individual exposure to Western culture, some Japanese may have more traditional foods. For example, Japanese exchange students who experience Christmas with host families or Japanese who worked and lived abroad may share the things they enjoyed during those times with their Japanese friends and partners.
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