christmas
Living in Japan, you soon notice that Japanese Christmas differs from its Western equivalent. From eating Christmas cakes that are made with whipped cream and strawberries galore to enjoying a romantic date instead of visiting your family at Yule time, Christmas in Japan remains fascinatingly different. Nowhere is this difference clearer than in how Christmas has been incorporated into the Japanese language. As Japanese Christmas is unique, it has created new words associated with the season that illustrate how the holiday has become part of the culture. 1. Wine for the whole familyWhen you ra...
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If you’re like me, gift-giving is one of the hardest parts of the holiday season. While I can’t help everyone, I can offer you some advice for the best kitchen gear. I’ve carefully selected a mix of Japanese kitchen items–everything from popular name-brand appliances to gift set ideas to quirky kitchen gadgets. Read on to pick out the gift that will work best for the person you’re shopping for this year. 1. Balmuda toasterQuite possibly the most over-the-top toaster ever, this Balmuda offering produces a perfectly toasted slice of bread every time. With its steam action technology, any piece o...
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The intermediate Japanese learner is at something of a difficult place. You’ve broken through from beginner apps and hiragana charts, but you aren’t ready for a fully immersive Japanese media experience, either. Japanese movies can be complex, with many job-specific 用語 (yougo, or jargon) to wade through. Most Japanese movies don’t have 英語の字幕 (eigo no jimaku, or English subtitles) either. So what is someone who is studying for the N3 or N2 JLPT to do? I recommend teen romance flicks for up-to-date, naturalistic dialogue without too many tricky words. For the best experience, make this about stu...
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Japan, at first glance, might not seem like the snowy winter wonderland of our dreams. Still, with the Japan Meteorological Agency predicting heavy snowfall this winter (thanks to La Nina), Santa might just pack up and move shop down south with Jack Frost nipping at his heels. These winter towns will more than satisfy your chestnuts-roasting-on-an-open-fire fantasies, with most of this list featuring the real “North Pole” of Japan: Hokkaido, a cornucopia of winter ski resorts, hot springs, snowy tundras and Christmas-y feels that’ll make even Scrooge squeal with delight. 1. Discover Santa’s wo...
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The holiday season has been a time for exchanging business-appropriate presents long before Japan joined in the Christmas celebrations. Oseibo is the Japanese tradition of giving end-of-year gifts to express gratitude to neighbors, friends and colleagues. Although a lot has changed since this practice began centuries ago, this month remains the most appropriate time to thank your coworkers with a little something special. Nothing personalIf you think you’ve found the perfect present for someone, think again. Contrary to what you may believe, getting your baseball-obsessed boss a Dodgers sweats...
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Ah, Christmas in Japan. Here, Santa leaves his home in Finland, comes through the front door (no chimneys here) and places gifts next to sleeping children’s beds. Meanwhile, families scarf down KFC and cake, and young couples go out on romantic dates. Christmas movies are different too. While we might watch a family-friendly film about Santa and his elves, locals want to curl up on the couch with their significant other and get romantic. So it’s more of a couple’s holiday. However, one thing that we share is the idea of the Christmas miracle. So enjoy Christmas like the locals—grab a big bucke...
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This time of year, Japan has a tradition of sending nengajo, or new year’s greetings, that dates back to the Heian era (794-1185). Thus, opening holly-jolly-filled Christmas cards only took off recently. Nowadays, you can find rows and rows of reindeer bouncing and sleigh bells chiming-themed Yuletide cards in the aisles of your local department store. This Christmas, you may be looking for a card to send back home to your loved ones or just giving Sato from accounting an obligatory holiday message. Either way, these options might help. Happy holidays with mini-SantaSanta is known for his larg...
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It’s the most wonderful time of the year again in Japan, and Santa Claus is coming to town. It may surprise some readers, but the big jolly man is quite popular in Japan. In 2020, All Nippon Airways (ANA) delivered more than 80,000 letters to Santa from children all over the country. We can likely thank toy shops, department stores and supermarkets for making Santa a holiday icon in Japan. However, it’s also because Father Christmas is similar in shape and personality to another important character in Japan—the pot-bellied god of fortune, protector of children and patron of bartenders, Hotei. ...
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The spooky Halloween season hasn’t faded away yet that Japanese stores are launching their Christmas food order to fill your home with welcoming festive aromas and more importantly: stress-free celebrations.It won’t come as a surprise to learn that Christmas in Japan is different from what you know. After all, this is a country which banned Christianity for much of its history. Nonetheless, Japanese people’s love for everything American during the post-war period and adopted with enthusiasm the Christmas traditional meal… With a twist.Fried chicken and fluffy cream-filled sponge cakes!Whereas ...
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