Some facts on Christmas and New Year in Japan
One would think that celebrating Christmas has not been a tradition in Japan until recently. Fact is that Christmas in Japan has come in and out of favour over the centuries. The holiday first found its way to the islands when Christianity was introduced in 1549. However, in 1614 it was banned by the shogunate along with all other Christian traditions. Christmas once again found its way into the culture in the 1870s during the Meiji Restoration, but again faded out during WWII. After the war, Christmas was reintroduced, gaining widespread acceptance with the introduction of the Christmas cake and buckets full of fried chicken. Takeshi Okawara, the manager of the first Kentucky Fried Chicken in Japan, came up with a brilliant marketing plan to launch KFC in 1970. He overheard a couple of foreigners in his store talk about how they missed having turkey for Christmas, so Okawara hoped a Christmas dinner of fried chicken could be a fine substitute, and so he began marketing his Party Barrel as a way to celebrate the holiday. Sharing a KFC Party Barrel with your friends on Christmas Eve is now a popular tradition in Japan, as well as going on a date with that very special person. Christmas in Japan revolves around friends.
New Year's, however, has always been an important holiday in Japan for families. It's a chance for families to not only reflect on the past year and their dreams for the future but also to spend time together, catch up, cook, eat, and play games. Hatsumode, the first shrine visit of the new year as well as otoshidama, handing a bit of money in an envelope to children and oosouji, or a 'thorough cleaning of the house' to start the new year fresh are some of the traditions during the New Year holiday.