Santa is coming to town?
Long time no see. This year is quickly coming to an end.
I am surprised that half a year has passed since I started writing this blog.
Well, this time, as you can see from the title, it is about "Christmas" since it is December. However, I am sure that many of you are more familiar with the history and origin of "Christmas" itself. So, this time, I would like to write about how we enjoy Christmas in Japan.
As for when Christmas was first introduced to Japan, it is difficult to say for sure, but the predecessor of Christmas came to Japan around the 16th century. It is said that the first time a nativity was held in Japan was by Cosme de Torres, a missionary who came to Japan with the Jesuit Francis Xavier.
Later, Christmas spread as an event to the general public, which seems to have started in the 33rd year of Meiji era (1897) with the Christmas sales from the Meiji-za Theater in Ginza. Christmas trees, Santa Claus, and other joyous atmosphere of Christmas stimulated purchasing power, and more and more households prepared Christmas cakes and gifts.
Even now, in families with small children, it is customary for parents to prepare gifts and place them under the children's pillows when they are asleep. (It's hard for Santa to distribute gifts to all the children in the world. Parents help Santa.) In Japan, Christmas Eve is a time to spend romantically with loved ones, or to get together with friends and have a party to make merry.
In writing this blog, I researched and found that many people in Japan, including myself, spend Christmas with loved ones and friends, while those living overseas generally go to church to pray and spend Christmas with their families, giving the impression that only Japan has its own unique Christmas culture. This is probably because Japan is based on Shintoism and Buddhism, and has become a kind of non-religious since the Meiji era (1868-1912), so Christmas is considered to be just another event. (This is just my impression based on my own research.)
Speaking of Christmas, in recent years in Japan, Christmas illuminations are held on a city-by-city basis, as shown in the photo. In big cities such as Tokyo and Kobe, the whole city is shining brightly. If you have a chance, please visit them and you will be surprised.
Supermarkets and toy stores are all decked out in Christmas colors, and people get excited, even though they are not old enough to receive gifts. That kind of atmosphere in the city is probably one of the best parts of Christmas. I am sure this is the same wherever you are. I would like to end this blog with a wish that the whole world can be happy, excited, and peaceful. Next time I will probably write about the end of the year, or the New Year, or both. Merry Christmas!