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Posted

Yes this is what the Japanese eat on Christmas, or most likely Christmas Eve.

For more information of Christmas in Japan look here:

https://classes.yale.edu/anth254a/article_b.../WSJ_911217.htm

Kentucky Fried Chicken is already with their Christmas menu, place your order now!

http://www.kfc.co.jp/xmas2003/

and here is a selection of Christmas cakes available from the 7-11:

http://main.sej.co.jp/03/2003_1102_xmas/index.html

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

Posted

Whew! For a minute there, I thought that KFC had stopped selling smoked chicken halves at Christmas -- the only reason my husband agrees to take Christmas Day off work, I suspect! Better get our order in...

Kids have already decided that they want the usual Japanese strawberry shortcake this year...to be made with a chocolate spongecake this year, they say!

Regards

Posted
Yes this is what the Japanese eat on Christmas, or most likely Christmas Eve.

For more information of Christmas in Japan look here:

https://classes.yale.edu/anth254a/article_b.../WSJ_911217.htm

Kentucky Fried Chicken is already with their Christmas menu, place your order now!

http://www.kfc.co.jp/xmas2003/

and here is a selection of Christmas cakes available from the 7-11:

http://main.sej.co.jp/03/2003_1102_xmas/index.html

I don't understand this. Japanese celebrate christmas? According to the CIA world fact book, breakdown of religions is japan is

Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%)

With christian only being 0.7 percent, I can't imagine KFC or anyone else would dedicate the resources to doing christmas stuff in Japan!

Jason Perlow, Co-Founder eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters

Foodies who Review South Florida (Facebook) | offthebroiler.com - Food Blog (archived) | View my food photos on Instagram

Twittter: @jperlow | Mastodon @jperlow@journa.host

Posted

OK, I guess Japan has a Christmas tradition:

http://srd.yahoo.com/S=95814096:D1/CS=9581...apan/jxmas.html (Christmas in Japan)

http://srd.yahoo.com/S=95814096:D1/CS=9581...com/wjapan.html (Old Japanese Christmas and Samurai Santa)

Jason Perlow, Co-Founder eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters

Foodies who Review South Florida (Facebook) | offthebroiler.com - Food Blog (archived) | View my food photos on Instagram

Twittter: @jperlow | Mastodon @jperlow@journa.host

Posted

A few years back Christmas was celebrated more like valentines day for young Japanese couples as mentioned in the link, splurging on a very nice meal, expensive gifts and staying in a luxury hotel, all courtesy of the boy. I think the fad all of a sudden died and I don't think it is as common anymore.

Valentines day in itself is the reverse, on february 14 the girl is supposed to give chocolate to "every" man she knows, romantically linked or not. I think something like 90% of all luxury chocolates in Japan are sold in February.

Maybe less than 1% of Japanese are christian, but they take on a lot of christian traditions in their own way, mostly weddings.

The Häagen-Dazs shop in Roppongi (one of Tokyos major entertainment areas) was converted into a Christian Wedding Chapel.

Posted

Christmas is still one of the biggest date nights of the year (next to Valentine's day), they tend to spend less money now because most people have less to spend.

On the other hand, New Year's Eve is a time to spend with your family.......

Christmas is completely commercial in Japan, there is nothing religious to it, I am curious to know how many Japanese even know the true meaning behind Christmas.

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

Posted

I was more referring to the extravagant "excesses" that occured before.

Did you celebrate thanksgiving on Monday this week? (it's one of those Japanese holidays that I forget what it's actually about, but that always seems to coinceede with Thanksgiving)

Posted

Did you celebrate thanksgiving on Monday this week? (it's one of those Japanese holidays that I forget what it's actually about, but that always seems to coinceede with Thanksgiving)

This past week's holiday, actually Japanese labor day, is on November 23, it was held on the 24th (Mon) this year because all holidays that fall on a Sunday are moved to Monday to give the Japanese workers an the day off they deserve. :biggrin:

The 23rd is my son's birthday, so we just do the typical birthday stuff! :biggrin:

This year on the 24th though I took egullet member Texan, who is visiting Japan, for a tour of Yokohama including the Minato Mirai area and China town. We spent most of the time looking for the next thing to eat!

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

Posted

I picked up the newest 'kyou no ryouri', a fairly good Japanese cooking magazine and they had some a ideas for a Christmas menu including a Christmas potato salad shaped like a wreath and topped with boiled cauliflower, boiled snow peas, cherry tomatoes and processed cheese shaped into stars.

I could only find a partial picture of it on the internet:

http://www.nhk-book.co.jp/ryouri/images/0312/head.jpg

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

Posted

Let's face it..Xmas is a mercantile tradition for most. And Japan certainly knows how to rig up a good shopping excuse!

Have you noticed how fashionable it has become for young girls to wear crucifixes lately. If we judged purely on accessories you'd have to assume that Christianity and Louis Vuittonity were the biggest religions in Japan.

Off topic - there is a chocolate shop that has just opened up in Roppongi Hills around the corner from my place which is turning over JPY 40,000,000 a month. The lines are always long; people queueing up for a $10 commemorative chocolate. Then it's off next door to join the queue for Louis V!

  • 11 months later...
Posted
Hard to get used to strawberries in December, true. But I'll take a Japanese Christmans cake over a traditional fruitcake anyday!

I am with snallworld on this one!

I am not a fruitcake fan!! :biggrin:

Hiroyuki, guess you missed this thread on Kentucky fried chicken and strawberry shortcakes:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...st=0&p=444245

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

Posted
Yes this is what the Japanese eat on Christmas, or most likely Christmas Eve.

For more information of Christmas in Japan look here:

https://classes.yale.edu/anth254a/article_b.../WSJ_911217.htm

Kentucky Fried Chicken is already with their Christmas menu, place your order now!

http://www.kfc.co.jp/xmas2003/

and here is a selection of Christmas cakes available from the 7-11:

http://main.sej.co.jp/03/2003_1102_xmas/index.html

I don't understand this. Japanese celebrate christmas? According to the CIA world fact book, breakdown of religions is japan is

Shinto and Buddhist 84%, other 16% (including Christian 0.7%)

With christian only being 0.7 percent, I can't imagine KFC or anyone else would dedicate the resources to doing christmas stuff in Japan!

I know better than to talk about religions here in this forum, but this book may answer some, if not all, of your questions about the religious aspect of the Japanese.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/083...3650737-2590432

It was written by Shichihei Yamamoto under the false name of Isaiah Bendasan.

http://homepage1.nifty.com/masada/globe/syamamoto01.htm

Posted

i dont understand how strawberries are so heavily associated with these christmas cakes in a land where seasonality is stressed.

maybe japanese people just accept this without questioning because they think xmas cakes are a foreign tradition?

the cakes should be topped with oranges and yuzu! :raz:

"Bibimbap shappdy wappdy wap." - Jinmyo
Posted
i dont understand how strawberries are so heavily associated with these christmas cakes in a land where seasonality is stressed.

maybe japanese people just accept this without questioning because they think xmas cakes are a foreign tradition?

the cakes should be topped with oranges and yuzu!  :raz:

Melonpan,

actually strawberry season in Japan starts in December and runs to early spring!!

there are no strawberries here in summer. :blink: So it is a very seasonal thing to have strawberries on your cake....

Kristin Wagner, aka "torakris"

 

Posted
some days i just get knocked down flat with all the assumptions i make!

k.o.!

Are you all right, melonpan? :laugh: torakris talked about greenhouse strawberries. Open-field ones are in season around April to May, as you suggest.

My son's birthday is in April, when I can get open-field strawberries. Thus, his birthday cake look like this:

gallery_16375_5_1100736041.jpg

My family's Christmas cake looks just like this one.

On the other hand, my daughter's birthday is in September, when I can get no strawberries from any local supermarket. (Things may be different in urban areas.) So, my daughter's birthday cake had canned cherries on top this year.

gallery_16375_5_1100736128.jpg

Posted

i was hoping for some rants too! if christmas cakes are generally strawberry topped sponge cakes, they seem pretty innocuous. what is there to rant about? i am honestly clueless. are christmas cakes controversial, deserving of rants?

<center><img src="http://forums.egullet.org/uploads/1100650041/gallery_16375_5_1100736128.jpg"></center>

cute, extremely cheerful bday cakes~!

a q though: those pink sticks... are those pocky?

"Bibimbap shappdy wappdy wap." - Jinmyo
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