Japanese Christmas Traditions

Christmas is not a national holiday in Japan, but as December approaches, the atmosphere in cities takes on a cheerful mood. Winter nights are lit by sparkling illuminations, Christmas music drifts from shop entrances, and bakeries start taking orders for beautifully decorated holiday cakes.

Rather than a religious observance, Christmas in Japan is embraced as a cultural celebration—an opportunity to share joy with family, friends, and loved ones. Gift exchanges, strawberry shortcakes layered with whipped cream, dinners at cozy restaurants, and evening strolls through glowing streets all form part of a uniquely Japanese Christmas landscape, one that feels warm, intimate, and delightfully seasonal.

In this article, we explore how Christmas is celebrated in Japan: the customs and the winter rituals that make this time of year feel special. If you’re visiting Japan during the holiday season, be sure to experience its distinctive take on Christmas.

In Japan, Christmas is enjoyed as a cultural event, and the date people pay the most attention to is not December 25th—it’s Christmas Eve, the 24th. Media and advertising have played a major role in shaping the idea of Christmas Eve as a romantic night for couples. Instead of gathering with family, as is common in Western countries, many couples spend the evening looking at illuminations or enjoying a special dinner together.

By contrast, Japan’s family-centered celebrations revolve around the New Year. Families gather for traditional meals, visit shrines for the first prayer of the year, and observe long-standing customs. For this reason, Christmas in Japan is viewed less as a “family holiday” and more as a day to enjoy with partners or friends.

Although Christmas is not a public holiday in Japan, the festive spirit is unmistakable. This is largely because Christmas became widespread as a joyful seasonal event, rather than a religious one. Less than one percent of the population is Christian, yet during Japan’s postwar economic boom, department stores and companies embraced Christmas with gift promotions, illuminations, and special dinners, establishing it as a commercial—and cultural—tradition.

From the 1980s onward, television dramas and magazines began portraying Christmas as a romantic occasion spent with a significant other, which further solidified its popularity among younger generations. Today, exchanging gifts with a partner, hosting small parties with friends, or simply enjoying holiday lights has become the norm. Regardless of religious background, Christmas has become a winter moment for connection, warmth, and seasonal brightness, a beloved part of the Japanese winter landscape.

Christmas in Japan comes with its own set of traditions, many of which exist nowhere else. One of the most iconic is the Christmas cake. The classic version is a light sponge layered with fresh whipped cream and topped with bright red strawberries. Its colors evoke snow and Santa Claus, and over the decades, it has become a beloved Japanese staple. Most people pre-order their cakes and pick them up on Christmas Eve to enjoy at home. In recent years, bakeries have expanded their offerings to include matcha, chocolate, fruit-filled variations, and even character-themed designs, making the visual appeal just as important as the flavor.

Gift-giving is another central custom. Couples, families, and friends exchange small presents as a way of expressing gratitude and affection. In homes with young children, many kids still believe in Santa Claus and wake up on the morning of the 25th to find gifts waiting for them, much like in Western countries. If the household has a Christmas tree, the presents are typically placed beneath it.

And then there’s the uniquely Japanese Christmas classic: KFC. In the 1970s, a wildly successful advertising campaign—“Kentucky for Christmas”—tapped into Japan’s fascination with Western culture. Since then, Christmas-themed buckets and party sets have become a seasonal tradition. Today, enjoying KFC on Christmas has become so widespread that it is considered part of Japan’s cultural landscape.

To immerse yourself in Japan’s distinctive Christmas atmosphere, start with its winter illuminations. In Tokyo, Roppongi Hills and Marunouchi Nakadori are among the most popular spots, where warm, shimmering lights transform the city streets into dreamlike scenes. In the Kansai region, Osaka’s Midosuji Avenue is lined with its iconic illuminations, stretching 4 kilometers (about 2.5 miles), while in Hokkaido, Sapporo’s Odori Park hosts the famous White Illumination—an annual highlight of the snowy season.

Christmas in Japan has evolved into a time not of religious observance, but of human connection and seasonal celebration. A night spent with someone you care about, city lights reflecting off winter streets, strawberry shortcake and fried chicken shared around the table—all of these create a Christmas only Japan could have imagined.

Just before families gather for the New Year, December offers a brief moment of delightful “everyday magic.” If you find yourself in Japan during this time, take a moment to enjoy the uniquely Japanese ways of celebrating the holiday season.