Christmas in Tokyo?
 

Hi folks,

Am thinking about spending Christmas Eve and Day in Tokyo with my family (on the way back to the states, from Taipei). Anyone know what I might expect? Is Christmas a big deal in Japan? Are there any special events or things I should watch out for (e.g. crowds, etc.)?

Thanks!
Jody

Xmas is a big deal. New Year is bigger. Not sure about special events but it's crammed full of people. Students are off that time of year, making Tokyo extra crammed.

Having said that, over Xmas and New Years is about the only time I want to go to Japan. In fact, I'm there over Xmas this year too.

Christmas Eve is a huge date night so high-end restaurants and hotels are often very busy and booked up for a "special night out." Suggest you look into securing your accommodations early.

BUT -- all the stores are open on Xmas day and it is a regular work day.

I would somewhat disagree that it is extra crammed, I mean no more then any other holiday, special event.. As mentioned Dec. 25 is not a national holiday, all stores are open and things are running at regular ours, as it is a regular work day and so is December 24 and the 26th, so I wouldn't expect crowds out like you might see on New Year's eve at certain places, and even then, there's usually some mass exodus out of Tokyo during that time frame as well. Some equate Christmas to more like Valentines day where couples go out in the evening, and as mentioned you certainly have a lot of that.

I agree with the above also. Christmas in Japan is not the same holiday as in western cultures. There is zero religious connection, zero family connection, and they even go so far as to concoct this abomination of a strawberry short cake and coin it the Christmas Cake.

Giving presents gives way to parents giving the kids a pass on pre-marital sex. Restaurants call it a lovers holiday. A huge disappointment if you hold Christmas to be special in your heart.

The lights that are put up are very beautiful and reflect the Japanese ability with presentation. Lovely to walk around th city looking at the various displays.

As far as it being in anyway shape or form a holiday as you may imagine Christmas to be, fugeddaboutit.

I also agree with above, and particularly with mjm's comments.

Christmas Eve = Valentines day - high prices at restaurants and hotels with double beds that night as a result. A good evening to chow down on noodles or a MOSBurger for dinner instead.

Christmas Day (when many places take down their decorations/lights in order to replace them with those for New Year) can seem like an anticlimax.

Still, as both of these days are midweek this year and aren't holidays, the Tokyo Disney Theme Parks might be the best ones to go to experience this festival.

Christmas in Japan can be mind-blowing in some ways. Look at the Christmas card selections, for example. Years ago, one of my students, who was teaching English over there, sent me a card that had UFOs circling above a Victorian angel and had as its caption (in English): "God save the Christmas. Oh my God."

Then there are TV variety shows where people sing Western Christmas carols translated into...classical Japanese by missionaries in the 19th century.

You can also go into the department stores and see the packages for o-seibo, the year-end season in which Japanese people give gifts to people to whom they owe an obligation in the Japanese scheme of things. One year I saw a gift pack of six cans of Del Monte peaches.

On Christmas Eve day, bakeries will have boxes of cakes stacked up outside, either for people to pick up their pre-orders or for last-minute shoppers.

The 1% of the population that is Christian will be in church, but for families, the big holiday is New Year. That's the holiday that has a collection of folk customs, religious observances, and traditional foods, and the day on which children receive presents of money.

If you step outside your hotel on Christmas morning, you will step out into a normal, everyday scene.

The classic has always been "Santa Clause nailed to a cross."

My friends in America believe it when I tell them about the Ninja in Japan. They don't believe it when I tell them about the large lines of people outside the Kentucky Fried Chicken waiting for the Christmas chicken.

Ever been to Odaiba on Xmas eve/Xmas? No, it's not New Year's Day but it's pretty crammed to me...

Odaiba is well Odaiba.

But I wouldn't say Tokyo is crammed (other then usual) or extra crammed even with students off, especially this year when it falls on a Thursday, with the night preceding it and the day after all being normal business days.

Most people aren't off yet like New Years period to over rush and cram the trains, planes and automobiles.
That or my perspective is just off because I'm used to it here being crammed into a train every morning and evening and consider it "normal" when I run into a crowd and not much different, from any other day.

In the OP's case in what to watch out for, well Tokyo there will always be crowds depending on where you go no matter what time of year.
For Christmas again it falls on normal business days to, so many places will be open like usual (vs. closed New Years time). So you can expect things to operate as usual, no modified train scheduling, closures or early closures.

My friends don't believe me when I tell them about the lines outside Krispy Kreme on a Regular day.

When I think of "Christmas Cake" I think of another uniquely Japanese abomination, one far worse than strawberry shortcake and with retractable claws to boot.

Smidgen? or the mothers of 25 year old girls? :)

Smidgen is not abomination! He may be an unusual fellow, but he's far from abominable.

I spent four Christmases in Tokyo between 2002 & 2006 and the only notable crowds I can remember were those at the Millenario (over-rated and a disappointment IMO).

Granted, I've not been to Odaiba at this time of the year... And perhaps the obligatory visit to Meiji Jingu on New Years Eve puts any notion of crammed spaces and crowds into context.