Link here.
Maybe some of our Japanese correspondants can comment on the veracity of this, but even if it’s only partially true, it’s still very weird.
Apparently Christmas Day in Japan is just another work day, but Christmas Eve is a very special event. Restaurant reservations are made well in advance at the one restaurant (of Japanese origin, of course) that Christians the world over associate with this very special season.
KFC.
Odd. KFC is everywhere in Thailand, but there’s certainly no big Christmas celebrations, since this is not a Christian country. Neither is Japan; why would they make a big deal out of it?
Lots of Christmas buffets for the Western community, but the average non-Christian Thai does not partake unless in the company of Christians. But although hugely popular, KFC is no one’s dream meal for any holiday here.
Japan shares so many aspects of western culture that when it does something non-western it seems much more alien than it would otherwise. We expect non-western culture from China or India or Indonesia. With Japan it’s a surprise.
As weird as it all sounds, that blog you linked makes it sound plausible. Totally bizarre, but totally plausible.
When we were in China a couple of years ago, we met a local who was practicing her English at our youth hostel in Xi’an. We were on the subject of holidays and discussing the American holiday of Thanksgiving (we eat turkey, stuffing, cranberries) and she pipes up with, “And KFC, right?”
Apparently KFC has conducted some sort of marketing campaign in China to convince the Chinese people that Americans eat KFC for major holidays (ie, it’s a big event, a treat, to eat KFC!) It wouldn’t surprise me that the same was true for Japan.
Where I live the traditional New Years Eve meal is Chinese food. In years past I’ve had to call in my order 8 hours in advance, then wait for an hour in the line to pay and pick up my food. I live in a small village 20 miles north of Boston, MA, USA.
I suppose this isn’t any more bizarre than the Japanese fixation with XMas Eve KFC.
On my first trip to Japan, some buddies and I stopped at a KFC in Sapporo. The highlight was the packet of genuine Maple Syrup instead of butter for the biscuit.
The most interesting part was the foot still attached at the end of the drum stick.
(This was about 15 years ago; not sure if KFC overseas still does this or not.)