Surprisingly, Japan celebrates Christmas similarly to American culture although the religious portion of the holiday is not upheld. Christmas is more about the holiday season’s expression of goodwill and joy and there is little to no focus on the religious aspect. The most similar of these practices consists of the abundance of lights strung throughout Japan’s major cities. Rivaling that of New York City, the Caretta Shiodome Illumination is a grogeous display of bright lights around the shopping centers various stores. Visitors can expect to see over 250,000 LED lights (jw-webmagazine.com) around the center that is usually in sync to a Disney Movie such as Frozen. Last year, 500,000 (jw-webmagazine.com) visitors flocked to the Caretta Shiodome to see the celebration.

Another difference is Christmas Eve is celebrated more than Christmas Day. December 24th is considered to be a day of romance as this is a very common date night in Japan (truly.tokyo.com). This portion of the holiday is very similar to Valentines Day in America, as the Jewelry stores in Ginza advertise their merchandise greatly and offer sales.

This country puts more of an adult spin on the holiday and allows couples to relish in the beautiful lights and festive restaurants. Although I have not personally experienced this holiday in Japan, I would describe the holiday as a cross between Christmas and Valentines Day. The excitement that both of these traditions hold in America is blended into one awesomely romantic season centered on joy and commitment.

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