Christmas Around the World: Japan

by Kent Hori

Japan is a country with a very small Christian minority.  Hardly 1% of Japanese people are Christians, of whom 1 million are Catholic. 

Christmas, in Japan, is seen as a western holiday and a time for businesses to make money.  It is seen as a time to give presents.  I even recall that I walked past a KFC restaurant in Tokyo in mid-October; I could not help but notice that the statue of Colonel Sanders was dressed up in a Santa Claus suit. [Kent's not the only one to notice. "Kentucky for Christmas" is a fact of Japanese culture. The KFC-Christmas connection.]  Japan really has bought into this part of western culture; while at it, Japan has missed the true meaning of Christmas.

For the Christian population in Japan, Christmas is the time to go to Church.  It is a special season in the heart of Japanese Catholics.  The parishes do have Nativity Scenes, however, I noticed that many of them are very Western in design.  I was never enthused to see these Manger Scenes because I felt that the faith needs to better relate to the Japanese culture instead of being so western.

Once in a while, you may see a Manger Scene that depicts an infant Jesus in Japanese clothes.  In that same scene, one will see Blessed Mary and St. Joseph wearing kimonos.  The manger is depicted as a Japanese style barn.  This type of depiction of the Manger Scene brings joy to my heart.  Yes, our faith is Catholic, our faith is universal.  Yes, the Christmas story can be communicated across cultures.