Merry Christmas everyone! メリークリスマス！ Thank you for reading all year and sticking with me even though I left Japan. Please keep reading in the New Year, as I will strive to keep up my promise of weekly posts about Japan, Japanese culture, and Japanese-related happenings in the UK. If you’ve never experienced Christmas in Japan, … Continue reading
It’s J-Festa time again, and this month’s theme is Christmas in Japan. Christmas in Japan is a curious thing. December 25th is not a holiday in Japan, and most of the action takes place on December 24th, which is a big date night. By the end of December 25th, most traces of Christmas have completely gone … Continue reading
Merry Christmas! メリークリスマス! I’ve enjoyed putting together these daily “Japanese Advent Calendar” posts and now, as a final Christmas Day post, here is a little video I put together of X’mas in Japan, 2008 – 2010. So, that’s it. Christmas is over for another year. Actually, it seemed to be over before it had even … Continue reading
So, it’s almost Christmas, and Santa Claus must be readying his sleigh as we speak. I got to thinking this week about Santa. Who says Santa has to be a fat white guy? I rather like this Japanese Santa: And why a sleigh with reindeer? You could just as easily have a horse and carriage, … Continue reading
This is probably the most unusual Christmas card I have ever seen – and it’s SO Japanese! ☆★☆ Yes, even Santa likes to go to the “kaiten-zushi” (conveyor belt sushi).
Here’s a selection of Japanese Santa decorations that I’ve found: ☆★☆ Note how the Santa above has startlingly blue eyes!
Yesterday, I went for a walk and found this fellow… As far as I know, this place is a kind of lottery ticket shop. But it’s a strange place and usually has a nautical theme. There’s a big boat on the roof and lots of crabs and fish and things. I wonder if there’s some … Continue reading
So, being the Christmas-freak that I am, I was walking to work yesterday listening to Naomile’s “Sweets House – Best Xmas Songs”. In particular, I was listening to the Japanese version of “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus“. Here’s the original by Jimmy Boyd: And the version I prefer by The Ronettes: But, I digress. … Continue reading
Nanoblock? What’s that then? Well, is seems to be a Japanese version of LEGO and, like most things in Japan, it’s really tiny. I’ve seen Nanoblock packs on sale a few times in novelty stores like Loft and Plaza, but yesterday I finally gave in and bought a pack. I figured I could justify this … Continue reading
Haikugirl's Japan 