For many people, Christmas brings to mind images of family gatherings, elaborate dinners, and traditions passed down through generations. In Japan, however, the feeling surrounding Christmas is slightly different. It is not a religious holiday, nor is it a time when families traditionally come together en masse. Yet today, Christmas is very much part of the Japanese streetscape. Major cities sparkle with dazzling lights, Christmas markets pop up, shops embrace the festive mood, and restaurants offer special Christmas menus. Christmas in Japan is all about atmosphere, romance—and surprisingly memorable food.
How Christmas Found Its Way to Japan
Traditionally, Christmas was not celebrated in Japan. Christianity represents only a small minority, so Christmas holds little religious significance for most Japanese people. Over the course of the twentieth century, however, Christmas gradually became more visible, largely due to Western influence. After World War II, exposure to American culture increased dramatically through media, businesses, and international trade. Shops, hotels, and restaurants responded cleverly, presenting Christmas as a seasonal and atmospheric event.
Rather than developing into a traditional holiday with fixed rituals, Christmas in Japan evolved into a commercial and cultural celebration focused on togetherness, gift-giving, and experience. Especially in large cities, it became a time to go all out with decorations, special menus, and winter events—separate from religion, yet rich in ambiance.
Christmas Atmosphere: All About Romance
Anyone strolling through Japanese cities in December will quickly notice that Christmas is primarily about atmosphere and experience. Large parts of cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Yokohama are transformed by impressive illuminations: elaborate light installations that make streets, parks, and shopping districts glow. These light festivals attract millions of visitors each year and are a defining feature of the winter season. Christmas markets and winter festivals, inspired by Western traditions, have also become increasingly popular, offering warm drinks such as mulled wine, seasonal snacks, and picture-perfect decorations.
Christmas in Japan is therefore first and foremost a cozy, visually enchanting winter event—an ideal backdrop for what perhaps defines Japanese Christmas most: romance. Unlike in the West, Christmas is not typically a family holiday but rather a celebration for couples. Christmas Eve is often viewed as a romantic date, much like Valentine’s Day. Restaurants offer special Christmas menus, and reservations are sometimes made weeks in advance. Dining together, admiring the lights, and soaking in the festive atmosphere are at the heart of the experience.
Japan’s Most Famous Christmas Tradition: KFC
Perhaps the most surprising Christmas tradition in Japan is eating Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC). In the lead-up to Christmas, long queues form outside KFC locations, and many people pre-order their Christmas meals well in advance. This tradition dates back to the 1970s, when Western residents in Japan were searching for an alternative to the traditional Christmas turkey. KFC seized the opportunity with its marketing campaign “Kentucky for Christmas,” known in Japan as “Kentakkī wa kurisumasu” (ケンタッキーはクリスマス), which became an unexpected sensation.
Since then, fried chicken has become the Christmas dish in Japan. Families, groups of friends, and couples enjoy special Christmas sets featuring chicken and side dishes, often followed by something sweet. And that sweet finale is just as iconic as the chicken itself: the Japanese Christmas Cake, or kurisumasu kēki.
Christmas Cake
Alongside fried chicken, the Christmas Cake is an essential part of the Japanese holiday season. This kurisumasu kēki (クリスマスケーキ) is very different from the rich, heavy Christmas cakes familiar in the West. It typically consists of a light sponge cake layered with whipped cream and fresh strawberries, often finished with a light dusting of powdered sugar or simple decorations.
The Christmas Cake was first sold in the early twentieth century by a Yokohama-based confectionery called Fujiya. Inspired by a trip to the United States, the bakery’s founder introduced the cake in Yokohama, where many Western residents lived at the time. Today, the Christmas Cake is often shared by couples or small groups and serves as a light, festive ending to the Christmas meal.
Desserts: Not Too Sweet!
The concept of a “dessert” as a final course after dinner, as we know it in the Netherlands and much of the West, did not originally exist in Japan. When something sweet is eaten after a meal, it is most often fresh fruit. Other sweets have traditionally been enjoyed with tea or as part of a tea ceremony.
After a formal meal, matcha (green tea) (not a matcha latte as commonly known in the West, but pure tea made with water) is often served alongside small sweets. Matcha is the tea of the Japanese tea ceremony, and these sweets are meant to complement the tea’s flavor rather than function as a standalone dessert.
“Not too sweet” is one of the greatest compliments in Japan (and many other Asian countries) when it comes to desserts. Something may be sweet, but ideally not so sweet that it overwhelms the subtle flavors of the main ingredients. This philosophy explains why the Japanese Christmas Cake is usually light and paired with fresh fruit.
Due to globalization and Western influence, the Western concept of dessert—and sweets such as cakes and pastries—has become increasingly common in Japan, especially in large cities. Even the Christmas Cake (kurisumasu kēki), Japan’s signature Christmas dessert, is not originally Japanese. European-style sweets like sponge cake were introduced during the Momoyama period (1573–1615) by Portuguese and Dutch traders and were known as namban-gashi (“southern barbarian sweets”).
Sugar only became widely used during the Meiji period (1868–1912), when it spread beyond the elite to the general population. Chocolate, too, was introduced after 1868. The term kurisumasu kēki itself is a direct adaptation of the English “Christmas cake,” adjusted to Japanese pronunciation and spelling—a gairaigo, or loanword from a non-Chinese language.
Your Christmas with a Japanese Twist
Intrigued by the KFC story? This year, try fried or roasted chicken or turkey with a Japanese-style marinade. Products from our assortment are perfect for this; the Japanese kitchen excels at bold, umami-rich seasonings.
Inspired by the dessert story? The Japanese kitchen also offers endless inspiration for sweets. Combine Japanese flavors with familiar elements from your own kitchen. Think homemade mochi with red bean paste (anko), ice cream, whipped cream, matcha, or chocolate—also delicious alongside coffee, tea, or a glass of mulled wine.
Matcha isn’t just for drinking, either. Use it in tiramisu, ice cream, cakes, or cookies. It adds depth of flavor and a striking green color; a true crowd-pleaser, especially among younger generations.
Below is an example of a festive Christmas menu with a Japanese twist!
✦ Aperitif
Fruit sake cocktail or spritz (e.g. yuzu or mikan)
or
Mocktail from yuzu juice (freshly squeezed or ready made (hand pressed)) or shiso syrup
+
Iburigakko (marinated and pickled daikon)
✦ Amuse
Blini with cream cheese, salmon, and tonburi (“land caviar”)
(finished with a drop of ponzu or yuzu soy sauce)
or
Nori crisps with salmon tartare, yuzu, and fresh wasabi or wasabi mayo
→ Vegetarian? Replace salmon with marinated (cooked) carrot.
✦ Starter
Dashi and miso soup with shiitake mushrooms, spring onion, and tofu
(finished with a few drops of negi oil)
✦ Main Course
Roasted chicken or turkey marinated in yakiniku sauce or sumo miso
+
Salad with a dressing of sakura-smoked vinegar, mustard, olive oil, shallot, salt, and pepper
or
Roasted carrots with honey–miso glaze
+
Potato gratin with light miso, nutmeg, and grated cheese
→ Vegetarian? Replace chicken/turkey with tofu or shiitake mushrooms
→ Drink pairing? Japanese rice lager, dry sake, or shiso delight (non-alcoholic)
✦ Cheese Board
With yubeshi (similar to fig cake), yuzu marmalade, and nori crisps
✦ Dessert
Matcha tiramisu
or
Mochi with ice cream, whipped cream, and red bean paste (anko)
or
Trifle with yuzu curd (optionally with yuzu sake)
→ Drink pairing? Chokyu, a syrupy port-style sake, or shiso syrup (non-alcoholic)
Want to make it truly spectacular? Take a look at our Koppert Cress assortment. From edible flowers to buds and leaves—perfect for adding a festive finishing touch to every dish!
