12/16/2004

One major difference between Christian countries and Japan is that while most people think of Christmas as the holiday when you have a big three, and you receive presents, and you spend time with your family (waiting for the presents), Japanese view it as the holiday when you have a big three, and you receive presents, and you spend time with your girlfriend/boyfriend. Here in Japan, Christmas is not a family thing. It is a romantic thing. New Year’s eve on the other hand, is a time when most people I know go back to their hometown and spend a few days with their parents.

So what do people do during Christmas in Japan? I guess a lot is left to the imagination, since romantic couple spend a lot of time isolated from the crowd, and all the love hotels are full, as well as most restaurants. What is not left to the imagination however is what people buy just before Christmas, not in sex shops but in major retailers. Tokyu Hands in Shibuya is a very popular department store where one can find almost anything, from bicycles to office chairs, to tiles and professional sushi knives. And, when Christmas is close, this:

Here are a few close-up shots of the sample display:

You wish you had a Japanese girlfriend right?
You shouldn’t. Because if you had one, she would probably make you wear something like this:

Merry X-mas everyone ;)