06/12/2023
There are some very Japanese-specific food traditions when it comes to Christmas, and if this is your first Christmas in Japan, this may come as a surprise. People typically order KFC Chicken (!!!) and a Christmas Cake! One strong theory of why the KFC tradition began is this…. A few years after the very first KFC was introduced into Japan (in 1970), one day a foreign man walked into the only KFC store in Tokyo and reluctantly decided to have chicken because getting a turkey wasn’t an option for him in Japan. When the store manager at this KFC heard about this incident, he decided to try to market “eating chicken for Christmas” as a staple, and began advertising it as such in 1974.🍗
The concept of “Christmas cake” was introduced by a well-known Japanese baker who traveled to the U.S. and tasted “strawberry short cake” for the first time. He then customized it more to the Japanese’ taste buds and first sold it as a “Christmas cake” back in 1922. Baked goods were still considered high-priced item back then so it took some time until the 70’s for people to start buying these Christmas cakes. Fast forward a few decades and now it is a staple Christmas item. 🎂
KFC, grocery stores, various convenient stores, and bakeries are all accepting chicken & cake reservations far in advance for Christmas, normally starting in early November! If you’re interested in this Japanese-style Christmas dinner, it’s not too late to place your order, but a special discounts for “Christmas chicken dinner” set at KFC will end on Dec 10th.
~ Mari
