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Why do couples in Japan treat Christmas as a second Valentine's Day?

2024-12-24 20:50:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Why do couples in Japan treat Christmas as a second Valentine's Day?

Illustrative photo

One of Sumire Sekino's most memorable Christmases involved spending the day dancing some of Tokyo's best date spots with her boyfriend.

That day, she recalls, began with the couple leaving in TeamLab, an immersive digital art installation that's incredibly Instagrammable. Next, they headed up to Shibuya Sky, an observation deck located 751 feet above the ground, to capture a panoramic view of the Japanese capital.

"It was only our first month together so we were still nervous. But I enjoyed going to these places with him for the first time", says the student.

Another student, Akao Takao, 19, looked at some dazzling light displays and went to a Christmas market with his girlfriend last year, before sitting down for a belly-warming hot chocolate.

"I had a wonderful experience," he says.

In Western culture, Christmas is that time of year when families gather around a long table to catch up, opening lavishly wrapped presents and drinking eggnog. Some go to church.

But in Japan, the festive season has long taken on an extra, rather romantic dimension: it's widely seen as just another Valentine's Day.

Couples go on a special date on Christmas Eve, seeing the festive decorations, dining at fancy restaurants and staying at luxury hotels.

Love is in the air everywhere from Tokyo - where its bustling districts such as Roppongi and Ginza are filled with couples holding hands in the streets wearing sparkling trees - to Hokkaido, where the promise of a white Christmas awaits.

For guys willing to splurge a little, there are luxury hotel rooms with spectacular views – which easily go up to $2,000 per night if not already booked.

Young people in Japan tend to stay with their parents until they get married, so spending a night out together is seen as a special treat.

This year, the Ritz-Carlton Tokyo is offering a "romantic getaway" that includes fine dining credits and an ice skating experience at an outdoor rink. Meanwhile, the Grand Hyatt Tokyo promises a "romantic evening," offering rooms overlooking festively lit trees.

Restaurants and shops also take the opportunity to roll out special dinner sets and discounts on a range of gifts, from chocolates to jewellery.

"It's all about the mood and atmosphere," says associate professor Roy Starrs, who specializes in Japanese studies at the University of Otago in New Zealand.

"Young couples go out together on dates as soon as it gets dark to see the spectacular displays of colorful lights and this is thought to be a very romantic atmosphere conducive to young love."

A country of 124 million people, Japan's most widely practiced religion is Shintoism, with less than one percent of its population Christian. And yet, the nation celebrates Christmas with full spirit.

Christianity entered Japan in the mid-16th century, according to Starrs, but was largely suppressed for another two and a half centuries during the Tokugawa era, a period marked by its strict social order and isolationist policies.

It wasn't until after World War II that American culture began to spread across Japan, bringing Christmas with it. But the holiday is celebrated with a uniquely Japanese touch.

"Most Japanese do not see Christmas as any kind of religious event, but as a pop-cultural spectacle imported from the West - an aesthetically pleasing mix of bright lights, Santa Claus dolls, Christmas markets, colorfully wrapped presents [and] Christmas cakes." Starrs says.

Japan is a society that places great value on aesthetics, he adds, so it makes sense that these festive displays, often accompanied by abundant snow, make the perfect recipe for a romantic white Christmas.

"The couple can also exchange gifts, visit an exotic German-style Christmas market, and end the evening at an elegant French or Italian restaurant. And after all, the mood might be just right for a marriage proposal!” Starrs says.

The romantic Christmas spin may be one of the best gifts the Japanese government can hope for as it tries to boost marriages and births.

Its fertility rate fell to 1.20 last year, another record low, well below the 2.1 required to maintain a stable population in a country.

For the older generation in what was once the world's second largest economy, prosperity was the way to go, the flashier the better. In addition to expensive hotels, men often opened bottles of champagne and rented limousines for a night to impress.

But after years of stagnation, Japan's once enviable economic powerhouse has lost its luster, slipping to fourth place in the world earlier this year. With the rising cost of living exacerbated by the recent devaluation of the Japanese yen, young couples are looking for creative ways to celebrate.