The meaning of Christmas

A cold wind is blowing through the concrete canyons of Tokyo and bringing with it the spirit of Christmas. Ignore for a moment any notions you may have that Christmas should be, at least in theory, related to anything other than the religion of commerce. The first creeping signs of Christmas made their debut over the weekend with little notice, save perhaps for a few handfuls or schoolgirls giggling and squealing kawaii!! (Cute!!) as they admired the twinkling lights in the trees and the store displays.

The store displays tend to be slightly different here from what one might find in the West. There are the typical reindeer pulling sleighs, artificial trees with small, colored lights, and cotton spread across everything to mimic snow, or a tarantula’s web depending on how much care was taken to replace the Halloween décor. Other stores, in keeping with their pattern of minimalist furnishings, erect (fake) trees worthy of Charlie Brown. Then there are some displays of the season that may strike some as out of place, even odd. Standing tall and proud outside each Kentucky Fried Chicken is a Santa-suit-clad Colonel Sanders. One department store went so far as to crucify Santa, mounting Father Christmas upon a cross.

Not all that surprising, really, given certain events in the history of Christianity in Japan. Upon the religion’s introduction to the archipelago converts were killed. The authorities of the day took pains to establish the religion of the person before sentencing, employing a test referred to as fumie. Literally translated it means “step picture” and involved placing an image of Jesus on the floor and asking the suspected Christian to step on the picture, and by their response determining the accused’s true religion.

The atmosphere is far more tolerant today, and religions are mostly left to themselves. So is the case with Christmas in Japan – it has little to do with religion (though, in all fairness, much the same could be said in the West). Like Valentine’s Day, it is a day to spend on lovers rather than family or spirit. As one businessman explained, “I buy gifts for my girlfriend. Not my wife, but my girlfriend.”

And so the stores stock their shelves with gifts more appropriate for unwrapping under the mistletoe than the tree, for the retailers have figured out as much as they care to about the meaning of Christmas.