Tokyo Christmas
26 Dec 2006
We decided to spend Christmas Eve in Tokyo to see if the Japanese decorated at all for the season. As it turns out, even Buddhists find this festive holiday fun because, as I know more than anyone, you do not need to be religious to deck the halls.
We arrived at Tokyo Station around 5:00pm, just as it was getting dark. Tokyo did not seem any more crowded than normal, much to our pleasant surprise. Most Japanese do not have Christmas off, but even still the streets were lined with displays of lights. Nearby the station, the Imperial Park displayed electronic snowflake-filled trees, blue-light fountains, and a large painted lantern display. There was accompanying Zen-like music in the air. Crowds of Japanese and tourists alike throned the plaza to take videos and pictures and we were no exception.
Knowing our night would be busy, we pushed on to the Imperial Palace, hoping for an elaborate display. However, the Emporer did not appear to have adopted the Christmas traditions of the rest of the nation and we were disappointed by a barren, dark parade ground with a quiet palace behind.
Our next stop, Ginza, was quite the opposite. Japan's top shopping district, Ginza is normally full of bright lights, displays, and activities on any given evening. For Christmas, each block of each street was lit up with its own unique display. Most areas kept to the simple technique of lights in trees and windows, but main streets and expensive stores were very creative and imaginative. Some even had Santa Clause greet store patrons with "Merry Christmas" instead of the traditional "Irreshai Masei." In a few areas, "normal" gimicks of anime characters prevailed over the Christmas decor. Nonetheless, the holiday shopping spirit was evident everywhere.
As the stores in Ginza began to close (around 8:00 pm), we decided to catch the subway to Tokyo's prime night life area, Shibuya. We anticipated being shocked and awed as Shibuya is the "Main Street" of Japan's hippest youth. Despite cold weather and frigid breezes, most of the girls sported their shortest skirts or the current trend of knee-length shorts. I think I was the only female without spiked-heel boots. Cold as they may have been, the girls were definitely ornaments upon the light-filled streets of Shibuya.
We sat at the ever-crowded Shibuya Starbucks to watch the crowds and admire the decorations. As we left the main plaza, we noticed that the back streets of Shibuya did not have much in the way of Christmas decorations. Instead, they were filled with partying teenagers and the usual exotic desires. We did see preparations for a Christmas Concert held on one of the main roads, but it appeared that Chrismas Eve was not special in the corridors of Shibuya. This leads me to believe that, although Japan has adpoted some Christmas traditions, it remains a holiday more for foreigners than for the traditional Japanese. Many do give gifts to their children and loved ones, but the Japanese interest in Christmas appears to be of a commercial nature and celebrated within the public arena.
Tired and afraid of missing the last train home, we departed from Shibuya Station to Shinagawa via subway and then took the painfully long local train to Yokohama. We were tired from our fun-filled evening, but the Japanese locals had us beat and were fast asleep by the second train stop. They have uniquely adapted to sleeping on crowded trains, mainly because commutes re long and safety isn't an issue. It was a great night for us--full of beautiful sights and fun people. I would recommend Tokyo for the holidays to anyone. Have a safe and Happy New Year!