it's not life that matters but the journey...

Not to be a scrooge, but have people totally lost the meaning of Christmas?  please look at this article and decide for yourself if paying someone ( and not your son or grandson, but a major contracting company) $1500 to put up your Christmas decorations is in the "spirit" of the holiday.  I mean I know people want to be safe, but is this going too far? : http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051204/ap_on_re_us/holiday_decorations

One thing that has surprised me this year is seeing so many Christmas decorations in front of people's homes here in Japan.  I never saw that 6 years ago when I lived here.  Of course I did see the giant inflated Santa Clauses in front of the stores, and they did have Christmas trees and lights in front of businesses, as they do now.   And of course I taught the high school kids all about Christmas traditions and origins.  But I'm sure that the whole holiday has become a much bigger deal in Japan in the last 5-10 years.  When I was shopping the other day, there was nothing but Christmas music playing in the stores, and even TV ads have Christmas songs.  One store even had a whole floor devoted just to Christmas trees and decorations - it was amazing!  And just in my neighborhood alone, I've seen about 4 houses all decked out in a way that would make Americans proud!  One house just down the street reminds me of the ridiculous display that is across from my parents' house in Port Angeles, WA - they had every inch of their yard, and the adjoining yard, covered with plastic santas, reindeer, and of course the whole "manger scene."  In my opinion, there's something wrong with mixing Santa Claus with the scene of Mary and the baby Jesus; therefore, I called it "the kingdom of kitsch."  But anyone who has been to Japan would know that "kitsch" is alive and well in this country, what with all of their "Hello Kitty" goods and other "kawaii" (cute) things - basically most of Japanese pop culture these days, even if its borrowed from Western culture, is very ridiculous (kitsch)!  It saddens me really that so much of the traditional Japanese customs might be lost with the next generation who prefer to adopt western values and ways that, in my opinion, clash with the old ways of this country and make Japan lose so much of its beauty.

and that brings me back to the meaning of Christmas . . . does it really have any meaning for most Japanese people, or is it just another chance to put up gaudy decorations and spend money? (how different is that from what its become in the U.S.? of course don't get me started on the whole "commercialization" of Christmas in the U.S. too - how many true Christians were out there the day after Thanksgiving trampling people for the cheapest TV or electric razor? )   The majority of people here are not religious at all, and if they do "practice" any religion, its Buddhism or Shintoism.   But even then, in Japan most people go to the temples and shrines just for New Year's Day or Obon (in the summertime), or for a funeral ceremony; and when they go to pray and burn incense on a special day (like NY Day), they are still just  "going through the motions."  I'm not sure most of them would call themselves Buddhist or Shinto.   I think that almost all Japanese know that Christmas is a Christian holiday, but here they have only adopted the commercial aspects of the holiday - they don't know the true meaning of Christmas.  I mean really,  if Jesus or Buddha were alive today, would they be putting up Christmas trees and singing "Jingle Bells" while exchanging the lastest Sega game or Madonna Cd?

Before I get too cynical, I'll guess that the reason Christmas is so popular here is the same reason that explains most of Japanese culture these days:  the younger generation of Japanese people are obsessed with Western culture, especially what comes from America.  that's why we see so much English everywhere, and that's why they "celebrate" Valentine's Day and Christmas.  Masahiko reckons that the reason we see more homes decorated, and more Christmas stuff in the stores, is that the people who were kids when Christmas first started getting introduced to this country (perhaps 10-15 years ago) are now grown and have their own kids (and are managing or owning businesses), so they want to put up trees and tell their kids that Santa is bringing gifts.  The older kids and ones in their 20's see Christmas as a "romantic" holiday, along the same vein as Valentine's Day:  young girls make Christmas cakes and share with their boyfriends, and young people exchange gifts with each other at "home parties" (Japanese English for a party at your home - as opposed to a party somewhere else I guess).  And everyone enjoys shopping and seeing pretty lights - I read that a place near the waterfront in Kobe had about 400,000 lights put up for the holiday season.  When  Japanese people do something, they really go all out . . .

Its actually quite entertaining and amusing to watch the Japanese "buy up" Christmas so eagerly, and with so much creativity.  the Japanese are so good at taking things from other cultures and making it their own, so that in time, I predict that Christmas in Japan will have its own look and its own merchandise (anyone for santa-shaped sushi?)