Hello all...
We are now on the recuperation side of our fifth Christmas spent in Japan. And for those of you who did not know us way back when, during our previous sojurns to Japan, allow me to describe the delights--and periodic doofiness--of this season. At least, as I have experienced them...
So yes, Christmas is celebrated in Japan. By and large it is a secular holiday--a time to enjoy the lavishly decorated department stores. A time to take advantage of massive sales. A time to go out and party with friends. A time for kids to rip open presents.
Of course, there are people here--both foreign and Japanese--who do celebrate Christmas as a religious and spiritual holiday. But if I had to guess, I'd say that the average Japanese person probably has a vague idea, at best, of this side of the holiday. Similarly with the other December holidays--notably Hanukkah and Kwanzaa--these are most likely celebrated privately by individuals and families. And since Japan is largely a Buddhist and Shinto country, I find this understandable.
Artificial trees are sold here, but seldom live ones, unless you buy one that is growing in a pot. Affordable artificial trees are about 2 feet tall. Unaffordable trees are any trees taller than 2 feet in height. This year I decided that stacking gifts around an 18 inch tall tree might be a bit silly, so I made a tree. Yes, you heard me right. I stuck a 3 1/2 foot swiffer sweeper pole into a cardboard box that I used as a base. I taped the pole in tightly, then strung plastic twine from the tip of the pole to the box corners, sort of creating a tent. Then I bought plastic pine garland tinsel and wound it around the twine tightly. Added lights (very pricey those little lights). Swathed the ugly box in a tablecloth. Voila. Tree.
Now, the "traditional" holiday dinner for this season is Kentucky Fried Chicken. Please don't ask me why....I recall reading something about KFC coming up with a clever December marketing campaign quite a few years ago, and forevermore fried KFC chicken became the Christmas din-din of choice.
After the KFC comes the Christmas Cake. These are round cakes, usually sponge cake, decorated with whipped cream frosting (snow) and topped with extremely lovely and expensive strawberries. We've had our share of Christmas Cakes over the years, but this year we weren't into sponge cake. Instead, on Christmas Eve, Bob wandered down our street and stumbled across a little Austrian Bakery. Bob and I began speaking with the proprietress when she suddenly began speaking to us in very, very good English. Totally threw us for a loop. For a few seconds I couldn't remember what language I was supposed to speak (I'm easily startled in situations like this). However, she agreed to make us a lovely little chocolate cake--fresh. Just before we sat down to Christmas Eve dinner, Bob went down to pick up the cake. It was small. It was a bit pricey.
Once we finished slurping our way through a massive Nabe stew I had made in honor of Xmas eve, we each had a tiny slice.
It was UNBELIEVABLE. Thick. Dense. Chocolate. Rich. Smooth. As close to cheesecake as one can get without actually eating cheesecake. Aaaaaaaa......
The next day, Christmas morning, dawned clear and cold--and much to Aya's utter dismay, utterly snowless. This did not, however, hamper her ability to open gifts. This year's big gifts included a nefarious plot to turn us into "The Partridge Family". Aya received a digital piano (piano lessons, here we come!). Patrick received an electric guitar (with appropriate gizmos so that he can listen to his licks through his ipod. An amp? In a Japanese house in which I can stand outside and hear Bob sneeze?! No No no...) And I received a ukelele. (Oh stop snickering. Ukeleles are handy things for kindergarten teachers to have. They're tiny, portable and I feel will add a certain something to the acapella warblings that my poor students have to endure).
As for Bob, in his position as our road manager (aka "Mr. Kinkade"), he got an apple TV. Presumably to use to watch all our performances as we go on the road for our world tour.
For our actual Christmas dinner, the Moorehead family decided to forego KFC , and instead ventured out into the icy winds on Christmas Eve to a lovely katsu restaurant in the venerable and historic shopping arcade called "Teramachi". While the restaurant's signature dish was tonkatsu (breaded and fried pork cutlet), they serve all manner of crispy fried goodies, accompanied by all you can eat rice, miso, cabbage salad and pickles.
Much better than KFC if you ask me.
Once we were all bulbous from our lovely katsu dinner, we waddled through the shopping arcade to a teeny little shop Bob had discovered tucked away between two larger stores. This teeny shop sells freshly made churros and unbelievably thick and rich hot chocolate. In Spain (and I believe Mexico) this pairing is called "churros con chocolate". You take the piping hot churro and dunk it into the steaming, thick hot chocolate and chow down.
Needless to say, we became more bulbous.
And this is where I leave you. Imagining us all, bulbous from various delicious edibles, plucking away on pianos, guitars and ukeleles, gathering our wits and blankets around us in preparation for 2012.
To all our friends and family, we missed you mightily and hope that December is filled with love, laughter and plenty of goodies!
Until next time.
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