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Tokyo
CNN
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One of Sumire Sekino’s most memorable Christmases was spending the day touring some of Tokyo’s best date spots with her boyfriend.
The day she recalls started with the pair snapping at teamLab, an immersive and highly Instagrammable digital art installation. They then climbed Shibuya Sky, an observation deck 751 feet above the ground, for panoramic views of Japan’s capital.
“I was still nervous because we’d only been dating for a month, but it was my first time going to a place like this with him, so it was really fun,” says the university student.
Another student, Takao Akao, 19, said he and his girlfriend went to a Christmas market last year to check out some dazzling light displays, then sat down and ate stomach-warming hot chocolate afterwards.
“It was a great experience,” he recalls.
In Western culture, Christmas is a time when families gather around long tables, open richly wrapped presents, and socialize while sipping eggnog. Some people go to church.
But in Japan, this festival season has long taken on a different, rather romantic, side. It is widely regarded as another Valentine’s Day.
Couples go on a special date on Christmas Eve, checking out the festive decorations, dining at fancy restaurants, and staying at luxury hotels.
Love is in the air everywhere, from Tokyo, where downtown areas like Roppongi and Ginza are filled with couples holding hands on the glittering tree-lined streets, to Hokkaido, where a white Christmas awaits.
Men who want a little luxury will be offered a luxury hotel room with a spectacular view, if they haven’t already booked it firmly. It easily reaches $2,000 per night.
Young Japanese people tend to stay with their parents until they get married, so spending a night together outside the home is considered a special reward.
This year, The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo is offering a “romantic escape” that includes a fine dinner and credit for an ice skating experience on the outdoor rink. Grand Hyatt Tokyo, on the other hand, offers rooms with views of the Christmas tree lighting, promising a “romantic evening.”
Restaurants and shops also take this opportunity to release special dinner sets and offer discounts on gifts ranging from chocolates to jewelry.
“It’s all about mood and atmosphere,” Roy Starrs, associate professor of Japanese studies at the University of Otago in New Zealand, told CNN Travel.
“Young couples go out on dates together to admire the spectacular display of colorful lights at sunset, which is thought to be a very romantic atmosphere and encourage young love.”
The most practiced religion in Japan, which has a population of 124 million people, is Shinto, and Christians make up less than 1% of the population. Still, the people celebrate Christmas with great enthusiasm.
Stars said Christianity entered Japan in the mid-16th century, but was largely suppressed for another two and a half centuries during the Tokugawa era, which was characterized by strict social order and isolationist policies.
It wasn’t until after World War II that American culture began to penetrate Japan and brought Christmas along with it. However, this holiday is celebrated with a unique Japanese atmosphere.
“Most Japanese people do not consider Christmas to be a religious event of any kind, but it is filled with pop culture spectacles imported from the West: bright lights, Santa Claus dolls, Christmas markets, colorfully wrapped gifts (and) “We think Christmas cake is a beautiful combination,” says Starrs.
He added that Japan is a society that values aesthetic values highly, so it makes sense that such festive decorations, which often include plenty of snow, create the perfect recipe for a romantic white Christmas.
“Couples can exchange gifts, visit an exotic German-style Christmas market, or even end the night at an upscale French or Italian restaurant. And as it turns out, it might be the perfect atmosphere for a proposal.” No!” Stars says.
A romantic Christmas may be one of the best gifts a Japanese government desperate to encourage marriage and childbearing can hope for.
The birth rate fell to 1.20 last year, also the lowest on record and far below the 2.1 needed to maintain a stable population in the country.
For older generations in what was once the world’s second-largest economy, luxury was the norm, and the flashier the better. Apart from expensive hotels, men often opened bottles of champagne and rented limousines for the night to make a good impression.
However, after years of stagnation, Japan’s once envied economic power has lost its luster, falling to fourth place in the world at the beginning of this year. With the rising cost of living (made worse by the recent depreciation of the Japanese yen), young couples are finding creative ways to celebrate.
Shogo Inoue (23), a university student, says he wants to avoid hotels because of the rising prices.
“Western food gets expensive when everyone asks for Christmas dinner, so we usually choose a cheaper version of Japanese food,” he says.
Simply eating Christmas cake, having a private party at home and admiring the Christmas lights are becoming more popular choices among young people these days, according to a recent survey by marketing firm MERY.
Yuhi Hasegawa (19) visited Enoshima with his girlfriend last year and enjoyed the festival lights and beautiful scenery.
This small island is located an hour by train south of Tokyo and is known for its sandy beaches and relaxed lifestyle.
“We should cherish the time we spend with our partners. Instead of spending money on fancy restaurants and expensive cosmetics, we should stay at home and watch ‘First Love’ to find true love.” “It could be the perfect solution,” he says.
