You Got Learned

Christmas was introduced into Japan in the 1950s during American’s post-war occupation. While Christianity didn’t catch on, Christmas became exceedingly popular and is still celebrated to this day in the country. With only a small percentage practicing Christianity Japanese people celebrate Christmas in a different way. Today in Japan gifts are exchanged between loved ones like in the East but the most common gift exchanged is cake. Not fruit cake (lucky) but light sponge cake. These cakes are marketed toward boyfriends and husbands in the same why diamonds are marketed to guys in the East to flatter their loved one. These cakes are greatly over marketed and prices are cut after the 25th. “This practice lead to the will-know, but very out-of-date joke that single women over 25 are “Christmas Cakes” – few men are interested once they pass the 25.” (Kemps)

Kemps, Heidi (2008, December) “J-life Save The Date” Anime Insider P. 86