Fried Chicken for Christmas, because why not?
Image from https://www.insidejapantours.com/blog/2019/12/17/the-guide-to-christmas-in-japan/
Hello everyone! How is the recess week so far? Managed to catch up onto any missing anime, music shows,etc ... or school work OTL?
Today I will be on to the topic of (weird) culture of Japan, but before that let me get started on food first.
When we mention food in Japan, we think of delicacies like sushi, ramen, etc, which makes us wonder; If the Japanese have such good food on normal days, what do they have for... special occasions like Christmas? It is more peculiar when it comes to Christmas given that fewer than 1% of their population believes in Christianity and that Christmas in itself is not a public holiday.
If you are thinking of festive food that costs the equivalent of three meals in Singapore, you are sorely mistaken. According to web reports, KFC becomes one of the hottest place to get food from for Christmas in Japan. People would actually go the distance to queue for hours at the storefront and book meals months before (Booking meals early is heard of in Singapore, but for KFC?)!
But why the obsession?
According to smithsonianmag.com, it all started with a very successful (Kentucky for Christmas!) marketing campaign in 1974, where a group of foreigners went for fried chicken when they couldn't find turkey in Japan. (I heard that turkey is as rare as trying to find cinnamon sugar in Singapore). That same year at the World Exposition in Osaka,American fast-food chains received great results for their market testing here which subsequently lead to the KFC craze in Japan (along with other western fast-food chains).
Which sets me thinking, wouldn't life be that much easier if we order KFC for Christmas instead of log cakes, turkey, etc?
I guess with that much business during Christmas, even he can go hohoho! Image from smithsonianmag.com
Sources :http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/picturegalleries/10275737/Weird-things-about-Japan.html?frame=2657243
http://www.toptenz.net/10-strange-things-japan-baffle-foreigners.php
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/why-japan-is-obsessed-with-kentucky-fried-chicken-on-christmas-1-161666960/?no-ist
Written by Kai Yeat
Edited by Jessel