Have you ever wondered what would happen if you completed removed all religious connotations or context from Christmas?  Then you should come to Japan.

Even the most bustling cities in the West, including Manhattan, come to a standstill (or at least a slow crawl) for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  I fondly remember the days of walking into Nobu Next Door without a reservation on Christmas Eve and being directly seated without even a snippet of attitude. 

Having encountered Shibuya (shopping and outing epicenter of Tokyo) on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, it was the completely different experience — the Commercial Christmas.  A great excuse to buy special foods, go out on dates or with friends, shop for that last minute presents, etc.  And everyone gets in on the game.  Cakes for Christmas, champagne for Christmas, special bagels for Christmas, and even special KFC for Christmas (interesting post about that here.) 

So if you are not going to be with the family drinking eggnog and singing carols, next time I’d recommend jumping on a plane and enjoy a decadent holiday of a different kind in Tokyo.