Arab News Japan
TOKYO: The Christmas season seems to arrive earlier every year in Japan. A decade ago, city streets typically began to sparkle with lights and decorations in late November. Now, as soon as Halloween ends, dazzling Christmas displays take over urban landscapes.
In Tokyo, major districts are already glowing with festive illuminations. In Minato Ward’s Roppongi area, the rows of zelkova trees along Keyakizaka Street shimmer in white and blue lights, attracting couples and tourists who stop to take photos of the romantic scenery.
This swift transition from Halloween to Christmas has become a seasonal hallmark of Japanese winter. Department stores, cafés, and shopping malls quickly replace pumpkin decorations with Christmas wreaths, and holiday music fills the air well before December arrives.
Event organizers say that starting illuminations early helps extend the “Christmas shopping season,” drawing more visitors and shoppers. For many in Japan, Christmas is less about religion and more about celebrating a romantic and glamorous time of year – a chance to enjoy the warmth and brightness of winter.
While some people feel it’s “a bit too early,” others welcome the festive lights as a cheerful sign that the year is coming to an end.
AloJapan.com