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bshabu
Joined: 03 Apr 2003
Posts: 200
Location: Kumagaya
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 Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 6:55 am Post subject: |
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I will be cooking for my Japanese friends on the 23rd. Turkey and the works. I had them over a few weeks ago for some cooking lessons and it was a big hit. So this time we will try our hand at a turkey dinner.
As far as, spending Christmas away from home, I went back the past two years. Before that I didn't spend Christmas back home for about 8 years. Doesn't bother me since I am always with friends. I sometimes I get to spend New Years with my adoptive Japanese family. Thats has a Christmas feel to it. |
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Hoser
Joined: 19 Mar 2005
Posts: 694
Location: Toronto, Canada
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| Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 2:50 pm Post subject: |
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| 6810 wrote: |
Christmas in Japan - hey, pretty lights, pretty girls, Kohaku retrospectives and no one w.anking on about Jesus etc. Quite refreshing really. |
Funny you mention it, I've hardly been to church since I went away to university but the Christmas carols I long for the most are the religious ones. The First Noel, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Joy to the World, etc, etc etc
I don't think you neccesarily need to be Christian to enjoy those songs or the spirit of Christmas.
And going off on a completely different tangent, you'll see the word "Christmas" a hell of a lot more over here in this heathen country than you will back home. I find it refreshing  |
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JimDunlop2
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Posts: 2286
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Hoser wrote: |
And going off on a completely different tangent, you'll see the word "Christmas" a hell of a lot more over here in this heathen country than you will back home. I find it refreshing |
Prob'ly cause they can't figure out how to pronounce "Xmas" let alone convert it to katakana...  |
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furiousmilksheikali
Joined: 31 Jul 2006
Posts: 1660
Location: In a coffee shop, splitting a 30,000 yen tab with Sekiguchi.
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| Posted: Thu Dec 07, 2006 5:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Bah! Humbug! |
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Antonimus Prime
Joined: 02 Sep 2006
Posts: 18
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| Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 3:07 am Post subject: |
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Its my second x-mas here. I was planning on going back, but too many loose ends to do so. I just sent presents to everyone in my family. Ironically the shipping was more expensive then my 100 yen gifts 
Trees decorated and Shinjuku during x-mas makes me feel better. I think the OP doesn't have a special someone to spend it with which will make anyone feel depressed. Hang in there! |
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Sweetsee
Joined: 11 Jun 2004
Posts: 2302
Location: ) is everything
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| Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 4:16 am Post subject: |
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Is anyone planning to, or has anyone ever attended a Christmas Eve service at any of the churches here? I have always been meaning to get to one but so far it has never happened, maybe this year, maybe I will be able to meet some interesting people.
Enjoy,
s |
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Apsara
Joined: 20 Sep 2005
Posts: 2142
Location: Tokyo, Japan
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| Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 7:42 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| no one w.anking on about Jesus etc. Quite refreshing really. |
In English perhaps. If you go to Shibuya any time from about now to New Year, there is a group of Japanese Christians who take it in turns to stake out every corner of Shibuya Crossing with signs and loudspeakers- they keep it up non-stop the whole time, no matter what the weather.
This year I will be crossing from India to Nepal on Christmas Day. Leaving next week- can't wait. I can remember my first Christmas in Japan, which was also my first white Christmas. It felt very weird, since I'm used to a sunny, warmish Kiwi Christmas at the beach. Because it's so cold here it doesn't feel like Christmas to me anyway, which might be why I don't feel like I'm missing out so much. |
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Yawarakaijin
Joined: 20 Jan 2006
Posts: 504
Location: Middle of Nagano
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| Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 8:43 am Post subject: |
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It's hard being here for Japan and not being able to experience all those feelings you remember growing up back home but this is what I've found. It's not really where you are that is important but trying to recreate the feelings you experienced you had from home. Its my 4th time away from Canada and here is how I handle it.
The thing I remember the most from back home was having the tree decorated and staying up late to watch all those old Christmas movies. So I make absolutely sure I have myself a little tree and tons of DVD's from home.
Another thing my family was big on, was the spirit of giving. Try making up some meals/selections of useful items and hand them out to to the less fortunate. Actually pretty easy to do if you live in Tokyo. It's actually an amazing experience. I've done this with my gf for 2 Christmas' and have a feeling it will become my new Christmas tradition. |
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Hoser
Joined: 19 Mar 2005
Posts: 694
Location: Toronto, Canada
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| Posted: Fri Dec 08, 2006 1:26 pm Post subject: |
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| Antonimus Prime wrote: |
| I think the OP doesn't have a special someone to spend it with which will make anyone feel depressed. Hang in there! |
Worse! I'll be with my girlfriend! lol That's good of course but she's Japanese so we don't really share the same traditions. |
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Antonimus Prime
Joined: 02 Sep 2006
Posts: 18
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| Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 4:21 am Post subject: |
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| Hoser wrote: |
| Antonimus Prime wrote: |
| I think the OP doesn't have a special someone to spend it with which will make anyone feel depressed. Hang in there! |
Worse! I'll be with my girlfriend! lol That's good of course but she's Japanese so we don't really share the same traditions. |
No way Hoser, Christmas in Japan is super romantic date day, I am sure you know that. Confess your deep emtions without being emotional, just watch Love Hina Christmas special. Always look on the bright side. hope you can pull it off seeing as Christmas is on a Monday! |
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Eva Pilot
Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 351
Location: Far West of the Far East
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| Posted: Sat Dec 09, 2006 10:23 am Post subject: |
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If I have nothing special to do on Christmas eve I am going to buy a couple of cheap beers, strategically place them littered around me as I lay down in the gutter with a newspaper over me, and get someone to take a photo.
One for the album...My Christmas 2006. |
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Hoser
Joined: 19 Mar 2005
Posts: 694
Location: Toronto, Canada
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 2:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Antonimus Prime wrote: |
| Hoser wrote: |
| Antonimus Prime wrote: |
| I think the OP doesn't have a special someone to spend it with which will make anyone feel depressed. Hang in there! |
Worse! I'll be with my girlfriend! lol That's good of course but she's Japanese so we don't really share the same traditions. |
No way Hoser, Christmas in Japan is super romantic date day, I am sure you know that. Confess your deep emtions without being emotional, just watch Love Hina Christmas special. Always look on the bright side. hope you can pull it off seeing as Christmas is on a Monday! |
Yes I really prefer the North American Christmas. It is (well in my family at least) a time to just stay at home and relax. We'd only go out to go to midnight mass or maybe visit family. Maybe I'm just feeling nostalgic for my childhood days. Maybe that's the problem. |
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wintersweet
Joined: 18 Jan 2005
Posts: 345
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
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| Posted: Sun Dec 10, 2006 7:32 pm Post subject: |
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I'm already used to Christmas not feeling like Christmas, because in the SF Bay Area it's just cool and rainy, and the hills are beginning to become green, which is very different from the middle/southern parts of the US, where I was raised.
One good thing is that people decorate their houses well out here. When I was in Japan, I didn't see or expect to see any decorated houses, but I enjoyed the lights at the shopping arcades and such. But to my surprise, today's issue of the Kimono Flea Market Ichiroya's newsletter said that the (Japanese) writer has noticed a strong increase in the number of "Christmas gardens," or houses decorated for Christmas, over the last few years. In fact, he said five years ago he didn't even know that term. Anyway, he included this link to some "Christmas garden" photos:
http://www.nakajo.co.jp/obo/garden2005.htm
P. S. I recommend their newsletter, which you can sign up for here: http://www.ichiroya.com/
It's written by the Ichiroya staff, who use imperfect but charming and expressive English to reflect on kimono-related topics and various cultural notes--whatever strikes their fancy. Click on "Join Our Mailing List" up at the top. |
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maya.the.bee
Joined: 23 Sep 2005
Posts: 118
Location: Stgo
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 6:46 am Post subject: |
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I'm definitely feeling the spirit this year. It's hard to avoid when it starts so early (Kyoto eki put up a huge tree the first weekend in Nov!!!).
so this Christmas...
Christmas Eve mass - as mentioned before the music is great
potluck w/ friends on the 25th
and karaoke ? not sure about this but the friends want to go
in the mean time, I'm searching the video store for A Christmas Story, It's a Wonderful Life, and any other goodies...
**I found the leg lamp from A Christmas Story. 9200 yen. The shade can be red or blue.** |
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gaijinalways
Joined: 29 Nov 2005
Posts: 2279
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| Posted: Thu Dec 14, 2006 3:51 pm Post subject: |
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My wife and I have seen two Christmas concerts this year by the British Embassy Choir. Brought back memories, enjoyed both concerts  . I liked the religious songs as well as the string orchestra that played at the first concert. |
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