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Yo ho ho!

By on November 29, 2008

Traditions are fuzzy in our adopted country whether it’s a holy day or merely a holiday, you’ll find yourself surrounded by Christmas cakes topped with strawberries and hopeful lovers walking awkwardly hand in hand. Even our man in red and white has a look alike in Japan known as Hotei-sama. A rather portly deity who used to carry his belongings in a sack and sported a beard, close enough to Santa to become a part of Japan’s Christmas tradition. Whether you’re celebrating with turkey, nouvelle cuisine, fugu or a bucket of the Colonel’s finest, the tradition varies but the spirit remains the same. So take a seat in the TF sleigh as we go on a flight of fancy around Tokyo’s festive offerings.

Be Illuminated  
The notion of less is more seems to have been forgotten and things just keep getting bigger. Waist lines, burgers and inevitably Christmas. Excess rules the day when it comes to Christmas illuminations. With the decision to spare Omotesando’s Zelkova trees from the trauma of being wrapped in lights, the capitol lost its Christmas focal point and it became open season for every other shopping hub to attract the Christmas crowds. A decade later, we are bathed (swamped!) in light. All our favourite shopping areas are now lit up to the hilt; thousands of blinking lights glowing in the winter night in an attempt to encourage us to buy, buy, buy. Consumption aside, the illuminations still light up most children’s eyes with festive glee and most displays are now using energy-saving LED lights. Needless to say, be prepared for big crowds wherever there is a warm glow.

Hot Spots
Artintelligent Roppongi Hills, the most stylish and contemporary of the city’s lighting displays. The dramatic sparkling illumination of blue and white lights down Keyakizaka street is a sparkling spectacle. Tokyo Midtown Christmas exudes style and decadence. A beautifully lit night time park, artfully created awaits (www.tokyo-midtown.com). LaQua Xmas is a starry world at Tokyo Dome, multi coloured lights drench the amusement park and everyone will love the lit up rides. At Marunouchi, the Marunouchui building and the Shin Marunouchi building around Tokyo station creates a New Yorkish flavour to this urban super grotto whilst at Akarenga down at Yokohama port, the ambiance is perfect with its waterfront location, complete with ice rink. What could be better? Close by, Queens Square, Landmark Tower and Cosmo Land all do their best to make Yokohama shine out.

Tree Trends
Current Christmas trends take us to a new level of tree decoration. Designer stores would have us forgo the paper chains of old and the garish coloured baubles for feather covered spheres and co-ordinating shiny orbs. But think twice about a new look; there is nothing more Christmasy than getting out the old box of decorations from under the bed. The tree might be looking a little worse for wear and in need of a little sprucing but that’s what the kids are there for. If it’s time for a new one, fashion now gives us a range of colours and shapes but why not stick to the Victorian green, a timeless classic. Real trees used to be prohibitively expensive but are now more readily available from the bigger florists and gardening centres. For something brighter, naturally more colourful and more space conscious; grab a Poinsettia or two. Check your local gardening centre for the best value and be adventurous.

Shopping Shortcuts
To ease the pain out of inevitable shopping dilemma, the area of Asakusabashi is where the Santa’s helpers go shopping for decorations. A wholesale area where every bauble, and light imaginable is available for an elfish sized price (Asakusabashi station, Sobu line). Tokyu Hands with its numerous central locations is an obvious choice and has everything you’ll need to welcome Santa, with gifts galore for all the family, and decorations and trees to make a festive scene (www.tokyu-hands.co.jp). Ikea, that well known flat packer has a great Christmas vibe. Apart from the selection of practical, and colourful interior goods, the small Swedish food and drink section holds some real treasures. Pick up a case of Glogg, the traditional Swedish winter drink; a mix of red wine and spices and let the Christmas spirit flow (www.ikea.co.jp). The Conran store direct from England epitomises the English Christmas and has the perfect balance of taste and style when it comes to decorations and presents at the Marunouchi building and Ozone, Shinjuku (www.conran.ne.jp). Harajuku’s Kiddyland, Toys R Us and Ginza’s own 8 storied Hakuhinkan toy park (www.hakuhinkan.co.jp) have the largest selection of this years ‘must haves’ for children of all ages whilst Akihabara’s humungous Yodobashi camera (www.yodobashi.com) has one of the largest stocks of computer games and all things electronic on its giant football pitch sized floors.

Feast on this!
If you want the family to gorge themselves silly, all the ingredients for a Christmas feast are available at Hanamasa. Quality food and drink in catering quantities at prices that will put a smile on Santa’s face. Conveniently situated at Shimbashi with other branches around Tokyo (www.hanamasa.co.jp). If you’re after big trees, big decorations and big quantities of Christmas fare. Look no further than Costco. For those that don’t know the joys, membership makes a great present (www.costco.co.jp). The recently opened Eataly in Daikayama is packed with special treats from Italy and the perfect bread for a Buon Natale (www.eataly.co.jp). When your hands are full, the Flying Pig allows you to multi task, just jump on the net and order from Costco’s stock and the next day it’ll be on the doorstep. Likewise Foreign Buyers Club offers a huge range of seasonal favourties. All goods are once again delivered to your door using their own magic sleigh.

The Great Getaway
If the urge is to escape Tokyo but stay close to the festive spirit, whisk the family to Huis Ten Bosch, the magical Dutch resort in Kyushu which transforms itself into a winter wonderland. The special Christmas edition of their ‘City of Lights’ lasts until Jan 6th (http://english.huistenbosch.co.jp). The Kobe Luminarie (12/4-12/15 6pm-10pm) attracts millions of onlookers strolling through the hundreds of thousands of lights and is simply stunning. Closer to home but worthy of the journey is the Sendai pageant of light. (12/12- 12/31 5.30pm-11pm). It’s a big production number that will have the family wowing as they walk down the lit avenue. For something different, Hawaiians Spa resort lets you escape the winter and celebrate Christmas to the sounds of Hula in this aquatic wonderland. Change into your costume (the other one) and leave the beard at home. (www.hawaiians.co.jp)

Out with the old, in with the new.
Make the most of all the festive fever! At the stroke of midnight on the 25th, the window dressers scurry out to play and before you can say “meri kurisumasu,” Christmas has gone for another year and we have to prepare for another adventure in Japan: Shogatsu! That’s another story…

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