Japan's Christmas Chicken Tradition: How Did It Begin?

In Japan, where Christmas is a secular holiday, it is customary to eat chicken, specifically KFC, on Christmas. This tradition is said to have originated in the 1970s, when KFC launched its Kentucky for Christmas marketing campaign, targeting those who did not have established family Christmas traditions. KFC's party barrel or party bucket soon became synonymous with Christmas in Japan, with families gathering to share a bucket of fried chicken.

KFC's Kentucky for Christmas marketing campaign

In Japan, Christmas is not a national holiday, and only about 1% of the population is Christian. However, Christmas is a commercialized affair in the country, with money spent on decorations, dinners, and gifts. KFC has arguably become the biggest contributor to the Christmas celebration in Japan, thanks to its advertising campaign.

KFC's "Kentucky for Christmas" marketing campaign in 1974 is credited for making the fast-food chain a Christmas staple in the country. The campaign's catchphrase, "Christmas=Kentucky," paired with numerous commercials on TV, caught on with the Japanese public. The company's advertisements featured pop cultural figures enjoying fried chicken, with the song ""My Old Kentucky Home" playing in the background. The commercials resonated with local viewers and helped to create a new Christmas tradition in Japan.

The success of KFC's campaign can also be attributed to the lack of established family Christmas traditions in Japan during the 1970s. KFC filled this void by offering a convenient and delicious alternative to traditional Christmas meals. The bone-in, highly seasoned American version of fried chicken struck the perfect balance of new and familiar flavors for the Japanese market.

The campaign was so successful that KFC Japan typically experiences its busiest day on December 24, selling about five to ten times more than usual. The popularity of KFC's Christmas campaign has even led to the creation of similar campaigns by other convenience store chains, all offering their versions of a fried chicken Christmas dinner.

In conclusion, KFC's "Kentucky for Christmas" marketing campaign has had a significant impact on Christmas celebrations in Japan. Through clever advertising, tapping into local tastes, and filling a gap in the market, KFC has become synonymous with Christmas in Japan, contributing to a unique and commercialized take on the holiday.

Takeshi Okawara, manager of the first KFC in Japan

The tradition of eating KFC at Christmas in Japan can be traced back to one man: Takeshi Okawara, the manager of the country's first KFC outlet. Okawara played a pivotal role in launching KFC in Japan in the early 1970s, specifically in 1970, in Nagoya.

Okawara faced initial challenges driving sales due to the unfamiliarity of the brand among Japanese consumers. He even slept in the store due to financial difficulties. However, his fortunes changed when he allegedly lied to the media, claiming that fried chicken was a traditional Western Christmas food. Okawara himself admitted to this lie, stating that he knew people in Western countries ate turkey for Christmas, but he claimed otherwise to boost sales.

According to another story, a foreigner asked KFC to deliver fried chicken while dressed as Santa Claus for Christmas. Okawara then attended a Christmas party in a Santa Claus costume, and when the children loved it, he saw a business opportunity. He began marketing Colonel Sanders as a pseudo-Santa Claus figure, even dressing up the Colonel Sanders statues outside KFC stores.

Okawara's decision to link KFC with Christmas transformed the chain's fortunes, taking it from near failure to massive success. KFC's Christmas marketing campaign went national in 1974 with the slogan "Kentucky is Christmas!" This campaign cemented the connection between fried chicken and Christmas in Japan, a country with few established Christmas traditions due to its predominantly non-Christian population.

Today, KFC Japan's busiest day is usually December 24, with sales five to ten times higher than usual. Okawara's alleged lie has created a phenomenon where people wait in line for hours and reserve buckets of chicken weeks in advance to continue the unique Christmas tradition he helped create.

Lack of ovens and fridge space in Japanese homes

The popularity of fried chicken in Japan during Christmas can be attributed to several factors, including the lack of ovens and fridge space in Japanese homes. This has made it challenging for families to prepare and store traditional Christmas dishes, such as roasted turkey.

In Japanese homes, it is not uncommon to find a lack of ovens. This could be due to various reasons, such as space constraints or the preference for other cooking appliances like rice cookers and stovetops. As a result, preparing a traditional roasted turkey or ham for Christmas dinner can be difficult.

Additionally, fridge space is often limited in Japanese households. This means that storing a large bird, like a turkey, can be challenging. The lack of fridge space also affects the ability to keep leftovers, which may be more common with a larger roasted bird.

To overcome these challenges, Japanese families may opt for fried chicken, which can be easily prepared without an oven and takes up less fridge space. It is a more convenient option that still allows families to enjoy a special meal together during the holiday season.

Furthermore, the popularity of fried chicken during Christmas in Japan can also be attributed to successful marketing campaigns by companies like KFC. KFC's Kentucky for Christmas campaign in the 1970s promoted fried chicken as a festive alternative to roasted turkey, and it quickly became a nationwide tradition.

In conclusion, the lack of ovens and fridge space in Japanese homes has likely contributed to the popularity of fried chicken during Christmas. This, coupled with effective marketing campaigns, has made fried chicken a go-to choice for many Japanese families celebrating the holiday season.

Japan's post-WWII economic boom

Japan's economy was in ruins following the end of World War II. By 1946, the country was on the verge of a nationwide famine, which was only averted by American food shipments. The virtual destruction of the Japanese standard of living, coupled with the military threat of the Soviet Union, compelled the US to support a wide-reaching economic recovery.

Japan's post-war economic miracle was propelled by the Korean War. The outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 created a huge demand for Japanese goods and set off an investment drive that laid the foundations for a long period of extraordinary economic activity. The Japanese government contributed to the post-war economic miracle by stimulating private sector growth, first by instituting regulations and protectionism that effectively managed economic crises, and later by concentrating on trade expansion. The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), established in 1949, played a crucial role in Japan's post-war economic recovery. MITI's policies formalized cooperation between the Japanese government and the private industry, and its impact was such that it doubled steel production.

One of the major economic reforms was the adoption of the "Inclined Production Mode", which focused on the production of raw materials, including steel and coal. Textile production occupied more than 23.9% of the total industrial production before the economic miracle. To further stimulate growth, the Japanese government encouraged women to enter the labor market. During the economic boom, Japan rapidly became the world's third-largest economy, after the US and the Soviet Union. By the 1970s, Japan was no longer expanding as quickly as it had in previous decades, but per-worker productivity remained high.

Japan's post-war economic miracle was characterized by a high level and rapid growth of capital investment, especially in the 1960s and 1970s. A boom in equipment investment provided the iron-and-steel and machine-building industries with a rapidly growing home market, allowing for a spectacular increase in productive capacity and scale of operations. This resulted in a rapid replacement of old machinery, improving productivity throughout the economy and enabling the growth of manufacturing industries. The extensive use of technological innovations and the implementation of superior production systems gave Japanese manufacturing sectors a formidable advantage over their rivals, and as a result, the country's exports soared.

Christmas as a secular holiday in Japan

Christmas in Japan is a secular holiday, with less than 1% of the population identifying as Christian. Christmas traditions in Japan have been adopted from Western countries, and the holiday has come in and out of favour over the centuries since it was first introduced in 1549. Christmas is not a national holiday in Japan and is instead considered a social event, with friends and significant others exchanging gifts, and New Year's Eve being the time for family gatherings.

The introduction of Father Christmas to Japan's holiday customs has been smooth, as his appearance is similar to the serene, pot-bellied god Hotei, one of Japan's seven lucky gods, who carries a large bag that is sometimes filled with gifts. While most homes do not have a Christmas tree, families and couples in metropolitan areas usually have access to Christmas illuminations, which are extravagant lighting displays that are a communal way to enjoy the spirit of Christmas.

In Japan, Christmas is associated with fried chicken, particularly from KFC. This tradition began in 1970 when Takeshi Okawara, the manager of the first KFC in Japan, heard foreigners talk about how they missed eating turkey for Christmas. Okawara then marketed fried chicken as a traditional American Christmas food and launched the Kentucky for Christmas campaign in 1974. KFC commercials showcase happy families enjoying a feast of fried chicken, and many Japanese people consider it customary to eat chicken at Christmas. The popularity of fried chicken at Christmas may also be due to the fact that many Japanese homes do not have ovens or fridge space to store a fully roasted turkey.

In addition to fried chicken, other popular Christmas foods in Japan include cake, potato wedges, and chocolate. The official dessert is strawberry shortcake, as the red and white colours of strawberries and whipped cream match the official colours of Christmas.

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