Christmas Eve in Japan

Christmas goes down on Christmas Eve in Nippon. Of course there are presents; some people have Christmas trees, but Christmas cake and chicken seem to figure prominently in most peoples' plans. Your typical Christmas cake is layered, frosted with whipped cream and decorated with fruit, but chocolate versions are also available. Supermarkets sell a lot of roast chicken, but KFC and MosBurger are also eager to prepare your holiday meal for you. One of my enduring holiday memories is watching a housewife bicycle home from her holiday shopping with one kid behind her,another one strapped into a seat in front of the handlebars, and a Xmas cake and a bag of groceries balanced her lap.

On Christmas morning the decorations come down and the serious business of preparing for the New Year's Holiday begins.