In the West, people usually celebrate Christmas by sitting down at a family dinner with roasted turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, cakes, and eggnog. But in Japan, the Yuletide season is a whole lot different! Japanese Christmas is usually a holiday for couples, and when families do have time to get together, their special meal is usually made up of KFC chicken!
Let's jump right in!
- How Many People Get KFC in Japan on Christmas?
- How Did KFC Become Part of Japanese Christmas?
- Kentucky for Christmas
- The Power of Japanese Christmas Traditions
- What Makes Up KFC Christmas Dinner?
Is Japan really obsessed with KFC? How in the world did fried chicken from a fast-food chain like KFC become one of the most iconic Japanese Christmas traditions? Grab your plate because we’re going on a culinary expedition to learn more about KFC during Japanese Christmas.
How Many People Get KFC in Japan on Christmas?
Well, the reality is, 3.5 million Japanese families order KFC for their Christmas dinner. Not only do Japanese customers have to line up on the block to get their KFC fried chicken for Christmas, but some even go as far as preordering their orders as early as October!
If that isn't tradition, then we don't know what is. Japanese people simply can't have Christmas without their KFC meal! Of course, over the years, the tradition has also expanded. At first, KFC Christmas dinner only involved fried chicken buckets. Today, there are big KFC Christmas family packages with chicken, fried shrimp, drinks, and even Christmas cake (the holiday isn't complete without a few Japanese sweets).
Looking for tasty Japanese candy and snacks to add to your own Christmas dinner? Check out Japan Candy Box! We've got the best Japanese Christmas candy.
How Did KFC Become Part of Japanese Christmas?
To better understand Japan's strange obsession with KFC for the holidays, we have to take a trip back in time to the 1950s. After the struggles that Japan had to go through during World War II, the country's economy started climbing back up, and people started having cash to spend.
Because the US was a cultural powerhouse, Japanese people suddenly found themselves interested in everything from America. From Western fashion, gadgets, and even food. A lot of foreign food franchises started popping up in Japan, like Mister Donut, Baskin-Robbins, and of course. KFC!
KFC first opened in Nagoya in 1970 and was a huge success! The chicken franchise was such a hit that by 1981, there were more than 324 KFC branches all over Japan. KFC was one of the biggest franchises to ever come to Japan!
Kentucky for Christmas
Here's where the tradition first really began. According to a KFC Japan spokesperson, KFC Christmas in Japan began in the very first KFC shop in Nagoya. The manager of the branch heard foreigners lamenting about how they didn't have Turkey for Christmas and then thought, well, why not fried chicken instead?
The KFC manager came up with the idea to have a "party barrel" for the holidays for customers. In 1974, he started the "Kentucky for Christmas" or "Kurisumasu ni wa Kentikki" campaign, saying that families should eat KFC chicken on December 24 as a tradition.
KFC was so popular at the time that customers decided to go with the idea. The chicken was delicious, and to the Japanese, it felt like they were celebrating Christmas a little bit the same way as the US. It also helped that KFC Japan decided to dress up Col. Sanders as Santa - Japan loves having cute mascots!
The Power of Japanese Christmas Traditions
Though Christmas is one of the biggest celebrations around the world, in Japan, X-Mas isn't actually a holiday. Most Japanese see it as a day for couples, not for families to gather round and cook. That's why a lot of families also found KFC as a great way to have a quick Christmas - it was easy to order and it brought people together.
Once the "Kentucky for Christmas" campaign launched, it stuck, and soon after, generations of Japanese families started having KFC meals for X-mas dinner. What was originally a cute little trend eventually became a tradition!
What Makes Up KFC Christmas Dinner?
When KFC Japan started the "KFC for Christmas" campaign, families would opt for buckets of classic fried chicken. These days, though, KFC updates its lineup with classic favorites and a few new tasty additions. In 2024, the Christmas Party Barrel from KFC included the classic fried chicken, rich white tiramisu, and lobster lasagna. Every year, Japanese KFC makes sure to add something new and interesting to its Christmas lineup, so it’s always good to keep your eyes peeled!
So there you have it, the story of how KFC became a Japanese Christmas tradition. Japan is just full of weird and wonderful surprises, even during Christmas. How about you? Would you like to have KFC for Christmas with your family? What are your favorite Christmas treats? Don't be afraid to talk about your fave goodies in the comment section below!
