How KFC Became a Christmas Tradition in Japan - Cheddar Examines 

Japan celebrates Christmas more as a festival of foreign origin instead of a religious (or even secular) holiday. It's not surprising that a clever ad would combine Japan's love of chicken in general with their adoption of Christmas as a fun import.

Thanks for this interesting video! But as a Japanese, I just wanted to point out few things in here. 0:00 The bucket on thumbnail is Chinese.首推日 is not a Japanese word. 0:15 KFC in Japan don’t serve alcohol (except for two specific stores in Tokyo, “KFC Bar”). I think that wine and mashed potatoes showed in the TV commercial are just props. On the commercial, they are actually saying that you can get 5 original chickens, 5 W pepper chickens, and 10 nugges for ¥2300(≒$23). 1:26 Mitsubishi is “総合商社” which is pronounced SOGO shosha. Not sogA. 3:36 Japanese people don’t celebrate Christmas as a religious event, but quite few of us definatly enjoy Christmas as a fun activity. It is common for us to adopt foreign country’s religious event as just some fun activity (or as a big commercial opportunity) not realizing that they are religious events, such like Saint Valentine’s day, easter, or halloween. In addition, in Japan we don’t eat whole chicken in daily meal, and since turkey is kind of uncommon in Japan, and they are too big for Japanese to handle, roasted whole chicken is enough special for us. It’s kind of disappointing that these misunderstandings are so obvious for us that only if just one Japanese person had checked this before publishing! Wow, I didn’t meant this to be so long, but I just wanted to correct the misunderstanding! Sorry for my broken english and thanks for reading till here!Overall, I enjoyed this video!! Keep it up:)

Imagine going to Japan on Christmas holiday and you want to try some real Japanese food and then everyone just starts eating KFC

Wait a minute, was that the 'Plastic Love' lady?

I thought it was kind of weird when I was in Japan too. It also seemed to be more of a couple's thing (like Valentine's Day) instead of a family thing. Now, my Japanese wife and I live in the US, and we still celebrate Christmas with KFC. People think we're weird but my wife views KFC like a special treat. When I ask her if she wants to order out sushi or KFC, she always picks KFC. I've got no problem with it. It tastes great and it's 5 times cheaper than sushi.

This is something that would be considered trashy if it were a American tradition.

Wait - I knew about the tradition but I didn't know they got wine too. Now I want some KFC wine; I'm just curious.

Mariya Takeuchi!

Mitsubishi... "Far more than air conditioners and motorcycles"... Motorcycles? :-/ I think you mean cars. They haven't been in motorcycles since 1963!

Having a romantic dinner at KFC on Christmas Eve. Then going to Love Hotel to spend the long night. Waking up to Christmas morning bliss. How hillarious! But worth the try to reincarnate as a Japanese in next life.

Eating Japanese KFC is on my "bucket" list!

Anyone else craving KFC after watching this?

Am having KFC right now for my christmas eve dinner. And i could not be anymore happier. Merry Christmas y'all.

KFC must really love Japan

My husband and I used to watch foreign commercials for fun. There were these unhinged Japanese commercials advertising strawberry shortcakes from 7-11 and buckets of fried chicken from KFC for Christmas. That seemed to be the popular meal of choice for families in Japan around the holidays. We were tickled and confused! Thanks for explaining the whole KFC for Christmas situation 😂

KFC in my hometown stands for Knife Fight Central. Tempers flare when they have to wait for more chicken to cook.

When I drove a taxi in Reno at Christmas all the usual Christian tourists stayed home and the town filled up with Asians taking pictures of all the Christmas decorations.

I had to watch this for school

I need to finish an assignment due tomorrow.

The video says it amounts to a third of sales but description says 10 percent

Ah, Christmas Day. Almost time for my American family to sit down and eat the traditional bucket of fried chicken.

Mitsubishi made the Zero.

Wait, THE Mariya Takeuchi of Plastic Love fame also sings the Kentucky Christmas song?

We worship Colenel Sanderson

Christmas in Japan without KFC just doesn't feel like Christmas.

Takeshi Okawara that's a man who strove for greatness. He saved a company & made a true nostalgic tradition. Sharing a a Special meal with family & friends. The true essence of Christmas Dinner. Brilliantly done Mr. Okawara. Need an example of Vision, Effort Education all coming together? Look no further.... Happy Holiday to you sir.

I wish that KFC wouldn’t just sell this Christmas menu in Japan

KFC:why are you so obsessed with me Japan I wanna know 😎

"Deck the hahs wit bows a horrry!" (Oh, wait, that was duck.)

Odd things like this are why I love Japan.

Saying "most of Japan doesn't even celebrate Christmas" isn't *exactly* true . While there are few Christians in Japan, the holiday is celebrated on a smaller scale. Christmas Eve, however, is a pretty big holiday, where it's treated a lot like the western Valentine's Day. They do celebrate Valentine's Day as well, but it's more like the American "Sweetest Day" (with a follow-up "White Day" one month later where the boys give gifts to girls).

KFC in Christmas is one of Japanese culture, greatest marketing plan ever, other country people should do that.

As a weeb from Kentucky I am proud

They didn't mention mitsubishi built aircraft that fought us in WWII!!!

I wish KFC was opened on christmas in America

Thanks for the KFC history

Thank you

Sounds good to me, if the nearest KFC wasn't 50 miles away. If there was one close by I would tell the wife to forget the turkey, I'll just go get a few buckets of Sanders.

@Cheddar you should flip those books around on the desk and put custom-printed book covers on them!

0:22 The bucket says “happy Christmas” on it. Gtfo

And wine? My god, why not here

Answer is at 1:59

Kentucky for Christmas is not an event for pescatarians or those who don't eat meat. It could be the most voguish seasonal order on KFC's menu!🐔

More Watchman River brought me here.

Its an ad but, im not disappointed.

And Jamaica….there wasn’t really a campaign per say but it just happened

This is so funny ^^

What a story!

I’m confused about how you can say they don’t celebrate it and then say they buy KFC for their Christmas parties? Maybe they don’t celebrate the same as Americans and it’s obviously a bigger deal for us but it’s obviously ingrained into their culture now too. Obviously there is no religious connotation to it over there but it’ still seems like it’s a time to decorate eat and spend time with loved ones.

You guys are like Cracked (RIP) or Vox without all the annoying politics just good videos about KFC lol! Please don't change you're perfect the way you are!!!!

Battery cages are illegal in Germany.

Mitsubishi makes motorcycles? 🤣

KFC is the past, it’s all about POLLO CAMPERO now!!!! Lol

You forget the best part!!! *"IT WAS **_LIE!"!!!!_*

Theres a Mitsubishi Chemical Plant in my town. Always thought it was weird.

This guy seams good

Mitsubishi is three diamonds

First! To the Christmas party.

Most people are like: KFC? I want JFC!

i'm eating KFC while watching the video

I got a KFC ad before this video...

so like 2.8% of people do it? doesn't seem like much

Listen I just experienced this…tried buying KFC chicken here in Japan on December 25th and I had to find out the worse way possible!!! Alllll chicken is sold out!!!!!

Thank god in my country we only have jolibee for christmas not kfc

KFCs in Japan offer french fries, not mashed potatoes.

Wine?

God bless America

I kinda feel bad for the employees around that time... Can you imagine the nightmare it must be during Christmas? Unless Japan treats its KFC peeps better... Kinda doubt it though.

3:42 Calling Shintoism "no religion" isn't exactly correct. Shintoism is a broad term that includes various spiritual beliefs that have to do with spirits, luck, and ways of living. It can be considered a religion, depending on who you ask.

Wait a damn minute. .WINE IN KFC???? REALLY???? DAMN KFC GET THIS GOING IN THE STATES!!!!!! What the crap. Japan git there shit together in fast food. Bro. America is dropping the ball

I....what?!

In Japanese KFC means very delicious 😋

I'm not religious and I still celebrate Christmas.

The same thing is happening in Mexico

hahaha this just makes me laugh

"Black people love Fried Chicken is a stereotype" but Asians why do you love fried chicken so much? lol

Is the audio off or is my computer's bluetooth messing up again?

Awww. No sound. Kfc you suck for copyright silencing this

Why just why

Through programming. Nothing else.

Christmas is not a holiday in Japan, so I think celebrating Christmas at KFC the night after work is convenient for Japanese people who are preparing to go back to work the next morning.

İ think they eat diffident foods

I want some kfc

So who imported Christmas and Halloween celebrations to the Jews in Israel??

Japan's weird.

That's fine for the Japanese because they are Buddhists anyway but in the Bible it clearly states that Christ's birthday must be celebrated with a turkey, or ham is okay if the undlean pork is ritually cleansed with a big slice of pineapple on top.

I bet Japan KFC is high quality compared to American KFC. America has a culture of mediocrity... at least concerning food.

La fin de la civilisation le niveau zéro comme une belle culture s’est fait détruire!🤮

Do the Japanese even know why Christmas is celebrated??

Uh... I live in the US. I can’t stomach most of KFC’s food. The idea of eating it for Christmas dinner makes me nauseous.

This has nothing to do with anything but THEY LIEIN’ “finger licking good” my butt THAT CHICKEN IS TASTELESS me as a black person DO NOT APPROVE THAT TASTELESS BUCKET now you can processed.

Fruitful information about KFC. Colonel Sanders looks like asian.

Third

Bruh its "Ken-Ta-Kii" You don't pronounce the U either in masu. lol It's one word, so doesn't take that long to not butcher pronunciation with american english shortcuts lol

I know that it's hard for non-trained people (and non-native speakers) to say Japanese words, but this is painful to listen to.

So disappointed that Japan fell for this Christmas marketing.

Japan and Christmas? sounds dumb

おいおい、デタラメなこと言うなよ( ｀△´)

Source?

In what bizarre world are motorcycles something Mitsubishi is known for? Like the Silver Pigeon?