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December 12, 2024 | 11:32 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Unlike the buzzing Christmas festivities observed across European countries, Christmas in Japan is not a widely celebrated religious holiday. With Christianity being one of the country's minority faiths, December 25th is not a public holiday. So you can imagine the lack of Christmas cheer in the country.
Nevertheless, the long-standing tradition linking KFC, Japan, and Christmas is still very much alive today. The sight of families queuing outside the fast-food chains on Christmas Eve will render you speechless.
But how did this unique tradition come to be? Let’s dive into the history of KFC Japan Christmas tradition, drawing on information from KFC's official website, Time Out, and SBS Australia.
Origin of KFC Japan Christmas Tradition
In Japan, Christmas orders for the signature KFC deep-fried drumsticks and breasts must be placed months in advance. Locals usually place their orders as early as November to avoid the massive queues at the fried chicken chains.
Even if the orders are successfully confirmed, customers still need to queue outside KFC outlets on Christmas Day to pick them up.
This tradition has continued annually since the 1970s, with an estimated three to four million Japanese families indulging in KFC's deep-fried chicken every Christmas season. As a result, the American fast food chain reportedly sees a tenfold increase in sales on December 24 each year.
According to Global KFC, the KFC Japan Christmas agenda can be traced back to the late 1960s when Japan began embracing Christmas as a seasonal event. During this time, companies were seen promoting sweets and cakes for children as a means to celebrate the festive season.
In 1974, just four years after KFC's arrival in Japan, the American fast-food chain launched its first Christmas campaign, offering a bucket of KFC’s popular fried chicken alongside a bottle of wine. Japanese consumers readily embraced this concept, associating the KFC buckets with the luxurious items typically associated with Christmas parties.
Global KFC attributes the origin of this campaign to a coincidental encounter with a foreign customer who visited Japan’s first KFC branch on Christmas Day. The customer's statement, “I can’t get turkey in Japan, so I have no choice but to celebrate Christmas with Kentucky Fried Chicken” inspired Takeshi Okawara, the enterprising manager of KFC, to create this unique campaign.
The Trend of KFC Japan Christmas Promotion
Since the campaign's launch, the company has distributed commemorative plates and statues featuring KFC founder Colonel Harland Sanders dressed as Santa Claus, crowning the Christmas season as the company’s biggest sales week.
For the past decades, a KFC Japan Christmas has been about more than trendy occasions, but also the overflowing joy of sharing with loved ones. While the Christmas set tends to be relatively expensive, customers can enjoy discounted prices when orders are booked in advance.
The KFC Japan Christmas tradition continues to thrive as a unique and heartwarming part of Japan’s holiday season. What started as a clever marketing initiative in the 1970s has evolved into a cultural phenomenon, with families eagerly lining up for their festive buckets of fried chicken each December.
Despite Christmas not being a public holiday in Japan, the enduring popularity of this tradition shows how global influences can blend with local customs to create something truly special.
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