How Japanese Enjoy Christmas Eve
How do Japanese celebrate Christmas? Or do they celebrate it at all? I’m sure many of you are interested what they had planned for Christmas this year.
Here’s a suvey conducted by Macromill Inc which asked how Japanese planned to spend Christmas Eve.
This internet survey was conducted on the 5th and 6th of December with 516 residents (258M/258F) within either Tokyo or the three surrounding prefectures of Chiba, Saitama or Kanagawa. 24.8% were in thier twenties, 25.2% in their thirties, 25.3% in their forties, and 24.8% in their fifties.
Q1: How do you plan to spend Christmas this year? (Sample size=516, multiple answer)
Rank Percentage 1 Relax around the house 43.8% 2 Have a home party 20.0% 3 Work 12.6% 4 Eat out 12.2% 5 Go on a date 10.9% 6 Go shopping 5.8% 7 Go drinking 4.1% 8 Overnight or longer trip 3.3% 9 Stay at a nearby hotel 2.3% - Other 3.1% - Nothing in particular, don’t know 16.5%
Q2: With whom do you plan to spend Christmas this year? (Sample size=516)
Rank Percentage 1 Family 61.2% 2 Lover 13.4% 3 By myself 9.1% 4 With friends 3.7% - Other 1.9% - No-one in particular, don’t know 10.7%
Q3: Which of the following dishes or desserts would you like to eat at home at Christmas? (Sample size=516, multiple answer)
Rank Percentage 1 Cake 57.9% 2 Roast chicken 49.0% 3 Fried chicken 39.0% 4 Pizza 34.3% 5 Roast beef 29.8% 6 Ice cream 29.1% 7 Sushi 26.9% 8 Pasta 20.3% 9 Chicken nuggets 17.4% 10= Roast turkey 15.1% 10= Stew 15.1%
Q4A: Which of the following alcoholic drinks would you like to drink at home at Christmas? (Sample size=516, multiple answer)
Rank Percentage 1 Champagne 46.7% 2 Sparkling wine 35.7% 3 Red wine 34.1% 4 Beer 32.6% 5 White wine 24.6% 6 Cocktail 18.0% 7 Shanmery (non-alcoholic fake champagne) 15.5% 8 Happoshu (beer-like drink) 10.5% 9 Can chuhai (alco-pop) 9.1% 10 Shochu (spirits) 7.0%
Q4B: Which of the following alcoholic drinks would you like to drink at home at Christmas? (Sample size=258, male, multiple answer)
Rank Percentage 1 Champagne 43.4% 2 Beer 38.0% 3 Red wine 33.7% 4 Sparkling wine 31.0% 5 White wine 24.8% 6 Cocktail 12.8% 7 Shanmery (non-alcoholic fake champagne) 10.5% 8 Shochu (spirits) 10.1% 9 Happoshu (beer-like drink) 8.9% 10 Can chuhai (alco-pop) 8.1%
Q4C: Which of the following alcoholic drinks would you like to drink at home at Christmas? (Sample size=258, female, multiple answer)
Rank Percentage 1 Champagne 50.0% 2 Sparkling wine 40.3% 3 Red wine 34.5% 4 Beer 27.1% 5 White wine 24.4% 6 Cocktail 23.3% 7 Shanmery (non-alcoholic fake champagne) 20.5% 8 Happoshu (beer-like drink) 12.0% 9 Can chuhai (alco-pop) 10.1% 10 Ume-shu (plum wine) 5.8%
Q5A: What would you like for Christmas? (Sample size=258, male, multiple answer)
Rank Percentage 1 Wristwatch 25.6% 2 Wallet 19.0% 3 Computer 17.1% 4 Clothes 14.3% 5 Book 13.6% 6= Bag 13.2% 6= Games machine 13.2% 8 DVD, hard disk video recorder 12.0% 9= Fashion accessory 11.6% 9= Game software 11.6%
Q5B: What would you like for Christmas? (Sample size=258, female, multiple answer)
Rank Percentage 1 Fashion accessory 49.2% 2 Bag 35.7% 3 Clothes 32.6% 5 Travel 20.5% 6 Shoes 19.8% 7 Wristwatch 17.1% 8 Gift coupon 14.0% 9 Games machine 12.0% 10= Cosmetics 10.1% 10= CD, DVD software 10.1% 10= Scarf, stole 10.1% 10= Interior items 10.1%
Q6: Do you plan to send any Christmas presents? (Sample size=516)
All Male
N=258Female
N=258Yes 45.9% 36.0% 55.8% No 21.3% 26.4% 16.3% Don’t know 32.8% 37.6% 27.9%
Q6(Yes): To who do you plan to send a Christmas present? (Sample size=237, multiple answer)
Rank Percentage 1 Own children 48.1% 2 Spouse 44.7% 3 Lover 23.6% 4 Other family member 12.7% 5 Friends 12.2% 6 Other 1.7% - Not decided yet, don’t know 0.8%
Q7: Do you plan to buy a Christmas cake? (Sample size=516)
Yes 47.1% No 15.1% Don’t know 26.6% Plan to bake one 9.7% Other 1.6%
Source: What Japan Thinks
Summing up: Seems like around half of those surveyed had a nice time with their family and loved ones at home. Its interesting that for question 4, 15% of them actually wanted to drink an alcholic drink that didn’t exist at all (made up by the surveyors).
Nonetheless, it seems to be that those who celebrate it also do the stereotypical thing of eating cake sending gifts to loved ones and just enjoying the winter holidays.
So how about you? Did you have a nice Christmas holiday? I just had a nice relaxing trip to relax myself.
Wow to Q5A: What would you like for Christmas?. I would’ve expected them to pick a game or something relating to Anime/Manga.
Well Aizen the people being surveyed are in their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s so normal items are expected. If you surveyed kids and teenagers thats probably what you would get.
Japan isn’t all games, anime, and manga as many people assume.
Well… yea. I was just thinking that as games and such are assimilating into “adulthood life”.