How Kentucky Fried Chicken shaped  Christmas traditions in Japan

On Christmas Eve, many families gather around the dinner table for a traditional turkey dinner, but in Japan 3.6 million families look forwards for a Kentucky Fried Chicken dinner every year.

1974, KFC in Japan brought the non-celebrated Christian holiday to Japan and turned it into a celebrated tradition. Today, KFC and Christmas remain inextricably linked for Japanese citizens. KFC is a staple to the winter holiday celebration across the country. 

Christmas in Japan is not considered a holiday or a national celebration, as it is more of a North American and European holiday. With only 1% of Japan’s population being Christian, Christmas is just another day on the calendar.  

In North America and Europe, Christmas is seen as a day to spend time with your family. While in Japan Christmas is a day for couples.  

Nowadays people spend time together on Christmas picking up some of these more western traditions, but many families still gather around the dining table for a traditional KFC dinner. 

The 23-25 of December are the busiest days for KFC. You would need to pre-order your meals days in advance, even weeks to ensure your Christmas dinner. Sometimes you have to wait hours in line just to place your order.  

“For our family, Christmas Eve dinner has always been KFC. My parents would always pre-order the meals around 3 weeks before Christmas Eve.” says a high school student in Japan “if you do not pre-order, you will not get any,” the student adds.  

But it was not that popular when the first franchise opened. The first KFC in Japan opened in 1971 in Nagoya, it was not widely known at the time and sales were poor during the initial years.  

The Store manager at the time, Takeshi Okawara overheard an American customer that they missed their turkey Christmas dinner, so instead they were getting fried chicken for dinner. And the sales marketers at the time decided to promote that fried chicken is a traditional Christmas dinner.  

Okawara took this opportunity to make a campaign that portrayed the idea that Americans eat KFC for Christmas. KFC in Japan marketed their “party barrels” as a standard Christmas meal. A party barrel usually includes their signature chicken, a side salad and cake as well as a festive plate. 

In 1974, KFC for Christmas became popular after the slogan “Kentucky for Christmas.” and in this advertising campaign even dressed Colonel Sanders as Santa Clause  Because of his resemblance to Santa Clause with his white hair and beard and even to date many Japanese associate the Colonel Sanders as the symbol of Christmas in contrast from standard North American and European tradition who see Santa as the mascot for Christmas and the holidays. 

Okawara due to his innovative idea, turned around KFC in Japan and later became the chief executive officer of KFC Japan and served until 2002; With his Christmas party barrel idea turning into one of KFC’s biggest yearly sales which account for almost one third of all annual sales in Japan. 

“For my family and I, Christmas wouldn’t really feel right without KFC.” The student says. The long lines in front KFC selling party barrels not only were a clever marketing strategy it also became a popular day to day establishment. It became a staple in the winter holiday tradition in Japan, even in current times where turkey dinner is becoming popular, still many people keep the traditions of KFC dinner on Christmas and it’s becoming more popular every year.