White Christmas

Snow is an annual occurrence on Sado. It starts in the mountains and then before long the interior plains are covered. This Christmas weekend we were powdered with a snow storm. Supposedly this is a little bit earlier than usual, as most snow falls in January and February, meaning this may be just a taste of what is to come. By my estimate there was about 4 inches of snow in Kanai, the middle of the island where I commute. Of all of Sado, it snows the least in Aikawa, but even here we got about 2 inches of snow on the coast. Unfortunately, the roads aren’t salted nor plowed so driving right now can be a bit difficult. I’ve managed ok with snow tires. The snow has created some beautiful, bright landscapes.

As for Christmas itself, I had a good time with some of my fellow teachers. Nearly all the other teachers had taken vacation time and already left Sado for the mainland to do some winter sightseeing and the rest were scared off by the snowy road conditions. So in all only 3 of us showed up. Still, it was nice to spend Christmas with some other people. We ate chocolate and the host cooked delicious curry udon. Later that night, I visited a Shinto shrine. Sadly there wasn’t enough light by the time I got there to capture any good pictures but it was beautiful and calm in the fresh snow and crisp air.

Christmas isn’t seen as a major holiday in Japan. If it weren’t for being on a Saturday this year, it would have been a regular workday for me. On my drive to our Christmas celebration, I saw many businesses open like a regular Saturday. The only Christmas tradition I know of in Japan is, and this is true, buying fast food fried chicken to eat with your family. The gold standard is KFC (or “Kentucky”, as it is known here), and you have to reserve your order a month or more in advance. There’s only one fast food place on the island, a Japanese chain known as MOS Burger. I stopped in on Christmas Eve and they were absolutely swamped with takeout fried chicken orders. I saw the fryer basket absolutely filled to the brim with chicken and around 20 bags waiting to be picked up. I’ve also heard Christmas is sort of a “couples holiday” in Japan and it’s common to go on dates, much like Valentine’s day in America.

While Christmas isn’t seen as a big deal out here, New Year’s is more akin to how we celebrate Christmas in the west. It’s very common to return to your hometown and stay with your parents and extended family over New Year’s. New Year’s Day is a public holiday and many workplaces have a New Year’s break to allow for all this travel. Going to a Buddhist temple on New Year’s Day and praying for a prosperous year is a common tradition. Since I am going to have 6 days off for the holiday, I decided to take the opportunity to travel a bit in Japan and booked a hotel room in Tokyo. I’m very excited for this trip and looking forward to seeing my friends in the city. Of course, I’ll keep everyone updated here as well.