Christmas decorations in Japan

23 Dec 2005 Category: Features, Japan, Podcast

PingMag wishes you all a Merry Christmas!

…and because Tokyo must be the place with the biggest variety and creativity of Xmas-decorations, I tried to gather some of its countless highlights (this is only a very very small part!).

Enjoy the glitter! Here we go:

Trees wrapped in yellow lights in Shibuya or the cool and sparkly ones in Roppongi Hills? Which do you prefer? I was actually quite amazed not to find a big and glittery Omotesando this year…

Or what about some traditional Japanese motifs in Asakusa in the other side of the city?

These were definitely not Christmas motifs, which means they probably won’t be taken down immediately after Christmas, like everything else.

As soon as the official Christmas is over, the whole of Tokyo changes its overall look in only one day: from “Christmas Tokyo” to the more traditional “New Year’s Tokyo”. These cute little deers in Shibuya will probably vanish just as quickly.

Now let’s chose the nicest tree!

Ginza is pretty full-on with their Chanel tree with the replaced logo on top. Well, I guess, this is just what Ginza is all about. Standing close, it is very nice to still be able to smell that “real tree” smell!

Following is the biggest tree ever: a huge building with colored lights in the window made this pixel-tree (spotted in a very fast taxi on the highway around Nagatacho).

…and these very stylish color-changing modern trees are in Shibuya, Mark City. They twinkle for me every day on my way to IMG SRC. Quite impressive actually!

Now - get ready for some high tech!

Apart from this being a very, very big Christmas tree in front of the Avex building between Shibuya and Akasaka, it has special effects! Make sure you get some of these fancy Santa-masks:

Notice the different foil around the eye area on the mask on picture 2? If you look into lights (e.g. the lights of a car coming towards you in the dark) they change the lights to hearts!!! Whow! Now imagine pointing this mask at the tree: you have never been that much in love to see so many hearts at once! Besides, they have some projections on the Avex building which you can also experience in 3D with those special glasses (for free in the Avex building).

Who is the best Santa in town?

A difficult question! Personally I like this huge blow-up Santa in front of a little electronic shop in Kawasaki. Notice that the bird on his hand is blown up, too? Cute!

This following gets credits for looking really solid and just like on an old fun fair character. Very friendly face!

And this?

Well, this Santa is glowing!

…..and I thought that this was a good example for the fact, that there are simply Santa’s standing around everywhere, even when it is not necessarily appropriate ;-)

And now:

The winner, if you ask me!

I spotted these at the entrance to the JR line in Ikebukuro: Dinosaurs in a Santa costume posing for Microsoft! Quite a unique mix, I’d say!

Now we got glitter everywhere, the Christmas tree, Santa and what about the reindeers?

Well…. I found some nice examples for you. Please chose between a fancy, stylish Shibuya shop window or an individual dress code worn by this young man in the backstreets of Roppongi.

Christmas can also be a good reason to spice up rather boring things with a bit of a twinkle and sparkle.

That works quite well with this restaurant sign or rather un-sexy designed rice cookers.

But Christmas is not all about money!!! Finding this Christmas tree after opening hours at the backside of a supermarket almost made me cry… Want to know why?

Because it is the simple proof of the fact, that you can leave valuable things out in the streets - unprotected - and nobody will take it from you. That’s what I’d call a peaceful Christmas. Is there any other place in the world where you can do such a thing?

Or look at this lovely decoration I found on a construction site in Musashi-Kosugi. Whow! Love and care for little things!

Now I guess the only question left is, what to wear for Christmas?

Well, according to super-star-model-idol-singer Ayumi Hamasaki, women should dress sexy.

Maybe in a Santa-bunny-costume?

Seems like for guys, there is only “the usual” left. Anyone fancy designing a contemporary men’s outfit?

PingMag whishes you all a warm and fun Christmas!

38 Comments

1. Ahh, I have to say that your country’s decorations seriously put my neighbor’s giant plastic santa and snowman to shame.

   Posted by: Matt Whelan on December 24th, 2005 at 5:56 am

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3. The same comment goes double for me. But I love the glitter trees.

   Posted by: Surus on December 24th, 2005 at 9:56 am

4. I agree with Matt Whelan.

   Posted by: bentong on December 25th, 2005 at 6:20 am

5. Nice insights. Thank God Christmas is not of commercial nature these days.

   Posted by: Jens Meiert on December 29th, 2005 at 9:21 am

6. Wow that’s awesome~
   But you guys should also see the christmas decorations in my country - the Philippines!
   we have a spectacular lantern festival in a place called Bulacan where nearby towns compete in making huge Parols or lanterns.

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