The Japanese have adopted Christmas with great zeal, in the same manner they have adopted other Western things such as Snoopy and Disney. The holiday -- with glittery trees, sparkly lights and fairy-tale songs -- is irresistible to the Japanese. This, along with the "If it blinks I want it!" mentality, has made Christmas very popular.
It's equally surprising that the Japanese haven't made Christmas an official season, like spring or fall. After all, there are seasonal foods, seasonal colors and seasonal plants and decorations. The Christmas season is longer than the rainy season, spanning as much as three months in some parts of Western Japan, such as where I live.
This year, three houses on my island put up outdoor Christmas lights. This is because the Japanese find Christmas lights absolutely contagious. After all, pachinko parlors have known the appeal of blinking lights for decades. On my island, the most popular lights are the kind that flash in eight patterns.