Christmas in Japan, imagine that!! I could not have imagined that last Christmas!!!! Christmas in the Northern Hemisphere.....in Winter.......what??? That can't be true you only have Christmas in summer!!!
Celebrating Christmas for the first time without our gorgeous off spring was very strange. To be away from our children, their partners and the grand children was very difficult indeed (muzukashi desu). Parents, relations and friends were also far away. There were no Carols by Candlelight, no crazy last minute frenetic shopping, no hanging out stockings, no Christmas family get together's.....the list goes on. Technology helped close the gap a little....texts, emails, Skype, phone but it's still separation.
With the passing of Halloween, preparations for Christmas began in earnest. Decorations were up within a week and Christmas carols began playing in all the shops. I made another trip to Ikea to source a tree and some decorations to start the 'build up'! Going to Ikea is always a fun trip, whether in Australia or Japan. Here though I have to catch two trains and a bus to get there. Ikea is located in Shin-Yokohama so I catch a train to Yokohama, then change onto another train which takes me to Shin-Yokohama. Ikea provides a free shuttle bus which runs every 25 minutes throughout the day. The bus trip takes about 15 minutes.
Browsing through the catalogue at home, I had decided on the tree I would like to buy. Unfortunately they were sold out. Outside there were 'real' trees for sale but I didn't want to cart a tree home on the trains and I didn't want the task of cutting it in to little pieces, after Christmas, to dispose of it. My trip was not in vain, I did return home with some decorations and, of course, other bits and pieces as well! I even managed to organise having packages delivered to the apartment. It was fun watching everyone choosing their trees at Ikea...there were thousands of trees in a long pile. People were sifting through the pile, pulling trees out, pulling the ties off and then throwing them aside until the perfect tree was found. Long suffering staff were busy re wrapping and throwing trees back on the pile. Everything was supplied for customers to wrap their trees up with.....plastic, string, tape, bags! It looked chaotic but the staff were diligent in their duties and kept the crowds under control.
After looking around the shops nearer to home I finally chose my tree at our local hardware shop....our answer to Bunnings! With my bicycle loaded up, tree in the basket and groceries on the back it was a wobbly, slightly unsafe trip home. Visibility considerably compromised!
I stowed the goodies in a cupboard until the first week of December. It's funny though, try as I did, I just couldn't get into Christmas mode. Was it the lack of children in my life?...no grand kids, no school kids all excited about Christmas, no report writing and end of year work stress. I don't know it just didn't feel like Christmas. I soldiered on though and refused to give up. We had work parties and meals out with people going home on leave but where was Christmas?
The decorations in Tokyo were beautiful, in particular in Ginza and Roppongi Hills. With the arrival of our latest 'alien' visitors we returned to Tokyo to share the lights with them. In an earlier blog I showed the lights of Roppongi Hills, which could only be described as stunning.
Ginza was also gorgeous.
Riding our bikes around Yamate, Steve and I came upon this.
Christmas Eve was spent in Motomachi Street at an interesting bar. For the first time in many, many years we were not together with all the family and many friends at Paula's. The lights and displays were beautiful. Motomachi Street was decorated in a classy, understated manner.
Christmas morning was a very quiet, relaxed time. Steve and Dave had bought a 'turkey', really just a big chicken, and a ham. Mandy and I had found gifts to put under the tree. The Christmas music I had brought from Australia echoed through the apartment. So it wasn't like normal, but we were giving it our best. Thanks to Skype and the telephone we were able to contact all our families.
Mandy stuffed the turkey, the 'pudding' was prepared and then all we had to do was make continuous toasts to the occasion. The pudding comprised some individually wrapped brandy fruit cakes and I made a nice egg custard. Christmas dinner was amazingly civilised.....no crying, no tantrums, no spilt drinks.
Even the Asahi beer comes in small cans for small drinkers!!!
Gift giving time was also very civilised....no ripping parcels open, no piles of paper, no gift rejections (except for Dave). A bit boring, but we kept up the game. Jokes aside, we had a lovely day. Wearing my fluffy earmuffs, a gift from Steve, Mandy and I exchange gifts.
Another gift of chopsticks in a special pouch will alleviate needing to use inferior 'throw away' varieties when dining out during the day. Thanks Mandy and Dave.
Mandy is modelling the haori jacket we gave her.
We had a lovely day together and then lay about all afternoon and evening reading, maybe drinking a bit and sleeping and, for me, studying Japanese. We had planned to walk around the foreshore after lunch but quite frankly the temperature was a major deterrent. Fuji San was wearing an extra layer of snow and the wind chill factor was.........well........chilly!!
To who ever is reading this post, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that a safe, happy and healthy New Year lies ahead.
Merry Christmas!!!
We may not have had snow in Yokohama but the newly constructed ice rink at the Red Brick Buildings helped create the mood. In Summer there was a beach, in Autumn the Oktoberfest and now an ice skating rink. Where will it end???
Go Japan!!!!
Your attention to detail and dedication to having fun is inspiring!!!
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