Reasons why Christmas in Japan beats Australia: Food novelty

One of the reasons I love Christmas in Japan is because of the food novelty side of things. Instead of sticking to inherited traditions, the season becomes an open invitation to play with food, and it's one reason why I think it beats an Australian Christmas.

Rather than roast dinners and predictable desserts, December in Japan turns cafes and bakeries into novelty factories. I've seen pancakes on menus topped with so much whipped cream they resemble Christmas trees, bakeries with shelves of snowman and reindeer-shaped breads, and so forth. None of it pretends to be traditional, and that's precisely the point. Christmas food here is about fun, not nostalgia.

Outside an Eggs 'n' Things store last year. Nothing says Christmas like massive whipped cream topped pancakes...and I think the novelty is why I love it so.