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Sep 19, 2024

Christmas/New Year travel spots?

I wrote a blog yesterday on how Tokyo was named the top-searched travel destination for Christmas and New Year's travel by Google for this year. I love Tokyo, of course, and it was my home for several years before moving to Niigata – but I wanted to ask the rest of you about your favorite domestic spots for the festive season. Any places that give you the warm and fuzzy Christmas feelings? Perhaps places with great Christmas markets, illuminations, or anything of that nature would be good suggestions. With so much focus on the big three (Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto) it would be great to get some recommendations outside those places if you have any!

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genkidesu

genkidesu

Love to travel, interested in J-beauty products and consider myself a convenience store snack aficionado. Navigating the ever-present challenges of expat life, particularly about my TCK's (third culture kids).

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8 Answers

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  • TonetoEdo

    TonetoEdo

    on Sep 27

    @genkidesu Big centers do Christmas-themed stuff, but I got turned off. At Tokyo Skytree, I saw lovely glowing decorations but the market and the Christmas Eve and Christmas proper events were so crowded that it made me feel uncomfortable. A rare experience I had at Kashiwa Station was the most Christmassy thing I've ever experienced in Japan - Christmas Eve carollers from a Christian church singing in Japanese and English. I chimed in with German and English lyrics.

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  • TonetoEdo

    TonetoEdo

    on Sep 26

    I haven't found many enticing or nostalgic Christmasy events or sights. One of the most beautiful sights I found was the long-running Yokohama Bay Quarter Christmas Forest with a massive reak tree, gorgeous lights, and floral decorations. I went on a weeknight a few years ago and it wasn't mobbed.

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  • TonetoEdo

    TonetoEdo

    on Sep 27

    I meant to say the Yokohama Bay Quarter tree is a real tree. Most winters that I stay in Japan, I enjoy illuminations but they're not necessarily Christmas themed. Caretta Shiodome Illuminations are the most memorable ones.

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  • genkidesu

    genkidesu

    on Sep 27

    @TonetoEdo I think you're right that illuminations do a good job of emulating those Christmas lights festive feelings, even if they're not specifically Christmas-themed. I know that Roppongi has a Christmas market each year, and one year I was in Osaka before Christmas and they had a nice setup there as well (I assume it's probably annual as well). I'm guessing it's probably the larger cities that will have those kinds of events to cater to expats or travelers in the areas.

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  • genkidesu

    genkidesu

    on Sep 29

    @TonetoEdo Carolers is definitely not something I'd expect to encounter here! That's one thing I miss from home -- since Christmas is in summer in my home country, they have lots of "Carols in the Park" events in different cities and towns. So nice enjoying warm summer evenings in the week leading up to Christmas and getting to sing along to some of the classic festive tunes! It's rare that I get homesick these days, but that memory just got me nostalgic for home.

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  • TonetoEdo

    TonetoEdo

    on Sep 29

    @genkidesu A random idea...You could assemble a crowd of your own to sing carols and Christmas pop songs in front of a station. A capella or accompanied, in whatever languages (bonus for Japanese versions!), you'd put smiles on faces and get that warm holiday feeling.

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  • genkidesu

    genkidesu

    on Sep 30

    @TonetoEdo I like that idea! I think sometimes to get that feeling of home, sometimes we have to be the ones making the change rather than expecting it to come to us.

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  • BigfamJapan

    BigfamJapan

    on Oct 19

    I missed this question last year and I will miss the lead up to Christmas in Japan this year. Usually we go to a Santa themed campsite each Christmas, we all really enjoyed that in the past. New Years family visit, so we are tied to the in-laws for the first few days of New Year, but I LOVE New Year in Japan so we also always do some short trips for New Year events.

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