Hand-in-hand strolls, strawberry cakes, and Christmas markets are flooding the streets of Japan these days, where this Wednesday, Christmas Eve, is consolidating as the most romantic day of the year in a reinvented celebration that reveals its bitter side with the 'Kuribocchi' phenomenon, or people who spend these holidays alone. It is not a public holiday, and the next day is a normal workday in a country where less than 1% of the population is Christian. This does not prevent Tokyo neighborhoods like Ginza, Roppongi, or Asakusa from being filled with illuminations and European-inspired markets. A date with cake and fried chicken 'On Christmas, rather than being with friends, it's more common to spend it as a couple,' explained to EFE Tasuku, in his thirties, who was walking with his wife Yuka through the Christmas market in Tokyo's Minato district to celebrate the holiday on their first wedding anniversary. In addition to being a sort of Valentine's Day, Christmas in the archipelago is marked by the custom of eating fried chicken from the American chain Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), a 'tradition' so rooted in marketing that it is necessary to make a reservation to avoid going without food. 'Eating KFC is something very typical for Japanese people,' pointed out Yuka, before explaining that they did it last year and plan to make a reservation again this year. A meal as typical as the strawberry and cream cake, a true national symbol of Japanese Christmas. A quieter option where gifts are not the most common, with nearly five out of ten people (44.6%) saying in a survey they do not give or receive gifts during this holiday. Whether accompanied or alone, with or without gifts, these Christmas holidays have found a new way to be celebrated in a country that reinvents the concept of Christmas. The phenomenon 'Kuribocchi' This symbolic weight of the couple has given rise to the term 'Kuribochhi,' a combination of the Japanese words 'Kurisumasu' (Christmas) and 'bocchi' (completely alone), used to define those who spend these dates without company. In Tasuku's opinion, these dates even increase the pressure to find a partner, causing many people to turn to dating apps months in advance. A hypothesis supported by campaigns like the one launched by the Japanese app Dine almost a decade ago, designed to help its users find 'a Christmas date partner' and 'support' people without plans. According to the latest survey by LINE Yahoo (LY) in 2023, owner of the popular messaging service Line, around 30% of Japanese planned to enjoy Christmas as a couple, compared to 20% who would be alone, although the majority said they would spend time with family. A Christmas without plans or gifts Beyond the romantic image, the data also reflects an increasingly diverse reality, with a certain trend towards more relaxed and home-based plans, close to the everyday. According to a survey conducted in October by the Hokuden shopping center, with over 25,490 responses, more than half of those surveyed (50.4%) said they do not celebrate any special event at Christmas. Additionally, 32.1% said they prefer to enjoy something at home, a trend that Ayu and Kouki have also decided to follow.
