They don't celebrate Christmas in Japan

At least that's sort of what I thought before coming to Japan. In reality, there are Santa-sans everywhere and nearly as many Christmas trees around as you would see in the States. Even the same annoying pop covers of Irving Berlin Christmas songs dominate the radios at supermarkets and department stores. In fact, here's a picture of me and Amber's friend in Nagasaki station from that trip to Kyushu in mid November:
That's a pretty serious Christmas tree for a country that doesn't celebrate Christmas. Amber's on-running joke has been to point out the countless Christmasy stuff that's everywhere and to remind me of how much the Japanese don't celebrate Christmas.
But you can tell it's not America because places don't feel obligated to put up a token menorah to avoid the wrath of those whiny liberal Jews. All the teachers at my school want me to do something Christmasy with kids before the end of the year, which I guess is fine, but I'll be damned if I let them get away without something Hanukkah-y as well. I think they actually get confused when I say I don't celebrate Christmas. Some of the teachers didn't seem to know what "yaduya-jin" (Jewish) meant, and the ones that did still didn't know why that stopped me from celebrating Christmas in anyway. But I guess that makes sense, they love Christmas and probably only know Jesus Christ(!) as an exclamation in American movies. A teacher a little while ago told me that Japan doesn't have religion, just ceremonies/celebrations. By that logic, being Jewish would be no impediment to celebrating Christmas. Funny.
A funny country all round though (to me). I know I certainly had an image of Japan being inundated with high-technology and electronic gadgets and what not, and I think that's a pretty common assumption. But I've permanently changed that (naive and baseless) assumption now that I'm experiencing my first Japanese winter. Sure, basic cellphones have GPS systems and smooth internet access and everyone has TVs in their cars. But my school and apartment (and everyone else's school, and many other peoples apts) has no real insulation or heating system and is kept "warm" by kerosene powered space heaters. My school's in particular give me that old Soviet surplus feeling as they let off a big clicking boom and gaseous flames proceed to fill the room with warmth and fumes.
I do think the Japanese are more energy conscious than us Americans. A half decent Japanese residence (read: not the ones me or my compatriots live in) come equipped with a heated and covered bath so that a whole family can take a bath without wasting the water each time. Showers are pretty quick and simple and done just outside the bath (my students thought it was weird and wasteful when they heard that westerners shower INSIDE their tubs). That consciencousness may also somewhat explain the general lack of central air conditioning (and I think the summers are probably more brutal than the winters). But I still have this itch that if only residences (and schools!) were built a little more solidly with a modern heating system, then people (me!) could be a lot more comfortable at no higher energy expense. Just a thought though.
Perhaps they've just accepted living with the seasons more than us Westerners who are convinced the same level of comfort should and can exist 365 days a year. It's not like the Japanese aren't cold at the school or hot and sweaty in the summer. They just seem to accept that as an obvious and inevitable part of life in that particular season. The winters are cold and the summers are hot, and that's how it is. They similarly seem to expect to work difficult and stressful jobs for what, to me, seems like unnecessarily long hours. They seem stressed out by this activity, but in a different way than I picture an overworked American. Maybe this is why they can work 75 hour weeks (with a 2 hour commute each way), smoke and drink heavily, never take a vacation, and still live to be a 100 years old. Even those 100 year olds seem to be hard at work planting rice and maintaining gardens and houses. Does that expectation and continuation of hard work create a sense of purpose and direction? Does that Japanese group identity really exist to the point of filling even 7-11 workers with a sense of inner satisfaction and belonging?
Or maybe its just the fact that steamed rice and boiled fish aren't exactly artery busters.
I only ramble like this because I don't have many exciting details to inform everyone of. I've just been spending time in my area finding comfort in my English speaking friends. Though maybe I find pictures of some silly little international "festival" I went to, when Amber tricked me into going on stage with her for what turned out to be some sort of coordinated dance that I couldn't even begin to follow. How embarrassing. I'll never forgive her.
I'm also finalizing the plans of my winter break, when 4 girls (four girls, four horsemen of the apocalypse, coincidence...? ;) ) from America will descend upon Japan and expect me to show them something about this place. Hopefully I can. I look forward to seeing them regardless :)