Japanese Christmas Party
Christmas is not a holiday in Japan. When it falls on a weekday I invariably have to work. To many Western foreigners here for the first time during the year-end holiday season this fact of life is a bit of culture shock. But I have long since gotten over the shock myself. Fortunately the Emperor's birthday, December 23rd and a national public holiday, falls in such close proximity to Christmas that my family and I have habitually used it as our Christmas dinner party day. It is a convenient substitute. Our Christmas dinners typically look like this. Deliciously filling without the over-indulgence of North America.