Why Christmas Means KFC In Japan
Christmas celebrations in the United States often feature turkey, ham, or both as the star protein(s) in a homemade family feast. However, holiday revelers in Japan customarily enjoy a far different option: KFC's famous bucket of fried chicken. And the reasons for this unusual tradition run through the devastation of World War II, and a little bit of slick marketing.
The arrival of KFC to Japan was part of an era of profound national change that followed the former empire's defeat in World War II. The Allied occupation infused Japanese society with decades of American influence, including food and holidays. Although the encroachment of American culture made Christmas a bigger and bigger phenomenon, Christianity is traditionally unpopular in Japan. Japanese society therefore did not adopt many religious customs related to Christmas, but the booming post-war economy did leave people wanting to buy stuff — specifically, American stuff.
In November 1970, businessman Takeshi Okawara took advantage of the demand for Americanized consumerism and opened Japan's first KFC, selling fried chicken much different than traditional karaage. The business was successful, but he soon took advantage of another opportunity to define Christmastime for an entire nation.
How KFC Became A Japanese Christmas Tradition
Legend has it that one day, Okawara overheard a homesick American expatriate longing for turkey during the holiday season, and conceding that fried chicken was the best alternative. Inspired by these comments, Okawara soon began pushing buckets of the 11 herbs and spices as a special Christmastime item.
Okawara's holiday buckets were a success, but became a true sensation in 1974 with the snappy, memorable slogan, "Kentucky for Christmas." The holiday promotion soon became a nationwide craze and took on a life of its own. Okawara's runaway success elevated him to president and CEO of KFC Japan a decade later, titles he held until 2002.
Half a century since the promotion's national debut, Kentucky is still for Christmas in much of Japan. KFC does a whopping one-third of its Japanese business during the holiday season — some individual stores do up to 10 times their usual business. Most of this crushing demand is from preorders of holiday chicken feasts, including Japanese Christmas cakes, which are numerous enough for KFC to make the promotional period an entire month long. The preorder is essential, though: customers who try to order in-store can wait for hours.