🍗🎄 KFC and Christmas in Japan: how it has become a tradition!

Did you know that Japan has a truly unique Christmas tradition? It doesn’t involve Santa hats or caroling, it’s all about crispy fried chicken from KFC!
Yep, every December, millions of families in Japan celebrate the holiday with a "party barrel" from KFC.

Let’s dig into how this tradition got started and why it’s become such a hit!

🍗 The origins of “Kentucky for Christmas”

Back in the 1970s, Christmas wasn’t widely celebrated in Japan. Takeshi Okawara, the manager of Japan’s first KFC, had an idea: why not market fried chicken as the perfect Christmas meal? He was inspired after hearing that expats in Japan missed turkey for the holidays. So, in 1974, KFC launched its first Christmas campaign with the tagline Kurisumasu ni ha Kentakkii (Kentucky for Christmas). The campaign promised an easy, festive alternative to homemade meals and became an instant success!

クリスマスにはケンタッキー動画

🎅 A festive marketing genius

KFC went all out to make fried chicken a Christmas staple. Stores featured statues of Colonel Sanders dressed as Santa, and the famous “party barrels” came with chicken, sides, and even desserts like cakes. Over the years, the tradition has only grown bigger. These days, families pre-order their Christmas KFC meals months in advance to avoid long lines, and December 24 is KFC Japan's busiest day of the year.

🍗 Why fried chicken? Why not?

For many Japanese people, Christmas is less about religious traditions and more about sharing a fun, romantic, or family-oriented evening. KFC’s campaign filled a gap, it gave people an easy way to enjoy a Western-style celebration. Today, it’s estimated that over 3.6 million families in Japan indulge in KFC every Christmas. The “party barrel” has even evolved to include premium chicken dishes and collectible buckets.

Did you know that KFC was so popular during Christmas time?

Your Sensei,
Hikari 👩🏻‍🏫