Although Japan has its own distinctive Christmas traditions, it’s perfectly happy to import them from other countries, too. For the past 30 years, Finnish airline Finnair has had an annual tradition of inviting a Santa Claus certified by Finland’s Santa Claus Foundation (yes, that’s a real thing) to Japan to mark the start of the holiday season. However, due to Covid-19, Santa’s visit has been cancelled for the first time.
The certified Saint Nick makes his rounds in Japan by visiting daycare facilities and events, handing out gifts to children. Last year, Santa was even greeted upon his arrival at Narita Airport. As reported by The Mainichi Shimbun, a Finnair representative has stated that Santa will come back to visit Japan once the situation improves. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that that happens soon.
To get you into the holiday spirit, here are eight amazing ways to spend Christmas in Tokyo instead.
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