Why couples in Japan treat Christmas like a second Valentine’s Day

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One of Sumire Sekino’s most memorable Christmases involved spending the day hopping around some of Tokyo’s best date spots with her boyfriend.

That day, she recalled, began with the pair snapping away at TeamLab, an immersive and extremely Instagrammable digital art installation. Then, they headed up Shibuya Sky, an observation deck perched 751 feet off the ground, to catch a panoramic view of the Japanese capital.

“It was only our first month together, so we were still nervous. But I had so much fun going to these places with him for the first time,” says the university student.

Another student, Akao Takao, 19, checked out some dazzling light displays and went to a Christmas market with his girlfriend last year, before they sat down for a belly warming hot chocolate.

“I had a wonderful experience,” he recounts.

In Western culture, Christmas is that time of the year when families gather around a long table to catch up, opening lavishly wrapped gifts and sipping eggnog. Some attend church.

But in Japan, the festive season has long taken on an additional dimension, a rather romantic one: it’s widely seen as another Valentine’s Day.

Couples go on a special date on Christmas Eve, checking out festive decorations, dining at fancy restaurants and staying at luxury hotels.

Love is in the air everywhere from Tokyo — where its bustling districts like Roppongi and Ginza are filled with couples holding hands on the streets, lined with sparking trees — to Hokkaido, where the promise of a white Christmas awaits.

For guys who are willing to splurge a little, luxury hotel rooms with spectacular views — which easily run up to $2,000 per night — are on offer, if they haven’t already been booked solid.

Young people in Japan tend to stay with their parents until they get married, so spending a night together outside the home is seen as a special treat.

This year, the Ritz-Carlton Tokyo offers a “romantic escape” that includes credits for a fine dinner and ice skating experience at an outdoor rink. Grand Hyatt Tokyo, meanwhile, promises a “romantic evening,” offering rooms that overlook the festively-lit trees.

Restaurants and shops also seize on the opportunity to unveil special dinner sets and discounts on a range of gifts, from chocolates to jewelries.

“It’s all about mood and atmosphere,” associate professor Roy Starrs, who specializes in Japanese studies at the University of Otago in New Zealand, tells CNN Travel.

“Young couples go out together on dates once it gets dark to view the spectacular displays of colorful lights and this is thought to be a very romantic atmosphere conducive to young love.”

A country of 124 million, Japan’s most-followed religion is Shintoism, with less than one percent of its population being Christian. And yet, the nation celebrates Christmas in full spirit.

Christianity entered Japan in the mid-16th century, according to Starrs, but was largely suppressed for another two and a half centuries during the Tokugawa era, a period marked by its strict social order and isolationist policies.

It wasn’t until after WWII that American culture began to sweep through Japan, bringing Christmas along with it. But the holiday has been celebrated with a uniquely Japanese touch.

“Most Japanese do not view Christmas as any kind of religious event but as a pop-cultural spectacle imported from the West — an aesthetically pleasing melange of bright lights, Santa Claus dolls, Christmas markets, colorfully wrapped gifts [and] Christmas cakes,” says Starrs.

Japan is a society that values aesthetics highly, he adds, so it makes sense that these festive displays, often accompanied by ample snow, concoct the perfect recipe for a romantic white Christmas.

“The couple may also exchange gifts, visit an exotic German–style Christmas market, and end the evening in a fancy French or Italian restaurant. And after all that the mood may be exactly right for a marriage proposal!” says Starrs.

The romantic spin of Christmas may be one of the best presents the Japanese government can hope for, as it scrambles to boost marriages and births.

Its fertility rate plunged to 1.20 last year, another record low, far below the 2.1 required to maintain a stable population in a country.

For the older generation in what was once the world’s second biggest economy, lavishness was the way to go, the glitzier the better. Apart from expensive hotels, men often popped open bottles of champagne and rented limousines for a night to impress.

But after years of stagnation, Japan’s once enviable economic prowess has lost it shine, slipping to world’s number four spot earlier this year. With the rising cost of living — exacerbated by the recent depreciation of Japanese yen — young couples are looking for creative ways to celebrate.

University student Inoue Shogo, 23, says he would avoid hotels because of the price surge.

“Since the Western food gets more expensive, as everyone seeks for a Christmas dinner, we opt for a cheaper version which is usually Japanese food,” he says.

Simply having a Christmas cake, staying home for a private party, and checking out Christmas lights have become more popular options among the younger generation these days, according to a recent survey by marketing company MERY.

Yuhi Hasegawa, 19, visited Enoshima with his girlfriend last year, soaking in the festive lights and beautiful views.

The small island is located an hour train away south of Toyko, known for its sandy beaches and a relaxed lifestyle.

“We should value the time with our partner. Instead of spending money on fancy restaurants or luxury cosmetics, staying home, watching ‘First Love’ (a Netflix love series) and finding true love might be the perfect solution,” he says.

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