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What better way to spend Christmas than eating fried chicken and strawberry shortcake? While it may not be exactly traditional from a Westerner’s point of view, that’s the way they do it in Japan, especially if the chicken is from good ol’ American fast food restaurant, Kentucky Fried Chicken. It’s so popular, in fact, that placing orders for Christmas chicken ahead of time is highly recommended, especially if you want a special box, because they might not have any left if you go in on the day.
With it being tradition to eat KFC on Christmas, it’s no wonder that KFC Japan’s sales between December 23 and 25 are calculated to be over 6 billion yen.
That’s the equivalent of about 24 million pieces, enough for every person in Tokyo to have two and a half pieces. Perhaps the only equivalent might be turkey sales during U.S. Thanksgiving, but KFC is a fast food chain, not a whole industry, and Japan is a much smaller country than the U.S., so it’s amazing that a single company could have such high numbers over such a short time span.
This year’s sales are also 1.4 percent more than last year’s, and the highest ever recorded for a Christmas season. The company estimates that it’s because of their promotional campaign, which was composed of a cheery, Christmassy TV commercial featuring a song written exclusively for the campaign by famous songstress Mariya Takeuchi. They also believe it’s because they opened both online and in-store reservations as early as November 1, offering five different Christmas Packs and three different Party Barrels, including chicken that wouldn’t smell too strongly on the train and bother other passengers, so that no one would miss out on the delicious tradition. They sure do have the advantage of variety (and consideration).
The fast food giant’s success at Christmas could also be due to the fact that it’s simply an increasingly popular tradition. What’s Christmas without KFC? Besides, their constant stream of great offers throughout the year, like all-you-can-drink deals for 1,000 yen, wholesome deli takeout, and yummy character-inspired desserts may have helped boost their image, making everyone crave KFC every day. And let’s not forget their delightful KFC seasoning bath salts.
Whatever the case, it seems like KFC is doing something right. Somehow they’ve managed to maintain dominance on the fried and grilled chicken market, making them almost the sole provider of a Chicken Christmas.
Source: KFC Holdings, Japan
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© SoraNews24
18 Comments
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Pukey2
Well no wonder KFC is milking Xmas for all it's worth. As for us, we had wonderful, healthy soul-food-type Xmas fare during the festive season.
patty cake champion
Why note celebrate the birth of some Middle Eastern god incarnate you don't even worship with chicken?
Brian Wheway
For me eating some fast food on Christmas day is the last thing on my mind! you can do that on any other of the 365 days in the year.
Strangerland
I celebrate Xmas but for me it’s nothing to do with any god. It’s a time to spend with family and friends and eat good food.
Not this fast food - the chickens KFC offers on Xmas aren’t on offer the rest of the year. I got it one year, and it was surprisingly delicious.
lostrune2
That's a lot of nookie!
nandakandamanda
Let us pray that some of this vast profit will be spent on something good, such as improving the miserable lives of the chickens to start with.
sensei258
Enjoy the fried chicken if you wish, but during this holiday season consider those less fortunate than you. In the Philippines (and probably other countries) there are those who are so desperately poor and hungry that they pick the chicken bones and scraps out of the trash, rinse them off, then reheat them so they can be eaten.
Dan Lewis
@sensei258 - those activities are not mutually exclusive.
GW
THAT is a LOT of Dirty-Bird!! Yikes
clamenza
No thanks. Christmas is for being around loved ones, not immersing yourself in a soul-sucking sea of guilt for the misfortunes of others out of your control.
Robert Dykes
I have real mixed feelings about how Japan treats and commercializes Christmas. Don't get me wrong, the west does it as well. All that being said in my spare time I help host an eikaiwa class with a group of senior citizens and they really help put a lot of things in perspective for me. They grew up post war and explained to me that for one Christmas was a time when they got to eat things that were extremely sparse in those time. I think Japanese Christmas cakes are pretty ridiculous and don't really like them, but think if you had one of those in 1950 Japan?! Also the fried chicken thing is 100% marketing, but chicken on Christmas in Japan is not. Turkeys are not as prevalent and if they were, most people simply dont have the ovens to cook them. So yes I think most of modern Japanese Christmas is pretty ridiculous, it is like western Christmas, born out of tradition, but from post war Japan getting what used to be rare delicacy type foods. Let's not forget that most of USA Christmas is born from Coca Cola and ABC and NBC made for TV movies like Charlie Brown Christmas and Rudolf the Rednosed Reindeer.
Pukey2
Like, I've said before, I'm not really into KFC.
sf2k
Japan embraces a higher diabetes rate than the USA
Wallace Fred
My local KFC sources from the irradiated region so no thanks!
Disillusioned
I cannot understand the connection between KFC and Christmas dinner in Japan. Where, when and why did it come about? I see people lining up for a 100m from 11am at my local KFC on Christmas Eve to get their greasy deep fried chicken fix. Yes, some do sell roasted chicken for Christmas, but it is not prepared on site and is not fresh either.
Toasted Heretic
Actually, Christmas is precisely about helping others and dealing with misfortunes. It stems all the way back to when those refugees found themselves homeless in Bethlehem.
That's why so many people help out with soup kitchens and providing meals to the poor and needy. And not just xmas, either.
kurisupisu
If the Japanese could 'see' the factory farms which KFC rely on then chicken would not be the food of choice here!
Actually, due to the ammonia build up in these farms it is hard to see anything and it is necessary to wear googles for eye protection....