Seasonal travelBy Clever Tourists · Published
Christmas in Japan is a working day, not a holiday: the Cabinet Office's list of national holidays has nothing in December, so Friday 25 December 2026 runs as normal, with shops, trains and sights open. The celebration happens on Christmas Eve, a date night, with illuminations, strawberry cake and fried chicken. KFC's own history of the tradition calls 24 December KFC Japan's busiest day of the year, ten times busier than its annual average. Tokyo Christmas Market has moved for 2026: its official site lists Shin-Toyosu and Shiba Park, and the old Meiji Jingu Gaien site is not on the list. We were in Tokyo from 18 to 22 March and 15 to 20 April 2023, so this page comes from official sites and press reports, not from a Christmas of our own in Japan.
No. The Cabinet Office's holiday table for 2026 has its last entry on 23 November, and the next is 1 January 2027. Thursday 24 and Friday 25 December 2026 are ordinary working days, so expect normal commuter trains and normal office hours.
Christians are a small minority, and for most people the season is a secular one: lights, gifts, a date, a cake. What you will not find is the European shutdown. The closures in Japan come a week later, at New Year.
Tourists often ask whether anything happens on 23 December. It was a national holiday until 2018 as the then Emperor's birthday. The holiday moved with the new Emperor and now falls on 23 February.
Christmas Eve in Japan works more like Valentine's Day in the West. Couples go out, and restaurants with a view or a set menu fill up for the evening. If you want a proper dinner in a big city on the 24th, reserve it before you travel. Our Japan in December guide has the wider picture.
The other fixture is Christmas cake, a sponge with cream and strawberries sold by bakeries, department stores and convenience stores, with most sold around the 24th and 25th. KFC's history traces the home Christmas in Japan to confectioners promoting cakes and sweets for children in the late 1960s.
On the 25th, the season ends quickly. Roppongi Hills, both Tokyo Christmas Market sites and the Yokohama market all close on that day, and shops move straight to New Year displays.
KFC's account of the tradition dates the first Christmas campaign to 1974, built on a remark by a foreign customer who could not find a turkey. The "Kentucky for Christmas" line stuck, and the company now says 24 December is its busiest day.
A walk-in on Christmas Eve is the wrong plan. KFC runs reservations for pick-up on fixed dates. We could not load KFC Japan's 2026 page, so these are last year's dates:
• 2025 reservations: opened on 4 November on KFC Net Order, with in-store availability varying.
• 2025 early booking: until 12 December, a Party Barrel Original cost ¥4,990 (≈ $32) instead of ¥5,490 (≈ $35), as reported by Impress Watch.
• 2025 pick-up window: 19 to 25 December.
KFC's own account says it can start taking preorders as early as late October. Confirm the 2026 dates and prices with KFC Japan. If you miss the booking window, a convenience store sells its own fried chicken with no reservation.
These markets have announced 2026 dates. Hours and prices can change, so check again before you go.
Tokyo Christmas Market is at two sites this year. Shin-Toyosu is new. Last year's market was at Meiji Jingu Gaien and Shiba Park. The official site's Q&A gives timed 30-minute entry and cash or cashless payment on site. It says the market runs in rain but may be cancelled for severe weather.
The Q&A also says ticket sales will be announced later, while press reports say advance tickets went on sale on 1 October 2026. Treat that as a conflict and check the official site.
Weekday and weekend prices are shown for Shin-Toyosu from 20 November to 23 December. We did not find separate Shiba Park prices for the days before the 24th. Our illuminations guide has the Roppongi Hills light dates, which we do not repeat here.
| Market | Dates | Hours | Entry | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Christmas Market, Shin-Toyosu (Toyosu 6-4) | 20 Nov to 25 Dec | 11:00 to 21:30, last entry 20:30; first day from 16:00 | Adults ¥1,000 (≈ $6.3) weekdays, ¥1,500 (≈ $9.5) weekends and holidays; ¥2,000 (≈ $12.7) on 24 and 25 Dec | Official site |
| Tokyo Christmas Market, Shiba Park (Onarimon station square) | 4 to 25 Dec | 11:00 to 22:00, last entry 21:00; first day from 16:00 | Adults ¥2,000 (≈ $12.7) on 24 and 25 Dec; other days not confirmed | Official site |
| Roppongi Hills Christmas Market (Oyane Plaza) | 21 Nov to 25 Dec | 11:00 to 21:00 | Not listed | Roppongi Hills, per our illuminations guide |
| Christmas Market in Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse | 20 Nov to 25 Dec | Not confirmed | From ¥500 (≈ $3.2) reported; the Christmas Village area is reported free | Press release coverage; official page did not load |
For dates, hours and prices of the light-ups, use our Japan winter illuminations guide. One thing to add for Christmas week: Roppongi Hills' Keyakizaka lights and Osaka's Nakanoshima projection mapping both end on 25 December, while Marunouchi carries on into February. If you arrive after Christmas, choose accordingly.
Catholic and Protestant churches hold Christmas Eve services, and visitors are generally welcome. St Mary's Cathedral in Sekiguchi, Tokyo, is the Catholic cathedral, and GO TOKYO lists general opening hours of 9:00 to 17:00 outside services. We could not find its 2025 Christmas Mass times, and travel guides say Masses there are in Japanese. Ask the parish in December. For behaviour at religious sites, our Japan etiquette guide is a good start.
Over Christmas itself, everything is open, including department stores, museums, temples and restaurants. Trains run to normal timetables. That makes 24 and 25 December easy days for sightseeing, and the crowds shift to the evening.
A week later it is different. Many workplaces close from about 29 December to 3 January, and many museums, gardens and castles close for several days, as covered in what's open on Christmas Day abroad. Do your museums before the 28th.
If you are staying for New Year, read hatsumode 2027 and Joya no Kane 2026. Our Japan in winter guide covers the weather and packing: Tokyo in December is cold and usually dry, about 4 to 12°C on Japan Meteorological Agency normals.
Base yourself by which evenings you want, since the Christmas action in Tokyo is after dark.
• Tokyo Station, Marunouchi and Ginza: on foot from the Marunouchi lights. The best pick for a short Christmas stay.
• Shinjuku: the most practical all-round base, and on the Yamanote line for everything else.
• Asakusa or Ueno: usually better value, and handy for Senso-ji at New Year.
• Yokohama: only if the Red Brick market is your priority; otherwise it is a day trip.
• Osaka: Namba or Umeda, both close to Midosuji. Midosuji Illumination runs to 31 December.
See where to stay in Tokyo, how many days in Tokyo, where to stay in Osaka and how many days in Osaka. Our month guide calls 1 to about 20 December the cheapest and quietest stretch, so hotels around Christmas will not be the bargain they were two weeks earlier. We have no sourced prices for 2026. For money and arrival, see how much cash to bring and our Tokyo guide.
No. The Cabinet Office lists no national holiday in December, so 25 December 2026 is a normal working day and shops and trains run as usual.
It is the safe plan. In 2025 reservations opened on 4 November with pick-up from 19 to 25 December. The 2026 dates need confirming with KFC Japan.
At Shin-Toyosu from 20 November to 25 December and Shiba Park from 4 to 25 December, according to the official site. Meiji Jingu Gaien is not listed.
Nothing much on 24 and 25 December. Closures come at New Year, with many workplaces shut from about 29 December to 3 January and many museums closed for several days.
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