Yoi o toshi o

The final day of 2008 is a still and perfect winter’s day. The air is crisp and refreshing, the sun bright and the sky brilliantly blue. But it feels odd.

Tokyo itself is eerily empty and silent, the shops shuttered, the streets deserted save for one or two cars and an occasional pedestrian.



It’s a little unnerving, in the way apocalyptic sci-fi films are when they portray big cities void of humans (usually wiped out by a virus cure that turns all humans into zombies except one resourceful survivor and his dog - who play golf each day – and create a new cure - for the zombies this time - meanwhile discovering a whole colony of survivors - a mere 4 hour drive away. Terrible ending)....sorry, where was I?

Oh, so Christmas was unusual this year.

The scale of preparations and celebrations in the leadup was impressive and promised big things. Spectacular light displays, drunken christmas parties, carols and Santas abound.


Tokyo Midtown light display


Part of the Shinjuku terrace display



Everyone getting into the Christmas spirit

But the day itself came and went in a relatively low key manner. As though Christmas incarnate, merely nodded briefly in acknowledgment as she passed by, on her way somewhere else.

In Japan, Christmas is a date day for couples who spend it having dinner, holding hands, on the ferris wheel and so on and so on.

For my part, after speaking with family on skype, I shared some christmas pancakes with a friend from the guesthouse. Upon realizing we had read many of the same books, and me lamenting that I had no good book to read, we decided a trip to the library, where we could wander the isles fulls of strange and fantastic worlds, would be an appropriate way to spend the day.



I borrowed the last two books in the Harry Potter series and a small book on Japanese fairystories called The Neverending Forest. So when I got back home, I happily retired to my room and spent the rest of the day (and any spare time during the rest of the week) at Hogwarts.

Ahh…A good game, a good book, or a good film / dvd series to immerse oneself in. Bliss!



The clock struck midnight, Christmas day was over. The decorations were whipped down, and the preparations for New Year’s begins. Cards are sent, pine and bamboo wreaths are hung to bring good luck, cooks start busily making new year dishes.

New Years in Japan is usually spent with family, and includes the all important first visit to a Shrine where people wish for good fortune, good prosperity and good health,

As to be expected, there are the usual parties on but to be honest, I’m quite happy to bade 2008 a non descript goodbye and serenely welcome 2009, perhaps curling up with a bottle of wine and a good book.

In a city with over 12 million people, surely I’d be forgiven for preferring to spend a quiet evening with Mr Potter and his wizard friends in their final battle against evil?


With 2009 now a mere 4 or 5 hours away, Yoi - o – toshio – o to earthlings and aliens alike. I hope 2009 brings much health, happiness and mumbeans.