- 2022.12.25
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Have a holly jolly Christmas…Kochi style!
Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you are all spending quality time with loved ones on this festive day, feeling full (figuratively with happiness and literally with tons of yummy food).
Everyone in Japan loves Christmas, and one of the most popular activities is seeing beautiful illuminations. Until January 29, high-tech projections illuminate Kochi Castle in ways you’ve never seen before. Honoring the works of famous nature-loving artists like Monet, Van Gogh and Renoir, as well as Kochi-born botanist Dr. Tomitaro Makino, you will find ever-moving images of flowers and artistic colors decorating the 400-year-old architectural gem.
But Christmas should be a winter wonderland! Where’s the snow? No worries! Although Kochi is mostly known for its relatively warm climates, Ino Town is home to cold temperatures and oftentimes magical snowfall! Hongawa Snow Park is an event that typically takes place in early February where families and visitors gather to build igloos, enjoy sledding and other winter activities. Definitely keep an eye out on the Ino Town events page (linked below) for updates!
Illuminations and snow are both pretty universal ways of enjoying the holiday season, but there are certain customs in Japan that might surprise you! First off, fried chicken. Yep, you will find millions of Japanese people enjoying a hearty KFC meal on Christmas Day, which is a custom that dates back to a successful 1970s marketing campaign. When Japan’s first KFC owner overheard several internationals talking about how they missed quintessential turkey holiday dinners, he thought fried chicken could be an excellent substitute. He began marketing festively-decorated KFC ‘party barrels’ as the perfect way to celebrate the holidays, and the rest is history!
But today’s topic is all about having a Kochi-style Christmas, so how about picking up fried chicken at Hirome Market? The Yoshioka Seiniku shop right near the entrance of the beloved local market offers hefty chunks of Japanese-style fried chicken in delicious flavors like basil and sansho peppercorns. Hirome Market is also the perfect place to enjoy the holiday spirit with family, friends, and jolly locals!
Speaking of the perfect holiday meal, what’s for dessert? Well, Japanese Christmas cake or ‘kurisumasu keki’ is the way to go! A simple sponge cake with whipped cream and strawberries, it’s THE classic holiday confection in Japan. If you’re looking for the perfect slice in Kochi though, definitely head to family-owned Kaze Kobo, which is just around an hour from Kochi City by car. Their special strawberries are not only locally-grown, but harvested only when they reach perfect ripeness, and served that very day. Their Christmas cakes are pure farm to table, and well-worth the trip from Kochi City.
How are you spending the holidays?
Thank you to @風工房 (Kaze Kobo) for letting us share their beautiful strawberry cake photo!
Learn more about Hirome Market: https://visitkochijapan.com/en/see-and-do/10024
Kochi Castle illumination event: https://kochi-tabi.jp/kanko-campaign/art_plus-kochi/
Kaze Kobo: https://kaze-sweets.com/
Ino Town: https://www.inofan.jp/
Everyone in Japan loves Christmas, and one of the most popular activities is seeing beautiful illuminations. Until January 29, high-tech projections illuminate Kochi Castle in ways you’ve never seen before. Honoring the works of famous nature-loving artists like Monet, Van Gogh and Renoir, as well as Kochi-born botanist Dr. Tomitaro Makino, you will find ever-moving images of flowers and artistic colors decorating the 400-year-old architectural gem.
But Christmas should be a winter wonderland! Where’s the snow? No worries! Although Kochi is mostly known for its relatively warm climates, Ino Town is home to cold temperatures and oftentimes magical snowfall! Hongawa Snow Park is an event that typically takes place in early February where families and visitors gather to build igloos, enjoy sledding and other winter activities. Definitely keep an eye out on the Ino Town events page (linked below) for updates!
Illuminations and snow are both pretty universal ways of enjoying the holiday season, but there are certain customs in Japan that might surprise you! First off, fried chicken. Yep, you will find millions of Japanese people enjoying a hearty KFC meal on Christmas Day, which is a custom that dates back to a successful 1970s marketing campaign. When Japan’s first KFC owner overheard several internationals talking about how they missed quintessential turkey holiday dinners, he thought fried chicken could be an excellent substitute. He began marketing festively-decorated KFC ‘party barrels’ as the perfect way to celebrate the holidays, and the rest is history!
But today’s topic is all about having a Kochi-style Christmas, so how about picking up fried chicken at Hirome Market? The Yoshioka Seiniku shop right near the entrance of the beloved local market offers hefty chunks of Japanese-style fried chicken in delicious flavors like basil and sansho peppercorns. Hirome Market is also the perfect place to enjoy the holiday spirit with family, friends, and jolly locals!
Speaking of the perfect holiday meal, what’s for dessert? Well, Japanese Christmas cake or ‘kurisumasu keki’ is the way to go! A simple sponge cake with whipped cream and strawberries, it’s THE classic holiday confection in Japan. If you’re looking for the perfect slice in Kochi though, definitely head to family-owned Kaze Kobo, which is just around an hour from Kochi City by car. Their special strawberries are not only locally-grown, but harvested only when they reach perfect ripeness, and served that very day. Their Christmas cakes are pure farm to table, and well-worth the trip from Kochi City.
How are you spending the holidays?
Thank you to @風工房 (Kaze Kobo) for letting us share their beautiful strawberry cake photo!
Learn more about Hirome Market: https://visitkochijapan.com/en/see-and-do/10024
Kochi Castle illumination event: https://kochi-tabi.jp/kanko-campaign/art_plus-kochi/
Kaze Kobo: https://kaze-sweets.com/
Ino Town: https://www.inofan.jp/
