The Colonel Rules Nippon Christmas Dinner




Christmas isn’t a national holiday in Japan but many Japanese celebrate the 25th with a special meal: fried chicken – specifically, Kentucky Fried Chicken. Colonel Sander’s chicken is considered a Christmas tradition there. The fast-food chain is so popular long lines form outside Japanese stores

I thought the story was a hoax, having lived there for almost five years and being married to a Japanese woman who lived there until she was 25 years old.

My wife and I have never heard of this tradition, never ate KFC chicken on Christmas nor ever visited anyone's house where KFC chicken was served on Christmas.

We never saw a TV, magazine, newspaper, or bill-board advertisement associating KFC chicken for christmas.

I googled the story, and found several newspaper articles talking about the phenomenon, so I guess it's true, but I'm guessing it might be a regional thing.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Japanese KFC does not taste the same as here. It has a bit of a fish oil taste to it.

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Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

I can say for a fact what is a Christmas tradition in Japan: Christmas cakes.

They eat Christmas cake on Christmas eve, although they have no idea why they do it.

They also assume we do in the U.S., but we don't, which leaves them puzzles as to the origins of the tradition.

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Paul S.

2001 E430, Bourdeaux Red, Oyster interior.
79,200 miles.

1973 280SE 4.5, 170,000 miles. 568 Signal Red, Black MB Tex. "The Red Baron".

Is this because Col Sanders looks like Santa Claus?

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1998 C230 330,000 miles (currently dead of second failed EIS, yours will fail too, turning you into the dealer's personal human cash machine)
1988 F150 144,000 miles (leaks all the colors of the rainbow)
Previous stars: 1981 Brava 210,000 miles, 1978 128 150,000 miles, 1977 B200 Van 175,000 miles, 1972 Vega (great, if rusty, car), 1972 Celica, 1986.5 Supra

It is kinda funny the way some western traditions have been adopted in Japan. In the great Kurosawa movie 'Ikiru,' at one point the hero is in a restaurant pondering his fate and next move when he suddenly gets an epiphany. He strides out of the restaurant just as someone walks in and friends of that person start singing "happy birthday" in heavily accented English.

When I studied Japanese in college, I had a tape that would read the English word, and then the Japanese translation. For the word "necktie" the J. translation was "neh-koo-tah-ee." A sport jacket is called a "su-mo-king" after the English "smoking jacket." Go figure. There is no "sm" consonant sound in Japanese, or a "th" sound. In our practice dialogs, Mr. Smith was "Su-mi-su San."

I heard the piece on the radio about KFC. They said people got reservations for Christmas time and that it started with westerners in Japan wanting something similar to turkey for Christmas dinner.

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Te futueo et caballum tuum

1986 300SDL, 362K
1984 300D, 138K

and you would know this because you've been to KFC in japan, presumably? of course the big food chains like KFC and micky-dee's will adjust the flavors of all their foods to fit their domestic markets, but if i was a bettin man, i'd bet you were just poking fun at mr. MTI's people with that comment. not me, though, i'd never do that

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I travel to Japan occasionally with my job. There is a KFC right across from the hotel, so I ate there a few times.

There is also a McDonalds down the street. Their stuff is similar to here, although they have a few menu items which we don;t have here.

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Palangi

2004 C240 Wagon 203.261 Baby Benz
2008 ML320 CDI Highway Cruiser
2006 Toyota Prius, Saving the Planet @ 48 mpg
2000 F-150, Destroying the Planet @ 20 mpg



TRUMP .......... WHITEHOUSE
HILLARY .........JAILHOUSE
BERNIE .......... NUTHOUSE
0BAMA .......... OUTHOUSE

I have started a new Christmass tradition of drinking sake, sake is good gets you a nice buzz.

I have been sipping sake since 2pm.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

while i was stationed at ft. campbell, i went to the KFC there. campbell's on the border between tennessee and kentucky, and the KFC was actually in kentucky. so i've been to a KFC actually in the state from which the colonel came from

hey, MTI, as an older gentleman of japanese descent, do you also eat KFC for christmas? or are you purist who eats traditional japanese fare? you know, tempura, sushi, sashimi, udon noodles, etc.?

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