Pre-orders Start Before Christmas
Popular Saying: "Americans Eat Chicken on Christmas"
[Asia Economy Reporter Jeon Jinyoung] "Kentaki yoyakushita? (Did you reserve KFC chicken?)"
One of the most common phrases heard in Japan ahead of the Christmas season is "Did you reserve KFC chicken for Christmas?" It is often used like a greeting. On social networking services (SNS), reservation ‘proof shots’ showing receipts of pre-orders frequently appear. In Japan, there is a culture of eating KFC, Kentucky Fried Chicken, in large buckets with close ones on Christmas. Locally, it is joked that "Christmas KFC is a traditional Japanese culture."
Japan KFC accepts chicken pre-orders before Christmas. A special Christmas party pack combining chicken and side menus is also released. According to NHK, online reservations for this year closed on the 22nd, but Japan KFC also posted a notice saying, “Some stores may still accept reservations, so please inquire at each store.” Some stores even close on Christmas Eve, December 24th, selling only pre-ordered items, showing how strong Japanese people’s love for Christmas KFC is. In fact, Japan KFC’s Christmas season sales reach ten times the average monthly sales.
When did this Japanese culture start? Tracing back, it is connected to Japan’s economic growth period. After World War II, during Japan’s rapid economic growth, overseas franchises began entering Japan one after another. KFC also entered at this time, opening its first store in Nagoya in 1970.
At that time, KFC chicken was an unfamiliar food to Japanese people. During the early period of low sales, the store manager, Ookawa Takeshi, was asked by a nearby Christian kindergarten if he could dress as Santa and bring chicken for Christmas. Mr. Ookawa gladly accepted, dressed as Santa, and danced in front of the children holding a KFC chicken bucket.
This word of mouth spread, and Mr. Ookawa even appeared in a TV interview. In this interview, he declared the formula ‘Christmas = KFC’ to the Japanese people. When asked by the host, “Do Americans really eat chicken at Christmas?” he answered “Yes” without hesitation. He later revealed in a media interview that he deliberately lied knowing that Americans actually eat turkey (Kentucky) rather than chicken.
Regardless of his lie, the single phrase ‘Americans eat chicken at Christmas’ started to boost the struggling Japan KFC’s sales. Since 1974, all Japan KFC stores began holding Christmas events. In short, this Christmas culture is a success story of the store manager’s marketing.
Meanwhile, there is another hypothesis. In the early 1970s, a foreigner visiting Japan KFC at Christmas said, “We have to have a Christmas party, but since turkey is not available in Japan, we will substitute with Kentucky Fried Chicken,” which is said to have triggered the trend. Whatever the case, the name ‘Kentucky’ clearly sparked a craze in Japan.
Every year before Christmas, Japan KFC releases a new CM song and airs TV commercials. Japanese people say that just seeing the KFC ads makes them feel that Christmas is approaching and excites them. Whatever they eat, Christmas is a day to spend precious time with close ones. The excitement Christmas brings seems to be universal.
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