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What do Japanese people do on Christmas? Results from the “Christmas Awareness Survey”
Preply, an online language learning platform offering one-on-one lessons with tutors (headquartered in the U.S., CEO: Kirill Bigai), conducted an online survey focusing on how Christmas traditions differ from country to country. The survey explored popular Christmas songs in Japan and how people typically spend the holiday. The results have now been published.
Survey Highlights
The most iconic Christmas song that comes to mind for Japanese people is Tatsuro Yamashita’s “Christmas Eve.”
- In 2024, most people plan to spend Christmas (or Christmas Eve) with family or relatives.
- The most popular activity for Christmas 2024 is eating cake.
- The romantic phrase people most want to hear on Christmas is: “I want to spend every Christmas by your side forever.”
What Is the “Classic Christmas Song” for Japanese People?
First of all, I asked him what his classic Christmas song is.
| Rank | Song Title | ％ |
| 1 | “Christmas Eve” by Tatsuro Yamashita | 24.4％ |
| 2 | “Last Christmas” by Wham! | 21.8％ |
| 3 | “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey | 11.6％ |
| 4 | “Jingle Bells” | 10.0％ |
| 5 | “Koibito ga Santa Claus” by Yumi Matsutoya | 7.2％ |
| 6 | “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” by Mariah Carey | 4.9％ |
| 7 | “Meri Kuri” by BoA | 4.5％ |
| 8 | “Shiroi Koibito-tachi” by Keisuke Kuwata | 3.3％ |
| 9 | “Heroine” by Back Number | 3.0％ |
| 10 | “Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms | 2.2％ |
Tatsuro Yamashita’s “Christmas Eve” ranked at the top with 24.4%.
This song, released in 1983, holds a Guinness World Record as a track that appeared on Japan’s single charts for over 20 consecutive years, from 1986 to 2015. It remains a beloved piece of music associated with Christmas in Japan for decades.
Coming in second is Wham!’s “Last Christmas,” at 21.8%. This song is a staple during the Christmas season and is frequently played in public spaces. Released in 1984, it has also remained a favorite for nearly 40 years, just like “Christmas Eve.”
In third place is Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” followed by “Jingle Bells” in fourth, and Yumi Matsutoya’s “Koibito ga Santa Claus” in fifth.
Most Japanese People Spend Christmas with Family!
Next, let’s take a look at who people plan to spend Christmas (or Christmas Eve) with in 2024.
| Family or relatives | 57.7％ |
| Alone | 29.1％ |
| Romantic partner | 10.9％ |
| Friends | 4.9％ |
| Colleagues | 1.9％ |
| Others | 0.8％ |
The majority, 57.7%, said they’ll spend Christmas with family or relatives. Coming in second, 29.1% plan to spend it alone, while 10.9% will spend it with a romantic partner.
Given that so many people will spend Christmas with family or alone, it seems that for many, Christmas is just another day spent as usual. While the common image of Christmas in Japan often involves couples, this data shows that the actual trend is quite different.
What Do People Eat on Christmas? Over Half Say Christmas Cake!
| Eating cake | 53.5％ |
| Doing nothing special | 32.5％ |
| Having dinner | 26.1％ |
| Eating fried chicken | 15％ |
| Watching TV or movies at home | 8.7％ |
| Exchanging gifts | 8.5％ |
| Going to see illuminations | 5.8％ |
| Attending a party | 5.3％ |
| Playing games | 4.6％ |
| Using social media | 2.6％ |
| Going to the movies | 2.1％ |
| Others | 1.2％ |
Eating cake came in first place at 53.5%, making it the most popular activity. For many Japanese people, eating Christmas cake has become a holiday tradition.
In fourth place, 15% said they would eat fried chicken, another uniquely Japanese way to enjoy Christmas. Major fast-food chains and convenience stores actively promote fried chicken during the holiday season.
Romantic Words Japanese People Want to Hear on Christmas
Christmas brings a romantic atmosphere to cities across Japan. On this special day, what romantic words do people want to hear from their loved ones?
| “I want to spend every Christmas by your side forever.” | 17.7％ |
| “I really love spending time with you.” | 14.2％ |
| “You are the most special person in my life.” | 14.0％ |
| “I don’t say it often, but I truly care about you.” | 12.1％ |
| “I feel so lucky to be able to spend Christmas with you.” | 10.0％ |
| “Christmas with you is the best.” | 7.3％ |
| “I love you.” | 6.1％ |
| “Will you marry me?” | 4.5％ |
| “I hope you realize how important you are to me.” | 4.3％ |
The top choice, with 17.7% of the votes, was “I want to spend every Christmas by your side forever.”
In second place was “I really love spending time with you,” at 14.2%, followed closely by “You are the most special person in my life,” at 14%.
The fourth most popular phrase, “I don’t say it often, but I truly care about you,” reflects a typically reserved side of Japanese culture, where such words might be too shy to express regularly.
Fifth place went to “I feel so lucky to be able to spend Christmas with you.” Interestingly, the straightforward phrase “I love you” ranked only seventh, with 6.1%.
More Details
This survey and its results are featured in a blog post on Preply's website titled “A Survey on Japan’s Classic Christmas Songs and Traditions: What Romantic Words Do People Want to Hear on Christmas?”
URL：https://preply.com/ja/blog/christmas-japan
Survey Details
- Survey period: November 4–5, 2024
- Participants: 100 men and women aged 20–50 from all prefectures in Japan
- Questions:
- Q1: What is the classic Christmas song that comes to mind? (Choose one)
- Q2: Who will you spend Christmas (or Christmas Eve) with this year?
- Q3: Where will you spend Christmas (or Christmas Eve) this year?
- Q4: What will you do on Christmas (or Christmas Eve) this year?
- Q5: If you could choose one romantic phrase to hear on Christmas, what would it be?
- Q6: Until what age did you believe in Santa Claus?
About Preply
Preply is an online language learning marketplace connecting over 32,000 tutors teaching 50 languages to hundreds of thousands of learners across 180 countries. Using machine learning algorithms, Preply matches students with tutors who create customized lesson plans tailored to each learner’s budget, schedule, and current knowledge level.
Founded in 2012 in Ukraine by Kirill Bigai, Serge Lukyanov, and Dmytro Voloshyn, Preply now employs more than 400 people of 58 nationalities, with a global presence spanning 30 countries across Europe, the U.S., Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Website: https://preply.com/ja/
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