Comments on: Why Japan is Obsessed with Kentucky Fried Chicken on Christmas

By: TonyW

TonyW — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 01:50:21 +0000

Sam,
Totally agree with you!

By: Sam

Sam — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 21:31:29 +0000

This explains the rise in heart disease in Japan. Hello Junk Food, kill us softly with your deliciousness, all year round.

By: Macca

Macca — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 05:24:07 +0000

Dear Chikin Lover, aka Sad in Tokyo,

Perhaps you should leave if the lack of choices at Japan’s KFC outrage you so much? I mean seriously…make your own mashed potatoes if it’s that big of a deal. You’re in another country, for crying out loud. How about be appreciative of all the culture and food you get to see and taste in Japan when a lot of Americans can’t afford a trip 5 states over, much less overseas. Crying for American food when you’ve got such great opportunities in front of you?! Crazy! I can understand being nostalgic for home I guess, but you sound ridiculous.

PS. What’s so great about white meat, anyway? Is it some racist thing (dark = bad)? Dark meat is always juicier and more flavorful. I’m not sure why anyone would ever bother with white meat given the choice.

By: Jean F.

Jean F. — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 17:14:55 +0000

KFC’s ability to take IT’S traditional foods and adapt them to Japanese culture… PLEASE delete that apostrophe! (With the apostrophe, IT’S always means “it is.”)It’s shameful enough for a writer not to know better, but even worse to advertise that fact.

By: chikin lover

chikin lover — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 10:00:46 +0000

KFC in Japan is so poor. Can I write PIxxPOOR? No frickin mashed potatoes & gravy? Why not? Stupid. mashed Potatoes and the GRAVY!!! The BEST! The BEST! And can we get some damn Crispy chikin or SOMETHING other than original recipe? WTF? Don’t get it. What’s the KFC Japan problem? They(Japanese people) think this is great????? Boy, if they only knew!! And get some WHITE MEAT instead of the dark meat. I want a choice. Come on, get with it, I’ve been here 15 years. STILL not worthy KFC> NOT WORTHY AT ALL!
Thanks,
Sad in Tokyo

By: Kiefer

Kiefer — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 10:34:35 +0000

ohh and one more thing that 2.80 USD in 1974 in terms of inflation would be around 13 Dollars today. Not bad for some chicken and wine, if you ask me.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 10:39:11 +0000

There’s all kinds of places to get turkey in Japan now. http://www.TheMeatGuy.jp is my favorite.

By: Anna Keppa

Anna Keppa — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 23:33:32 +0000

Heh. I lived in Kyoto back in 1974, and remember well the big Colonel Sanders statue outside the KFC shop (still called Kentucky Fried Chicken then) near the movie theatre that often showed US films.

When “Young Frankenstein” played there, the matinee audience consisted of exactly five people, only two of whom were Japanese.

The three “gaijin” laughed their azzes off (“Yes!!! He was my BOYFRIEND!!!”) to the befuddlement of the Japanese.

Good times, good times.

(Natsukashii, for Japanese speakers)

By: submandave

submandave — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 21:15:09 +0000

percynjpn is right about Christmas Chicken being generally a young couple thing. For most Japanese who care, Christmas eve means more than Christmas day, as the important thing is having a cozy, romantic night with your aijin (lover).

By: Apostic

Apostic — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 19:54:43 +0000

“Many order their boxes of ”finger lickin’” holiday cheer months in advance to avoid the lines—some as long as two hours.”

Fair enough. I’ve waited that long for good sushi in So Cal.

By: K. Annabelle Smith

K. Annabelle Smith — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 19:09:40 +0000

Thank you for pointing out our error with the 1974 exchange rate in Japan. We have recalculated the value of the original Christmas Chicken meal.

By: Michaela

Michaela — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 13:35:04 +0000

I could go for this on Christmas Day…IF KFC in South Texas were open.

By: Mike

Mike — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 13:31:39 +0000

That explains the presence of Colonel Sanders and Johnny Walker in “Kafka on the Beach.”

By: Turkey

Turkey — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 09:25:06 +0000

“yet a bucket of “Christmas Chicken” (the next best thing to turkey—a meat you can’t find anywhere in Japan)”

You can find turkey in Japan. Dean & Deluca sells whole turkeys (even though they are expensive) and the Subways in Japan all have Turkey. So you can find Turkey in Japan. This is how I get my turkey fix every Thanksgiving while living in Japan.

By: Judith King

Judith King — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 07:40:02 +0000

Your writer is wrong in saying that turkey is a meat that you can’t find anywhere in Japan. It may have been true in 1976 when I first came to live here. However for over 20 years now we have been able to buy the same major brand frozen turkeys you buy stateside through several web sites here in Japan (e.g. the Foreign Buyers’ Club). There are even a few Japanese poultry farmers who have begun raising turkeys but not on a large scale as yet, it’s true.
One reason is that Japanese gas/electric ovens are very small compared to U.S. and European ones and turkeys are larger than chickens. Another reason is that the preparation of traditional Japanese food does not require the use of an oven. Now with the availability of Micro Wave ovens Japanese usually use them for heating frozen foods or making cakes and cookies and an occasional Western style dish. Japanese microwave ovens are on average smaller than their U.S. and European counterparts.