Winter Holidays in Japan

I meant to post this before I went on vacation, but the time just got away from me, so here's my belated Merry Christmas/Happy New Year/western winter holidays in Japan post.

First was Thanksgiving. We had a potluck at my friend's apartment, and someone was even able to bring turkey!

For dessert, there was cheesecake, pumpkin pie (which I had not had since I left the US), and an amazing Guiness cake with peanut butter icing.

During dinner, we all took turns talking about what we were thankful for, and we even had a Thankful Tree where we could write our thankful things on leaves and tape them on the wall. I think we were all thankful that the Japanese Thanksgiving Day (actually more similar to Labor Day) was the next day and we didn't have to go to work.

I was out of the country for Christmas, but every year in Kobe, there is the Luminarie, a festival that is meant to be a memorial of the Great Hanshin Earthquake in Kobe. Although Japan doesn't typically decorate using Christmas lights, Luminarie takes place near Christmas, and many foreigners see it as more of a Christmas celebration than anything. A good opportunity to see pretty lights and eat Japanese festival food.

James and I at Luminarie

Some of my JET friends inside one of the main displays.

Yakisoba with fried egg...... yuuuuummm. 

Even though Japan doesn't decorate like we do, they do like to get into the commercial Christmas spirit with cute and unusual decorations. I discovered this adorable toilet paper at my friend's apartment.

"Why is the reindeer's nose red?"

"Where does Santa come from?"

"Does Santa like red clothing?"

My first year on JET, I bought a cheap, obnoxiously pink 3 foot tall Christmas tree, and have decorated it every year. 

The day before we were to leave on vacation, James and I had a mini-Christmas, and put our presents under my Charlie Brown-esque tree.

I hope everyone back home had a wonderful holiday! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!