It's beginning to look a lot like Kurisumasu

Christmas has well and truly arrived in Sendai, and nothing says Christmas quite like a giant inflated Santa/Buddha smiling serenely and dangling his nads over the heads of all the happy little shoppers. (We think they're supposed to be his feet.)


In fact, there are loads of great seasonal displays up all over the place, which is actually quite odd because we've been told that Christmas Day sort of creeps by unnoticed here. Apparently it's a hot date day, and couples go out for a romantic meal of KFC chicken (in place of the not-quite-readily-available turkey dinner). New Year's celebrations are more of a family get-together event, so all this Christmas-y build-up kind of amounts to not much.


But the Japanese love a good excuse to dress up/decorate things/enthusiastically but misguidedly embrace things from the USA, so here we are.


Our friend Tristan put white shoe polish on his beard and went all out with the Santa-san thing. It's a good way to meet giant tanoki on the street.


Closer to home, Mirabel made a delicious Christmas cake (thanks for the recipe, Mum).


Snowy scenes down our street. The snow here is most excellent. Unlike Christchurch snow, it is totally devoid of accompanying rain, so it settles easily and stays wonderful and fluffy all day.


We borrowed a little potted conifer tree from our friend Jill's school tea lady to act as our Christmas tree. It's modestly decorated up top with Mirabel's origami half-animals but stacked lavishly with presents underneath. Thanks, families!


This is the advent calendar that Mirabel made me for my birthday. Each day is a beautiful little colourful surprise. Not long to go now...


Hearty Christmas, everyone!