HAPPY CHRISTMAS SMILE LIFE!

I don't know what it is but Japan seems to skim the very top off the materialism and tackiness of American holidays to take for themselves. My mother can attest to some of this, but Christmas "decorations" displayed and sold here are limited to inflatable Mickey Mouses and dancing tabletop Santas. I'm used to it, but it appalls my Swedish roommate who claims they only use white lights, candles, and greenery where she's from. Of course Christmas has even less spiritual significance to this non-Christian nation, whose people usually spend the holiday eating KFC with friends. But I found it so funny when I walked into the local supermarket and was greeted by a huge inflatable Santa Claus, Japanese kids excitably bouncing around it, grateful for this novelty within the familiar grocery trip routine. One child was punching the lights out of poor Mr. Claus like he was out for revenge, but his victim always waved back to shape. I smiled knowingly at them, as though I as an American was doing them a favor by lending them our precious bobbing air-giants. They stared mesmerized back at me before, of course, saying "HELLOW!"