Of course one of the most enjoyable things to do this time of year is…Christmas shopping. I’m quite a kurisumasu otaku, or fan of all things Christmas, and I love hitting the malls to shop while getting into the Christmas spirit, perhaps while sipping one of those Egg Nog Lattes from Starbuck’s, which they don’t sell in Japan. They have shopping malls in Japan, of course, which are all beautifully decorated, but there’s something fundamentally less “real” about Christmas there. I hit some of my favorite shopping malls in San Diego today, picking up some items that I think my family will love. As usual when I’m back in the U.S., I’m bowled over not just by the size of the “small” drink served at restaurants (which is quite a bit larger than the Japanese version), but by the incredible variety of choices available to everyone here, even just roaming the strip mall near my house. There’s nothing like living in a foreign country to make you appreciate how good things are back home.
Christmas in Japan is beautiful, but somehow feels less “real” than back home.
