KFC’s Christmas tradition in Japan officially began in 1974, when KFC Japan launched a major Christmas campaign.
The campaign was promoted with the slogan “Kentucky for Christmas” and helped establish fried chicken as a popular holiday meal in Japan. Christmas is not a major traditional religious holiday for most Japanese people, so the custom grew largely through advertising, restaurant promotions and the appeal of a convenient celebratory meal.
KFC Japan opened its first stores in 1970, but the Christmas tradition came later. One frequently repeated origin story says a foreign customer in Japan complained about the difficulty of finding turkey and settled for fried chicken. Another credits a manager who dressed as Santa at a Christmas event. KFC itself presents these stories as competing explanations rather than one certain account.
The tradition is now associated with advance reservations, special buckets and Christmas Eve crowds. The date 1974 refers to the launch of the Christmas campaign, not the arrival of KFC in Japan. That distinction explains why 1970, another option in the quiz, is tempting but incorrect.