KFC became a major Christmas meal tradition in Japan after a 1974 marketing campaign.
Kentucky Fried Chicken launched the campaign “Kentucky for Christmas” in Japan in 1974. The promotion presented fried chicken as a festive substitute for foods associated with Western Christmas celebrations, which were not historically central to Japanese holiday cuisine.
The campaign was highly successful, and ordering KFC for Christmas became a recognizable modern custom. Families and groups often reserve meals weeks in advance, especially for Christmas Eve, when demand is particularly high.
This practice is a commercial tradition rather than an ancient religious custom. It is also easy to overstate: not every Japanese household eats KFC, and Christmas is not a national public holiday in Japan. Nevertheless, the association is one of the country’s best-known Christmas phenomena.