Easter is not a big event in Japan and is not well known to many people. Why is that? Is it because it is an event related to Christianity? No, because Christmas and other events such as Valentine's Day and Halloween that originated from Christianity have overtaken the Christian origins and have become established as foreign events in Japan. They are also events that can no longer be called Japanese customs. Easter, however, shows no such sign. It is no exaggeration to say that the only place you can find Easter in Japan is at the Tokyo Disney Resort.
There are several reasons why it is unlikely to be so popular in Japan. The first reason is that the date is not fixed. Christmas is on December 25th, Valentine's Day is on February 14th, and Halloween is on October 31st. Easter, on the other hand, can only be said to be a Sunday somewhere around the end of March or the middle of April, which is elusive for those who have no connection with Christianity.
In addition to that, people do not really know what to do for Easter. At the Tokyo Disney Resort, people enjoy looking for hidden eggs and bunnies, but they do not know how to develop this at home.
However, they might not be the true reasons why Easter is not big in Japan. The important thing is that they do not want new events during busy times of the year. In Japan, the new school and company year starts in early April; from the end of March to the middle of April is the time of year change, so the Japanese people are very busy. It is also the time for graduation trips, new students and new people at work, and new places to which they have been transferred. Sundays during these times cannot be used for an event like Easter.
And another thing is that there is already an event called ohanami cherry blossom viewing because the cherry blossoms are at their best at this time of the year. In Japan, the news reports daily on when the cherry blossoms will bloom, when they will be in full bloom, and when we should go to see the them. It seems that there is not much room for Easter to intrude into the national event of cherry blossom viewing.
These are just speculations, but they make sense, don't they? Whether you celebrate or not, have a Happy Easter, everyone.
***
There is a lot of food items, housewares, stationery, and gifts available at the store and our online store, Maido! Kairashi Shop, where you can place your order for shipping or store pickup! Happy shopping. :)