How far is Tokyo from Kentucky? As far as the next KFC outlet

New Delhi: The attack against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service led to America’s formal entry into World War II. But did you know that years later fried chicken from an American outlet is customary for Christmas celebrations in Japan? Turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, roast beef, pumpkin or apple pie, raisin pudding, and plum cake might be your go-to dinner for Christmas. What the Japanese eat on that day is quite interesting. Well, ‘Kentucky’ goes to Japan on Christmas where fried chicken means secularism. Is Santa Claus Japanese and loves KFC? Colonel Sanders dressed as Santa during the holiday season since the mid-80s has been drawing attention from locals and tourists in Japan. In 2018, Japan pulled in 6.9 billion yen (roughly US$63 million) from December 20 to 25. Data released by the American fast-food chain says that KFC Japan’s busiest day is usually 24 December. How KFC became synonymous with Christmas in Japan Post World War II in the 1940s and ’50s, Japan’s economy started taking off. It was for the first time that people had the cash to indulge in consumer culture. The United States at that time was a cultural powerhouse and there was a huge interest in everything Western. Many foreign franchises like Baskin Robins, The Original Pancake and Kentucky Fried Chicken were opening in Asia. It was during the period of globalisation between 1970-80, Japan’s fast-food industry saw a whooping rise of 600 per cent. It was in 1970, KFC opened its first outlet in Japan’s Nagoya. Data says that around 1981, the chain had opened 324 stores across Japan. Conflicting stories about the origin Less than 1 per cent of the population identifies as Christian in Japan. There were no established family traditions for Christmas and that’s where KFC came in. A marketing campaign called ‘Kentucky for Christmas’ was launched by the American fast-food chain in Japan. There have been reports of the first CEO of KFC Japan falsely marketing fried chicken as a traditional American Christmas food to drum up sales but KFC tells a different story. According to a report in CNN, Takeshi Okawara went to a Christmas party dressed as Santa. When the kids loved it, he saw a business opportunity. Meanwhile, a report submitted by KFC that the original idea for the campaign came when a foreign customer who visited KFC in Tokyo on Christmas day said, “I can’t get turkey in Japan, so I have no choice but to celebrate Christmas with Kentucky Fried Chicken”. Meanwhile, KFC’s compatibility with existing cultural norms also cannot be ignored. Data says that KFC tastes similar to some traditional Japanese dishes. There are many conflicting stories about the origin but KFC successfully managed to capture the imagination of Japanese diners. Nonetheless, substantial advertising investment also led to the massive success of KFC in Japan. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.