Did you know that the celebration of Christmas is one of the biggest seasons of the year in Japan? It's odd because Japan's population only has about ½ to 1% of the people who are Christians. Yet, they love Christmas. It's not a national holiday like it is here but they still decorate their houses with lights, most homes will have a Christmas tree. But for them it is all focused on the consumer side. It's a time simply for parties and celebrations.

The Japanese remind me of a young family I read about who was going home for Christmas. The car was all packed. The mail and the newspaper delivery had been stopped. A neighbor would keep an eye on the house and feed the dog. All the gifts for parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles were somehow fitted into the trunk of the car. They had plenty…