Girl Santa Clauses feature Japan's
newly acquired Christmas holiday
TOKYO (JP) A frosty night,
a joilly little man and a sleigh
flashing across the moon going
east — it’s Santa Claus headed
for the land of the Sun Goddess
And with him will come
Jaipan”s unique 'and joyous cel
ebration of the Yuletide — (bor
rowed from the western world
and stripped in most oases oif
for You
THE HAPPIEST CHRISTMAS
OF THEM ALL
Connie's
Rubye Bobby
To everybody... everywhere...
we wish you a most pleasant
Christmas season... one
which will long be treasured by
you and yours. And for your
business since last Christmas,
our sincere thanks. }
/a I
!
Columbia Cocktail Bar
and
Liquor Store
I-—
its religious significance.
This year i t he old. familiar
tale oif Christmas will live in
profbably more homes cxf this
predominantly Buddhist and
Shinto nation than ever before.
; although tailored oarelfully to
limited resources.
For days children have been
prattling about Santa San, sing
ing “Jingle Bells” and “Silent
Night” and taking goggle-eyed
walks wih their parents into
the lavish Christmas wonder
lands of Tokyo’s department
ment stores.
There curvaceous girl Santa
Clauses direct crowds into el
evators, (giant sipangled Christ
mas trees rear two and three
stories high, and gifts of -pearls
silks and artwork are amazing
ly cheap (by western standards.
The decorations do not carry
over into - the average home.
Only the rich dan afford a tree,
largely because of the ap
proaching more traditional New
Year’s holiday which requires
special ornamentation of its
own.
Chris.mas morning children
will ipop out of ibed to find a
present or two waiting for them
i Later in the day the family
may dine out, perhaps on dhi
cken. For the children there
will ibe ice creiam and oakes.
To the average fun-loving
Japanese, Christmas — an iim
ported custom —- is a good
Chance to have a good time.
Lavish amounts Of liquor are
consumed,
For Japan’s more than 500,
000 Christians there is a more
reverent, note. Church services
on Christmas Eve. prayers, a
Choir singinlg1 Christmas hymns
and a sermon are normal acti
vities.
Throughout the nation there
is a rich harvest of music. In
Tokyo, Kyoto, Kobe, Yoko
hama, FdkuOka and Sendai —
six of the seven largest cities—
local music colleges give char
ity concerts of Handel’s “Mes
siah.”
Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony
and Bach’s Christmas Oratorio
are heard on juke boxes, the
radio and over department
store loud speakers.
Japan’s Christmas always
\$ilue/iAo4i&
Photo Finishing
Neill Andersen's
Read Sentinel Want Advts.
Want Advts. Bring Results. I
has had strong commercial ;
roots. In the earlly 30's mench- ;
ants Ibegan (promoting it to
boost year end business. The
custom spread gradually. Now
even geisha girls and the lusty ;
'big cii.y cabarets promote the
season to increase profits.
One Yokohama eaibaret has
advertised that its Sanlta Clau
ses (hostesses) are dad in
scanty biathihg suits.
The ibilglget upsurge in Jap
an’s Christmas observance has
come since the war, perhaps
largely from the presence of
American troops.
This year almost every post
will holld parties for orphans
and in many cases throw itheir
doors upen to Japanese adults
living neahby.
At this season our
thoughts go out to those
whose courtesy,
cooperation and loyalty has
meant so much to us.
Standard Oil Gang
i
>.
I _
and now
again it is
CHRISTMAS
may it bring you
Peace and Joy
^ our wish for you
R & R Paint and Repair
Singer Sewing Machines
Peter Wood Agency
— Ivan and Pearl —
It is a pleasure, at this time of the year,
to greet our friends, who, through their
faith in us, have made this year one of
continued progress. Our sincere thanks
and hearty greetings to all.
Bayview Cafe
Romey Moline, proprietor