A war of cultures – Let them eat cake

As we have entered into December and we are now getting closer to Christmas and getting a little into the Christmas atmosphere; Japanese style, more based on tacky over the top illuminations than traditional Christmas markets or anything authentically Christmassy, in the eyes of Eurotrash such as me. But still, it's starting to feel like Christmas and all the presents to the family back home has now been sent (including the santa rapist/wrestler/robber mask; “don't ever wear that stupid mask again it scares the hell out of me” as Mrs. Sunshine-Salaryman told me when I was wearing it just for comfort as I was walking around the home minding my own business).

As we were walking in a subway station and taking the escalator to the surface the other day, we notice the advertisements on the walls showing the greatest and latest “Christmas cakes” that you needed to reserve at the local fancy department store to be guaranteed one in time for Christmas. It should be mentioned that what goes as “Christmas cakes” locally here in Japan usually is nothing more than regular cakes that would work just as well for a birthday. Perhaps, and only perhaps a small edible santa might be included somewhere on the cake. As we pass them Mrs. Sunshine blurts out “oh, these Christmas cakes look so nice, I home mom gets one just like that for our Christmas dinner” and for a brief moment I am ready to go to cultural war again since those cakes have nothing to do with Christmas in my Swedish eyes...

But then, in a rare moment of clarity, I realize that in terms of actual tastiness, the Christmas cakes here taste a lot better than most of the stuff that goes as “traditional Christmas food” in Sweden and I lay down my arms and reply “you know, this is really a Japanese custom and nothing that is Christmas related to me, but sure, let's have lots of cake”. Peace reigns supreme.

Let them eat cake!