Why are Christmas decorations and illumination displays put up so early in Japan?

Monday 02nd November, 03:46 AM JST

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Foxie at 04:45 PM JST - 2nd November

It is all for business...first you put out a lot of illuminations to remind kids and other people how beautiful they look. Then, those people will go to shops selling those lights. Now comes the problem...with so many lights to choose from, it will be impossible to decide what to buy. That's why those shops put them out early to give people a lot of time to think which ones to buy. For the ones that buy them early, it gives them a chance to add more the closer we get to Xmas.
terebiko at 05:14 PM JST - 2nd November

Why not? It's big business, and like many have mentioned, no Thanksgiving. The US is pretty fast too. I guess a lot of LED lights and solar-powered decoration this year, courtesy of the Hatoyama government...
gogogo at 07:30 PM JST - 2nd November

Japan does not even celebrate christmas, it's just so combi's can sell cakes and KFC can sell chicken
ca1ic0cat at 09:48 PM JST - 2nd November

The bloody stuff is out here in the US too. This isn't news...
palisadez54 at 10:40 PM JST - 2nd November

So KFC can promote their special Christmas pack, haha! No, thanks.
Sarge at 10:57 PM JST - 2nd November

Heck, Halloween's been over for 2 days now. Already past time for Christmas!
dolphingirl at 11:17 PM JST - 2nd November

I don't think it's any earlier than in other countries. Just a way to get people to buy more stuff basically.
blvtzpk at 08:47 AM JST - 3rd November

To the US-centric of you out there, many countries don't have an event that signals the beginning of the Christmas season. Coming from Australia, we see signs of he coming Christmas in late October or early November. People complain each year that the arrival of these signs are earlier, but October seems to be the rule.

As people have mentioned so far, these decorations purely marketing, just as it in those countries who have a tradition of observing Christmas with Christian leanings. However, in those latter countries you can comfort yourself with the fact that there is some meaning behind the event, and that a percentage of the population adheres to those beliefs.

In Japan, however, for the majority it is purely a marketing event, stripped of any religious symbolism, but using those symbol for marketing. But perhaps this is just a more 'honest' approach to the season - especially when it's so wrapped up with commercialization and commercialism.
SiouxChef at 09:43 AM JST - 3rd November

Japan has distilled Christmas into three themes: pretty lights, gifts for children, and shopping. There is no particular connection to a religious event (the date of which is debatable, so no need to tie it to a calendar too closely.

I know! Isn't it great?!

And Santa will still come to your house - as long as you put up your (pagan) Christmas tree and have been nice all year!
diggerdog at 10:08 AM JST - 3rd November

christmas is just a commercial holiday, everyone buys a load of stuff then they all go to work and school on christmas day then come home and eat kfc christmas chicken. Ive never seen anyone put up lights in my area or do anything special for christmas. Here its just another normal day, kind of depressing.
neverknow2 at 01:50 PM JST - 3rd November

What's an illumination display? Is that a new kind of TV?
flammenwerfer at 03:44 PM JST - 3rd November

my tree is up already, the kids saw the decorations up at the mall and took that as their cue to harass me until the tree came out....two months of it blocking my view from the PC to the TV....sigh.
Betting at 09:39 PM JST - 3rd November

If I remember correctly Christams decorations back home are usually up in early November and taken down some time in late January. But at least it is part of an established Christmas tradition, unlike Japan. Granted, the whole Santa Claus thing is just a cash cow in every country.

But for me personally I just can't comprehend why Japan "celebrates" it. Yes, there are Christians in Japan but it is hardly the major religion here.

I think the whole "illumination" thing is just another fad that the Japanese so enjoy. At the end of the day, "illumination" is just another tacky light show, just something to take the boy/girlfriend to. Eventually they'll get sick of it and it'll will go away, but I'm sure we're stuck with the KFC thing.
onewrldoneppl at 11:19 PM JST - 3rd November

in canada, x-mas begins once halloween's finished. thanksgiving's in the second week of october, so there's nothin'else to celebrate but x-mas, divali, ramadan or hannukah. i don't see anything wrong with puttin'the decorations up early. a better question would be: a) WHY DO WESTERNERS KEEP A (FLAMMABLE) TREE INSIDE THEIR HOUSES? or b) WHY DO WESTERNERS KEEP X-MAS DECORATIONS UP UNTIL EASTER? ... ha ha ha. face it, the original meaning of x-mas has been lost all over the world. at least the japanese aren't pretending to still care.
timtak at 11:06 AM JST - 4th November

Farmbory wrote

Japan has distilled Christmas into three themes: pretty lights, gifts for children, and shopping. But he is forgetting the sex. Christmas in the Japan is also the time for "love", as in hotels and humping.