How come Easter hasn't become big in Japan?

Because unlike Christmas its Christian elements are strong compared to its secular elements, its calander date is irregular, and in spring there are already Japanese holidays with a child-friendly focus. It fills no cultural void.

Plus, its really kind of boring.

Probably because it is more religious than Christmas, for example, and because it is celebrated on a different date each year. But I'm sure chocolate Easter eggs and bunnies would be popular. In fact, in recent years, I've seen a few stores selling them. When I first came to Japan in the 1980s, I couldn't find an Easter egg.

KFC hasn't hijacked Easter. Yet.

I think there's already so much going on at this time of year, such as Valentine's Day, Setsubun, Hina Matsuri, hanami, etc.

Also possibly the fact that it's a moveable feast, with no fixed date.

I hope the secular version catches on though, I really miss Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies.

This is like asking why Setsubun hasn't caught on in the west. The answer is really simple: because it hasn't.

I'm not sure why the questioner would think a Christian holiday would take off in Japan.

I think it's christian connection has little impact on why or why not it hasn't taken hold.

As others stated it's the busy season with a pretty full calendar and the date moves. Sometimes it may be conveniently in the school spring vacation, other times it's in the first week or two of a new school year or even the end of the school year.

But rest assured the sweets & confectionery enterprises won't let a good sales chance slip by for much longer. Already now chocolate eggs, rabbits, chicks are appearing in some stores in shopping centres in my region.

The concept fits in with the "Fresh Spring has Come" (announcements on a never ending sound loop) promotions and I guarantee we will see more of the commercial side in the near future. I'd bet on it.

..because they are busy advertising sales for Mother's Day (!)

Katsu/Brainiac: The calendar is not irregular at all. There is holy Thursday, Good Friday and then Easter Sunday every freekin year.

Our Jewish Holidays and Muslim Holidays follow a different calendar, not the Christian.

Katsu/Brainiac: The calendar is not irregular at all. There is holy Thursday, Good Friday and then Easter Sunday every freekin year. Our Jewish Holidays and Muslim Holidays follow a different calendar, not the Christian.

You need to research before you post. Easter is a movable feast; Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox. This can occur anytime between the third week in March and the fourth week in April.

It is becoming popular with diney's easter parade. Give it another two years. Oh, and the Easter parade lasts until June.

I certainly hope it doesn't. Japan has already hijacked many Western traditional holidays, stripped it of its original essence, and turn into something else. Imagine, if you will, Obon being secularized and mass marketed as some sort of cool thing from Japan in the U.S.

Probably from about a decade or so ago Halloween started to become popular here, mostly with parades instead of the usual door-to-door trick-or-treating. Makes me wonder if Thanksgiving will be next on the list that will be commercialized (or has it already?)

Because there is no marketing angle to it. And there is no commonly accepted way to celebrate it.

Japan has already hijacked many Western traditional holidays, stripped it of its original essence, and turn into something else. Imagine, if you will, Obon being secularized and mass marketed as some sort of cool thing from Japan in the U.S.

Most Western traditional holidays have already been stripped of their original essence in the West, but people don't realize it. The "traditional" red and white Santa was created for a Coca-Cola marketing campaign, for example.

If Obon were marketing that way in the US, I don't think anyone here would especially care. People are free to interpret holidays any way they wish. Why should that bother anyone else?

Japan already has Hanami that time of the year (and yes, it deserves a capital 'H').

Hanami is essentially Japan's Christmas in terms of the fun and joy people derive from it, except with alcohol and nice weather. Who would want to ruin that mix by adding the Easter Bunny?

On the Gregorian calendar (the one that we use), Easter is the first Sunday after the Paschal full moon, which is the first full moon on or after March 21. Easter thus always falls between March 22 and April 25.

Now, to find Palm Sunday (the sixth Sunday of Lent) you start with the date of Easter and back up one week: It is the Sunday before Easter Sunday.

To find Ash Wednesday, you start with the date of Easter Sunday, back up six weeks (that gives you the first Sunday of Lent), and then back up four more days: Ash Wednesday is the Wednesday before the first Sunday of Lent.

You guys are right. I always thought people ate eggs and hunted rabbits on the last Sunday in March. Technically though, it should occur after Passover as Jesus was a Jew and got strung up after his last meal which was a Passover Seder. And at the Seder there is always a boiled egg. So for all you Christians celebrating by eating eggs and hunting rabbits, your Egg thing is just one of a ton of Jewish things you have within your Christian religion. Shalom and Have a Happy Easter.

Japanese Christians don't seem to celebrate it. At least not on the date set for Catholics.

<Hanami is ... alcohol and nice weather. Who would want to ruin that mix by adding the Easter Bunny?

Well, why not a matsuri parade ending buy nailing a few guys in sumo diapers on crosses under the cherry trees ?

How come Easter hasn't become big in Japan?

Is it Crucifixion?

@Sense,

I think it's christian connection has little impact on why or why not it hasn't taken hold.

It has really. The Japanese Christians see scenes of the cross as a reminder of their long years of persecution (centruries then again during WW2). Xmas is different because it is not a major Christian celebration so Japan discovered it in 20th century as exotic kitsch event.

So for all you Christians celebrating by eating eggs and hunting rabbits

I don't think there are Christians hunting rabbits for Easter, LOL. It's a lamb that is served . Yes it's all from Jewish tradition. The rest is folkloric local customs inspired by nature.

I don't know how it is these days, but Easter never was much of a thing in England when I lived there either.

As many people have pointed out, it is largely a religious celebration and a Christian one at that. Christmas has a long, long tradition that precedes Christianity by thousands of years, Saturnalia, the Winter Solstice, etc. And so Christmas has many non-religious elements, such as Santa, gift giving, popular songs and so on.

Easter never was much of a thing in England when I lived there either.

Speak for yourself! I loved secular Easter, and all its trappings. My parents made a big huge deal of hiding chocolate eggs in the garden, insisting that a giant rabbit had come around in the night and left them there for me (which is kind of terrifying, when you think about it). We also solemnly exchanged very large and elaborate chocolate bunnies and eggs over breakfast. (One of my friends gave his mother such a gorgeous egg that she was horrified and made him return it to the shop.)

Speaking of breakfast, don't tell me you don't miss hot cross buns! The aroma, at least!

Technically though, it should occur after Passover

That would be too easy. Christians have been arguing over the dating of Easter for 2000 years.

Anyway, if you want to hear the true story of the crucifixion...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRypmpYHVNM

It is a lamb shank and is symbolically used during Passover. Passover starts on the 22nd of April after the sun sets, so Easter should be after that.