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Here's why Japan loves KFC on Christmas
ABC 10 News ^ | Dec 24, 2020 | Rob Harris

Posted on 12/24/2020 10:26:00 AM PST by 11th_VA

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Picture Christmas dinner, and staples like ham, turkey, potatoes, and cookies might come to mind for many Americans.

For families in Japan, however, a much different and very “bluegrass” meal comes to mind: a bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

No, really.

What started as a pretty ingenious marketing plan by KFC back in the 1970s has created a December 25th tradition for millions of Japanese families each year.

The campaign encouraged families to swap turkey—which isn’t common in Japan—for a KFC dinner. It worked: according to the BBC, about 3.6 million families in Japan eat KFC each Christmas now.

We heard from Mitz Nabekura, a WakeUp11 viewer, who lived in Japan himself and still has family there.

When his dad and stepmom came to visit for Christmas in 2017, they were shocked and disappointed to learn that the “Kentucky” tradition they loved in their home was not in fact celebrated in Kentucky after all.

“They said, ‘really?! I can’t believe it! This is America!” recalled Nabekura. “Of course, when they got off the airplane the first thing they saw was the Colonel Sanders statue at the KFC there [in the Muhammad Ali airport] and they got really excited and said they had to take a picture with him.

“They were very disappointed that on actual Christmas day nothing here was open including KFC," he said. "So we got them the bucket of [KFC] the night before and they were able to eat that.”

(Excerpt) Read more at abc10.com ...


TOPICS: Food; Local News
KEYWORDS: chatforum; christmas; japan; kfc
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To: 11th_VA

Untrue. Yeah, KFC markets chicken as a Christmas tradition, but every chain shop, convenience store, supermarket, shopping mall, car dealership, sports shop...anything and everywhere rides the bandwagon for marketing holidays. This is just one of the better known ones. No one I know has ever made a Christmas feast of take-out KFC. It’s just a thing that’s been in popular culture for 50 years or so, so it gets international attention. Some people like to get a bucket of chicken on Christmas for their families simply because it’s funny and something they probably remember growing up with as a child. There’s no actual “there, there” in the way foreign media always repeats this story every Christmas.


21 posted on 12/24/2020 11:01:48 AM PST by lefty-lie-spy (Stay Metal)
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To: Lysandru

I’m smoking ribs and chicken.

With coleslaw, cornbread muffins and beer.

Merry Christmas!!


22 posted on 12/24/2020 11:01:54 AM PST by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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Because there are no Ls in the name?


23 posted on 12/24/2020 11:02:00 AM PST by dsrtsage (Complexity is merely simplicity lacking imagination)
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To: 11th_VA

Six percent of the population.


24 posted on 12/24/2020 11:02:10 AM PST by Jeff Chandler (We flattened the heck out of that curve, didn’t we?)
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To: 11th_VA

The problem with “Chinese Turkey” is that it smiles at you!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izsVhm_vs2I


25 posted on 12/24/2020 11:05:33 AM PST by Kartographer ("We mutually pledge to each other our lives our fortunes and our sacred honor." )
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To: Hillarys Gate Cult

The Big Guy gets 10%. Or else.


26 posted on 12/24/2020 11:09:03 AM PST by gundog ( Hail to the Chief, bitches!)
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To: rllngrk33

Now I could easily get behind making Popeye’s Red Beans and Rice part of my Christmas Dinner!


27 posted on 12/24/2020 11:12:02 AM PST by Kartographer ("We mutually pledge to each other our lives our fortunes and our sacred honor." )
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To: lefty-lie-spy

I never took it to be a widespread thing. Just enough of a thing where pre-orders make sense. Sounds like a fun, silly tradition for those that do it.


28 posted on 12/24/2020 11:14:39 AM PST by Stravinsky (Politeness will not defeat the Marxist revolutionaries)
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To: Stravinsky

Before the Montreal Expos moved to Washington DC, I went to games at Stade Olympique.Among the food shops:
PFK...Poulet Frie Kentucky.

Terry Pratchett’s novel Truckers about
four-inch-tall people living among us
describes them rummaging through discarded
food wrappers that depict a famous man
who is clearly based on Col Sanders.

“Col Sanders wants to cook his goose
But Pyscho Chicken’s still on the loose”—The Fools (parody of Psycho Killer)


29 posted on 12/24/2020 11:19:55 AM PST by raccoonradio
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To: rllngrk33
I prefer Popeye's even though I get an unwanted side order of 'Attitude' whenever I go there.

KFC leaves a bitter aftertaste in my mouth whenever I eat it.

I also don't like the aftertaste from eating KFC. Popeye's is better, and better yet is Louisiana Fried Chicken, a local chain in Southern California found mostly in black neighborhoods.

30 posted on 12/24/2020 11:21:40 AM PST by Fiji Hill
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To: Fiji Hill

A perfect example of “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it”.


31 posted on 12/24/2020 11:23:53 AM PST by Jacob Kell
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To: oh8eleven; All

novelty song
Oh it’s a technicolor Christmas when you’re Jewish/because the moviehouses never close
I get my kicks down at the flicks
While others go kissing under Mistletoe
While others want to carol in an open sleigh
We’ve got a date with Yentl on this special day


32 posted on 12/24/2020 11:23:55 AM PST by raccoonradio
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To: oh8eleven

Anticipating 8pm CT tonight when it becomes officially Christmas with the first showing of that classic movie marathon.


33 posted on 12/24/2020 11:23:58 AM PST by T-Bird45 (It feels like the seventies, and it shouldn't.)
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To: Fiji Hill

Me too. Im not a fan of chicken, but ive had KFC a handful of times both before and after they changed their recipe.

Back then you had a choice between original or crispy (i always preferred original). Today, you dont. They also gave you dinner rolls. Not biscuits (that i can recall).

Worse thing they ever did was to change the recipe of their fried chicken.


34 posted on 12/24/2020 11:28:05 AM PST by lowbridge
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To: 11th_VA

you cvan find KFC-like recipes for home made chicken online- Here’s one:

2/3 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons white pepper
1 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon celery salt
1 tablespoon dried mustard
2 tablespoons garlic salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1/3 tablespoon oregano
4 tablespoons paprika
1/2 tablespoon thyme

https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/kfcs-secret-recipe-crispy-fried-chicken/

They say to add in MSG though for ‘the secret flavor’ and claim MSG isn’t bad- and explain why in seperate article- but I’ll still avoid it thanks


35 posted on 12/24/2020 11:29:26 AM PST by Bob434
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To: Fiji Hill

[[Some years ago, they changed the recipe, so now it doesn’t taste as good.]]

And it makes me sick now every time too- something sure does seem to have changed-


36 posted on 12/24/2020 11:30:50 AM PST by Bob434
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To: 11th_VA

I do like their slaw- I used to make a ‘Hungarian style’ slaw for a Hungarian restaurant i worked at- it was really really good- folks loved it too- along with potato pancakes- which i didn’t really care for- wish i could remember what went into the slaw-


37 posted on 12/24/2020 11:34:08 AM PST by Bob434
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To: Fiji Hill

“instead of honey for your biscuits, they give you something called ‘honey sauce’”

That’s how I feel about that disgusting “horsey sauce” at Arby’s. Horseradish must be virgin and hot, otherwise it’s just slime.


38 posted on 12/24/2020 11:39:27 AM PST by MayflowerMadam ("Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free" Galatians 5:1)
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To: T-Bird45

Over thirty years later and I still LOL. Classic indeed.


39 posted on 12/24/2020 11:42:24 AM PST by oh8eleven (RVN '67-'68)
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To: David Chase

Well, now I’m conflicted on whether it’s good or bad to get meat from China, because I read there’s a food shortage there and I want them have to eat their dogs...oh wait!


40 posted on 12/24/2020 11:44:25 AM PST by chickenlips
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