’Tis the season to feast on fried chicken. Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la!
As we say goodbye to 2025, it’s time once again to enjoy a beloved Japanese Christmas tradition: sharing Kentucky Fried Chicken as our holiday feast.
In 1974, Takeshi Okawara introduced the Party Barrel, helping spark Japan’s now-iconic Christmas tradition of enjoying KFC. The campaign Kurisumasu ni wa Kentakkii, or Kentucky for Christmas, transformed his idea into a nationwide cultural phenomenon. Check my earlier post for more details.
This year, we chose the traditional Christmas party barrel, featuring 8 pieces of fried chicken, a special meat gratin, and a delightful strawberry-vanilla mousse cake, priced at 4,990 yen ($32.02 USD). Unfortunately, the KFC Christmas Plate was discontinued this year, so it wasn’t included as usual.
Inside the barrel, a handwritten note from the store adds a heartfelt touch, thanking customers and wishing them a wonderful Holiday Season with their KFC meal.
That wraps up this year’s KFC Christmas food highlights. Thank you all for your wonderful support and for taking the time to read this post. Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a fantastic new year.
I’m Jake Caprino, who is more commonly known by the online alias Swaps4. I’m a business owner based in Japan. I enjoy writing about anime, video games, and bits & pieces of Japanese culture.