The Finnish ambassador to Japan and a Finnish military officer waving a Japanese sword
The first document in Japan to feature a picture of Santa Claus was a novel called "Santakuro" published by Kyobunkwan in 1900.
Written in kanji, it is "Santakuro." At the time, the word "Santa Claus" was completely unfamiliar, so the kanji was used to make it more familiar to us.
As for Santa Claus' appearance, he is wearing a veil-like cloth instead of a hat. He has a postman-like bag slung across his body, and for some reason, he is holding a miniature Christmas tree in his hand. Next to him is a reindeer (?) that looks like a donkey, and on its back is a basket with a large amount of presents peeking out from inside.
Written in kanji, it is "Santakuro." At the time, the word "Santa Claus" was completely unfamiliar, so the kanji was used to make it more familiar to us.
As for Santa Claus' appearance, he is wearing a veil-like cloth instead of a hat. He has a postman-like bag slung across his body, and for some reason, he is holding a miniature Christmas tree in his hand. Next to him is a reindeer (?) that looks like a donkey, and on its back is a basket with a large amount of presents peeking out from inside.
アジアの曙
The first document in Japan to feature a picture of Santa Claus was a novel called "Santakuro" published by Kyobunkwan in 1900. Written in kanji, it is "Santakuro." At the time, the word "Santa Claus" was completely unfamiliar, so the kanji was used to make…
As the era changed from the Meiji to the Taisho era, the existence of Santa Claus seems to have become quite widespread among Japanese children. There it was in the December 1914 issue of the children's magazine Kodomo no Tomo. An old man with a white beard wearing a red hat, red clothing and a wide belt around his waist. This was the appearance of our familiar "Santa Claus."
In 1928, the Asahi Shimbun carried an article stating that "Christmas has now become an annual event in Japan, and Santa Claus has become a proper part of Japanese children," showing that Christmas had become as mainstream as it is today.
In 1928, the Asahi Shimbun carried an article stating that "Christmas has now become an annual event in Japan, and Santa Claus has become a proper part of Japanese children," showing that Christmas had become as mainstream as it is today.
Santakuro
The name "Santakuro" was actually used in a book published by Kyobunkwan in 1900.
The first page of this book features a picture of an old man who looks a lot like Santa Claus. Above it is the title "Santakuro" written in hiragana.
It's from the Meiji period, after all. It's a little difficult to explain, so to briefly explain the story,
the protagonist is 8-year-old Kobayashi Mineichi, who lives with his family in a snowy northern country. He helps travelers and his father gets sick. One day, Mineichi talks to his father about not getting a Christmas present this year because his father is sick, and one day, the morning after Christmas, a present from Santakuro (Santa Claus) is placed at Mineichi's bedside...
It's a heartwarming story.
The name "Santakuro" was actually used in a book published by Kyobunkwan in 1900.
The first page of this book features a picture of an old man who looks a lot like Santa Claus. Above it is the title "Santakuro" written in hiragana.
It's from the Meiji period, after all. It's a little difficult to explain, so to briefly explain the story,
the protagonist is 8-year-old Kobayashi Mineichi, who lives with his family in a snowy northern country. He helps travelers and his father gets sick. One day, Mineichi talks to his father about not getting a Christmas present this year because his father is sick, and one day, the morning after Christmas, a present from Santakuro (Santa Claus) is placed at Mineichi's bedside...
It's a heartwarming story.
アジアの曙
Santakuro The name "Santakuro" was actually used in a book published by Kyobunkwan in 1900. The first page of this book features a picture of an old man who looks a lot like Santa Claus. Above it is the title "Santakuro" written in hiragana. It's from the…
The letter that came with the present was from Santakuro, not Santa Claus.
The letter that Santakuro wrote to Mineichi along with the present is as follows:
"You obey God's teachings well, help your father, and save the life of a traveler. You are a truly admirable boy, so I present this gift to you, Santakuro, an old man from the north."
Santakuro himself wrote "Santakuro" at the end of the letter. Moreover, he also wrote "old man from the north." Although the name is written in kanji, it fits the image of Santa Claus today.
The letter that Santakuro wrote to Mineichi along with the present is as follows:
"You obey God's teachings well, help your father, and save the life of a traveler. You are a truly admirable boy, so I present this gift to you, Santakuro, an old man from the north."
Santakuro himself wrote "Santakuro" at the end of the letter. Moreover, he also wrote "old man from the north." Although the name is written in kanji, it fits the image of Santa Claus today.
Japan's first Santa Claus
December 24, 1874, Hara Taneaki was baptized by the missionaries, and out of gratitude, he was enthusiastic about having a grand Christmas, and began preparations under the guidance of the missionaries. After thinking about what to do with Santa Claus,
he ended up with a feudal lord-like style, wearing a kamishimo, a sword, and an Omori wig. The person who played the role of Santa was a man named Toda Tadaatsu (an evangelist at Kanazawa Tonomachi Church), and this seems to have been the only time Santa appeared.
Kamishimo is a type of formal Japanese clothing for men, and a sword means a sword. In a word. There are no elements of Santa Claus at all.
December 24, 1874, Hara Taneaki was baptized by the missionaries, and out of gratitude, he was enthusiastic about having a grand Christmas, and began preparations under the guidance of the missionaries. After thinking about what to do with Santa Claus,
he ended up with a feudal lord-like style, wearing a kamishimo, a sword, and an Omori wig. The person who played the role of Santa was a man named Toda Tadaatsu (an evangelist at Kanazawa Tonomachi Church), and this seems to have been the only time Santa appeared.
Kamishimo is a type of formal Japanese clothing for men, and a sword means a sword. In a word. There are no elements of Santa Claus at all.
アジアの曙
Japan's first Santa Claus December 24, 1874, Hara Taneaki was baptized by the missionaries, and out of gratitude, he was enthusiastic about having a grand Christmas, and began preparations under the guidance of the missionaries. After thinking about what to…
But just imagine it. It was the first time in Japan that someone cosplayed as Santa Claus. People at that time had no knowledge of what Santa Claus was, and could only imagine.
If you imagine "What is God?", you imagine a wide variety of gods, and there is no absolute, single answer.
Santa Claus must have been an important person, so I imagine they decided on Yoshidono because of this connection to important people.
At the Christmas venue, a cross made from a mandarin orange was hung from the ceiling, but it was quickly removed after people from the US Embassy got angry. Hara was a native of Edo, and there is also a story that he did it as if he was holding a festival at Kanda Myojin Shrine.
The following year, a Christmas event was held under the auspices of Hara Taneaki, and it is said to be the first Christmas in Japan hosted by a Japanese person.
If you imagine "What is God?", you imagine a wide variety of gods, and there is no absolute, single answer.
Santa Claus must have been an important person, so I imagine they decided on Yoshidono because of this connection to important people.
At the Christmas venue, a cross made from a mandarin orange was hung from the ceiling, but it was quickly removed after people from the US Embassy got angry. Hara was a native of Edo, and there is also a story that he did it as if he was holding a festival at Kanda Myojin Shrine.
The following year, a Christmas event was held under the auspices of Hara Taneaki, and it is said to be the first Christmas in Japan hosted by a Japanese person.