Hello everyone,

Yesterday was Halloween, and maybe some of you found me afterschool and said “trick or treat!” Halloween is getting more and more popular in Japan. When I first came to Japan, there were some small events in Osaka, but not many shops decorated their stores. This year I walked through Burakuri-cho and saw many decorations. This morning on the train I saw many people in costumes coming home from their Halloween night in Osaka.

After I got off the train, I went to the convenience store to buy some tea and I saw something strange…

Really? Christmas cakes? It is November 1st! Halloween had only been over for 6 hours when I saw this!

I understand that holidays are fun, especially Halloween, but they should be more than just a chance to make money. Holidays are also important and have deeper meaning. We know the real story of Christmas because we are at a Catholic school. The meaning of Christmas is not cake…

This goes for more than Christmas. In Japan, New Years is a nice holiday to spend time with family. Of course some people go shopping, and that is fun, but balance is important. Anyway, just something to think about the next time you see “Christmas cakes” in November…

Grumpy old-man Allen signing off.