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YoshidaYui

(44,921 posts)
5. i think you will find its more then 5%
Thu Dec 25, 2025, 01:40 PM
19 hrs ago

probably a lot more then that. Approximately 5-10% of Japanese people eat KFC for Christmas, based on available estimates and surveys.The tradition of eating KFC (or fried chicken in general) on Christmas in Japan stems from a successful 1974 marketing campaign by KFC Japan called "Kentucky for Christmas." It's a well-known custom, but often exaggerated in Western media as something "everyone" does.Reliable sources (including BBC and recent reports) consistently cite around 3.6 million Japanese families ordering KFC Christmas meals annually.
Japan has about 55-56 million households, so this equates to roughly 6-7% of households.
Assuming an average household size of 2-3 people, this involves about 8-12 million individuals, or 6-10% of Japan's population (around 125 million).

A more direct survey from 2024 (reported in 2025) found that about 30% of people planned to eat some kind of chicken dish for Christmas, but only 20% of those chose KFC — meaning fewer than 10% overall bought KFC specifically.Many families opt for other fried chicken options (from convenience stores like 7-Eleven or competitors), home-cooked meals, or no special chicken at all. The hype comes from KFC's massive sales spike during the holiday (historically up to a third of their annual revenue in Japan, though more recent figures are lower), long queues, and heavy advertising — but it's far from universal.


This JAPANESE GIRL Will be doing the KFC POT PIE FOR xmas today

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Why Japan eats KFC for Christmas [View all] YoshidaYui 20 hrs ago OP
I last had KFC about 30 years ago. I think all the local franchises closed. bucolic_frolic 19 hrs ago #1
This is fascinating! CanonRay 19 hrs ago #2
US KFC is overpriced garbage FredGarvin 19 hrs ago #3
i think you will find its more then 5% YoshidaYui 19 hrs ago #5
Never knew that MichMan 19 hrs ago #4
Look up some recipes and you will see fried spam is an easy way to add cheap protein to a meal. Aussie105 4 hrs ago #8
Yuck Blumancru 14 hrs ago #6
Sushi instead. Aussie105 4 hrs ago #7
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