12/7/2007

Crucified Claus … ‘Merii Kurisumasu’

Merii Kurisumasu [メリークリスマス] = Merry Christmas

Seek Japan | Merii Kurisumasu Pt. II
…Some people say that the story about a Japanese department store having a big crucified Santa Claus on display is an urban myth, but I’ve met various long-term expats here who insist on seeing crucified Santas in various places…more…

Nearly as funny as the vending machines that sold used schoolgirl panties, the Japanese urban legend of a department store in Japan displayed a smiling crucified Santa at Christmas is one my favorite Japanese mysteries.

Authoritative anti-hoax websites such as Snopes.com say its a borderline racist, urban “Legend: A Japanese department store once created a Christmas display featuring a smiling Santa Claus nailed to a cross [such as] ‘The granddaddy of cultural faux pas [in Japan] occurred just after World War II, when a Ginza department store rolled out its elaborate Christmas promotion: a smiling Santa nailed to a crucifix.’”

I have seen an all-black designer clothes display of Santa Claus crucified upside down during 1986 season at the South entrance of the Lumiere department store in Tokyo’s Shinjuku station. My guess is that a fun-loving window dresser had heard the urban legend and decided to have a laugh.
As Santa would say, “ホッホッホー! HO-HO-HO!”

Shinto Claus

UPDATE:
According to Wunderkabinett.co.uk, that Japanese-engrish card showing Santa nailed to a cross was made by, “…Robert Cendella and was originally displayed, in December 1997, stuck to the window of the Arts Students League in New York, as a protest about the commercialisation of Christmas….more...”

Posted by Taro in General, Not exactly news but it's news to me, Society | 8 Comments »

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8 Responses to “Crucified Claus … ‘Merii Kurisumasu’”

1. den4 Says:
   December 8th, 2007 at 9:19 am

   Taro-sama, you have got it wrong…it should be Merii Kurushiimasu… :D

2. Taro Says:
   December 8th, 2007 at 9:44 am

   den4 wrote: …you have got it wrong…it should be Merii Kurushiimasu… :D

   Ha, ha, I can’t even spell my own name in katakana. ;-( Hell, my car navigation befuddles me because it tries to make it “easy” for users by randomly spelling common location names like Akihabara in hiragana which to my mind are ONLY kanji. Meh.

3. FARK.com via Taro Says:
   December 23rd, 2007 at 11:19 pm

   via FARK.com
   Any Pie Left 2007-12-23 02:05:39 AM
   Well I don’t know about urban myth in this case [of a crucified Santa in Tokyo], but I saw a documentary on TV once back in the late 70’s or early 80’s about Japanese culture versus American culture and how they two don’t understand each other all that well. May even have been a segment on 60 Minutes I saw. Source is lost to time now.
   But sure as shootin’, the documentary footage driving down some commercial streets in Tokyo, Akihabara too, I think, showed a lot of enthusiastic but ill-informed local advertising trying to get some “American flavor” into what for them was really just a new business opportunity, like if we invented a brand new holiday in the dead time of late summer. And there as the highlight was, swear to God, a crucified Santa. This I saw with mine own eyeballs back in the days of only three main TV networks.

4. furniture Says:
   December 19th, 2010 at 1:51 am

   Crucified Claus? Meh, you can do a lot with cinderblocks and 2×12′ planks. And if that doesn’t float your boat you, there’s always Craigslist and thrift stores.

5. wunderkabinett.co.uk (via Taro) Says:
   December 20th, 2010 at 9:02 am

   According to Wunderkabinett.co.uk, that Japanese-engrish card showing Santa nailed to a cross was made by, “Robert Cendella and was originally displayed, in December 1997, stuck to the window of the Arts Students League in New York, as a protest about the commercialisation of Christmas.”

   http://www.wunderkabinett.co.uk/damndata/index.php?/archives/1196-Cabinet-of-Wonders-Christmas-wishes-now-with-new-improved-Samurai-Santas.html

   http://www.wunderkabinett.co.uk/damndata/index.php?/archives/1196-Cabinet-of-Wonders-Christmas-wishes-now-with-new-improved-Samurai-Santas.html

6. hoboclaus Says:
   December 23rd, 2010 at 8:55 pm

   YES!
   Now this is the most bestest way to put “Christ back in Xmas!”

   

7. douchebags Says:
   December 31st, 2010 at 8:43 pm

   I realize this is not a well-liked opinion, but I unquestionably love that Crucified Claus.
   Why not attempt to use this object and animation to signify the interconnectedness of all stupid religions? It’s better than the dull shit and aesthetic nightmares we see everyday. This is a win.

8. Taro, the confused Says:
   March 17th, 2012 at 4:35 pm

   I stumbled across yet another Claus-on-the-Cross, this time in the guise of “Santa of Nazareth“…
   

   
   blog.uchujin.co.uk/2008/12/santa-of-nazareth

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