Christmas Eve and Love Hotels in Japan. A lot of this was gathered from Peter Payne's mailing list which recount his tales of living in Japan and interesting things about the country and culture. Over the past twenty years, the idea of giving gifts at Christmas has taken hold of Japan. Presents are given to young children by parents and grandparents. Presents are also exchanged by young people and most definitely by boyfriends and girlfriends. Christmas Eve is an important date night, second only to Valentine's Day. It's also a good night for married couples to put the kids to bed early and enjoy some time together. Older Japanese don't usually give gifts because Christmas remains an "outside" thing.
The other big Christmas Eve related event is that it is the #1 night for girls to lose their virginity. Love Hotels are booked weeks in advance with couples who are waiting for this perfect night. Formerly called "Motels," these are places where couples can go for two hours of "rest" or for a full night to enjoy privacy. In Japan, many people under the age of twenty-five live with their parents so there's a need for a place where young people can go. Love hotels are very developed, with many fascinating mechanisms to protect the privacy of the customer (for example, vacuum tubes so you can pay your $60 and get your change without meeting anyone). Many have facilities like karaoke, exotic baths and lotions, and luxurious beds ("protection" is complimentary). Some of the hotels have themes (there is one based on Queen Elizabeth II where the hotel looks like a ship, the Taj Majal, or even one based on Alcatraz Island).
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