It¡¯s early December and the halls of the Western-style houses of Yamate or ¡°The Bluff¡± ¡ª the former gaikokujin kyory¨±chi (foreign settlement) in Yokohama ¡ª have been well and truly decked. Giving crowds of curious Japanese an inkling as to what Christmas looks like in a Western setting, the splendor of these one-time residences of diplomats from far-off lands, oyatoi gaikokujin (foreigners employed to help modernize late 19th-century Japan) and wealthy traders seems obscured by the seasonal adornments.
The decorations ¡ª selected to represent Christmas traditions of different countries ¡ª may not truly be authentic, but drawing crowds to these buildings is important for the city¡¯s heritage. Couples, families, friends, young and old, flock to admire the pine-fresh Christmassy visuals, obtain some top-notch selfies and generally indulge in a soup of light Occidentalism.
Illuminations, Polish crockery, examples of cuisine from Canada: it¡¯s all here, bringing visitors to a neighborhood of the city that, most other times of year, isn¡¯t exactly bustling with tourists. Surprising ¡ª because this, in many ways, is the birthplace of modern Japan.
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