merry merry christmas: illumination

What a disgusting week, stress all throughout. but it is done! ill take tomorrow a day of and will head to hokkaido this weekend. that will make sure christmas is white.
speaking of christmas in japan. it is unlike new year no big deal. the yaer end holidays are detached from holy night and usually one has to work. the real thing with all the cultural backdrop is new year (shogatsu) and that is also when japanese travel to visit their families.
point is, just like with halloween or easter or valentines day, if there is a chance to consume japan will import the celebration along with some fine designer handbags.

in my experience, christmas in japan is synonym with illumination. all people go crazy over the thematic light installation attached to the shopping centers in tokyo. but walking with the crowds observing the lights one cant avoid to notice that illuminations have somehow detached themselves from christmas (or lets be fair, speaking in technical terms, advanced from it). nowadays what is illuminated in least cases has a connection to christmas. like near takashimaya the circus illumination or near roppongi the blue artelligence (sic!) illumination or the shibuya illumination which is barely recognizable against the everyday illumination of adboards.