O' (poor) Christmas Tree

While Japan (Tsugaru area) is not as festive for Christmas as back home, there is still a fair share of decorations around town to enjoy. Here are some for your viewing pleasure.

Here we have a fine fiber optics specimen of the white genre. Very expressive, the "White Christmas" feeling of this time of year. This one was found in a high-end shopping mall of which name nobody really knows how to pronounce. For now we will call the shopping mall Renais (looks French but with English pronounciation).

Here we have the only real Christmas tree for sale that could be found in our city of 180,000 people (complete with hearts...). If one was feeling quite vigorous about Christmas, that one would only have to pay $315 to purchase this adorable tree. That one was not us, nor anyone else in our city of 180,000 people.

Next we have an excellent example of a Japanese styled lighted Christmas Tree. If you look very closely you will notice a garish little sign that is hung on the top of the tree. This sign reads "Merry Christmas." While quite festive in nature, it is quite a travisty to the ideal form of the Christmas tree. Unfortunately this is the signature decoration of all Japanese styled trees.

Our final example of the Japanese Christmas tree is the all to common "Hodge-podge" form. As you can see the example given below, onlookers cannot help but shudder at the disaster strewn upon the unsuspecting tree. (We actually watched the deplorable decorating of this paticular tree as the employee literally chucked, yes--threw with a strong force, the lights onto the tree.) A slight sympathy is given to these unknowing citizens who only recently began celebrating this wonderful holiday. Many stores have Christmas trees, small of course but still the Christmas season is felt. But all too often these little Christmas trees' branches are not fully opened to present room in which to decorate the already sparce tree; therefore, the tree usually resembles a "just-taken-out-of-the-box" feel. At least they're Christmas trees. Next year they may anticipate some help from concerned foreign citizens...