Terry Ito Column Vol.69 Santa Claus is coming in 2025

My favorite season has arrived. I love summer, too, but I'm getting more and more excited about the upcoming Christmas season. I've loved it since I was young, and my love for it has only intensified with each passing year. Once Halloween is over, the city starts to come alive, decorated with holiday lights. I can't wait any longer, so once October rolls around, I start playing Christmas songs at home and in the car. Instead of the usual Mariah Carey, Wham!, or Dean Martin, I opt for classic Christmas songs from the 1940s and 1950s, which really liven things up. I'm sure my regular driver, Suzuki, is annoyed by having to listen to them for three months.

While vibrant cityscapes are nice, I long for a quiet Christmas Eve spent with my family in the European countryside. It's similar to the Japanese New Year's holiday, when I return to my hometown (preferably the snowy Tohoku region) for the first time in a long time, gather with all my relatives, and eat ozoni and oshiruko, traditional dishes passed down through generations, around a kotatsu or hearth. I'd also like to visit small towns in Northern Europe that I've yet to see. In cities, the image of Santa Claus has become too commercial. I have mixed feelings when I see Santas hawking discounts in front of supermarkets and convenience stores. Even when I see a pizza catering guy riding a motorcycle dressed as Santa, I'm sure the myth of Santa Claus is fading in cities. It's a big deal for dreamy children, too. Santa must bring a warm smile to people's faces.

With this in mind, I will be visiting three locations, including a facility for supporting people with disabilities and a senior citizens' welfare center, all dressed as Santa Claus, along with 20 students from Tokyo International University, where I teach. This has nothing to do with classes, but I'm happy to say that all the students are happy to participate. The university has also agreed and provided a large bus. We're also planning some fun things to do on the day. I hope it will be a memorable Christmas experience for everyone.

But why do I love Christmas so much? My parents' home is an omelet shop in Tsukiji's fish market. It's the busiest time of the year, swarming with customers preparing New Year's dishes. Salmon, octopus, salmon roe, and sweet potato were all over the town, and my parents were working without time to sleep. Like everyone else in Tsukiji, there was no Christmas spirit whatsoever. I barely remember eating a cream puff and a Siberian (how old!). Santa never made an appearance. Even if he had arrived riding a reindeer, he might have been treated like a nuisance by a bicycle loaded with fish. Perhaps because of the kind of childhood I had, I long for Christmas even more than I do now. I hope this Christmas will be a wonderful and memorable day for everyone. HO! HO! HO~♪

Terry Ito (director)

Born in Tsukiji, Tokyo in 1949. After attending Waseda Jitsugyo Junior and Senior High School, he graduated from Nihon University's School of Economics.
In March 2023, he completed the Master's program at the Graduate School of Media and Governance at Keio University.
He joined the television production company IVS Television, where he worked on variety shows such as "Tensai Takeshi's Genki ga Deru TV" and "Neruton Benikujidan."
He then went independent and worked on planning and directing a number of television programs, including TV Tokyo's "Asakusabashi Young Clothing Store."
His book "Comedy North Korea" became a bestseller, and he subsequently made numerous media appearances under the name Terry Ito.
In addition to his work as a director, he is also active in a variety of fields as a producer, entertainer, and commentator.
YouTube channelTerry Ito's Comedy Backdrop'
Currently writing a column in LALALA USA
https://lalalausa.com/archives/category/column/terry