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Christmas in Japan has always been different than what folks from other countries are used to. There’s always the Christmas bucket of Kentucky Fried Chicken handed out by a santa-suit-clad Colonel Sanders, the Christmas cake topped with whipped cream swirls and strawberries, and those romantic walks with your loved one around the many illuminated streets. LINKS. That’s why we weren’t surprised, and frankly delighted, to find the following 10 unconventional Christmas trees from around Japan.

Here’s one from the Kyoto Aquarium. Close up, it looks pretty normal:

▼ Are there a bunch of rocks stacked on the tree?

Zoom out and the decorations turn out to be something a bit more lively

▼ Giant salamanders!
https://twitter.com/ryu_shinki/status/545632668394610688

The Carp, Hiroshima City’s baseball team, have their own fanatical mascot named Slyly who’s been made into an enormous Christmas tree.

https://twitter.com/satoshi33110044/status/532113498281496576

▼ Is his head the star on the top of the tree? Or is he the entire tree?
https://twitter.com/saya_love_music/status/533911337366085632

▼ A view from the bottom reveals just how big this guy really is.

Aww, what a simple, yet elegant tree, its branches filled with…angels? White doves?

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▼ Nope, severed heads.

B4udti8CAAAjlMDTwitter (Jasonsan_1994)

You know it’s winter in Japan when the grocery stores start selling mikans, also known as Japanese mandarin oranges. So why not take this ubiquitous cold-weather fruit and use them to decorate a tree?

https://twitter.com/tn_fme/status/538534826001715200

▼ Some of the mikans even light up!
https://twitter.com/Walker47_jp/status/537864714147987457

But why decorate a tree with mikans when you can make the entire tree out of them?

Those outside of Japan may not be familiar with this next unconventional decoration.

It’s a Kamenoko Tawashi, a stiff traditional-style bristle brush used in most Japanese homes for scrubbing.

▼ Up-close it doesn’t look fancy enough for a Christmas tree.

1200px-Tawashi_Japanese_scourerWikipedia (Qurren)

But adding some tulle and a crown really makes this scrubbing brush sparkle:

▼ It even lights up!
https://twitter.com/masakohira/status/545882928287191040

The Tokyo International Forum made its own stacked Christmas tree in honor of The Year of the Sheep.

https://twitter.com/sueko_lssol/status/546115080052420608

▼ We have a feeling 2015 is going to be the cutest year yet!

Japan’s favorite vocaloid, Hatsune Miku, even has her own tree, featuring her long pigtails:

This topsy-turvy tree must have turned a few heads…

https://twitter.com/Coco2Sae/status/540438509371150336

And we realize this isn’t a Christmas tree, but we just had to share it with you anyway:

▼ Tennōji Park in Osaka decided to go with the theme of “Japanese-style” for their decorations this year.

But no matter where you live or how you celebrate or don’t celebrate Christmas, we hope you spend the day with the ones you love. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Source: Naver Matome