Christmas in Japan is all about chicken. Specifically, the seasoned, deep-fried, crispy variety found in KFC. With Turkey being so rare it’s almost of mythical status in Japan, the nation has long celebrated Christmas by tucking into offerings from that Santa look-alike, Colonel Sanders. 2020 has been such a bizarre year though that the grape Japan team wanted to offer our readers the opportunity to enjoy their Christmas chicken in a unique, dare I say - more festive(!) - way.

Specifically, by going back to basics and tucking into some delicious Christmas eggs. Sure, traditional Christmas dinner is all about roasting, but that overlooks the festive, present like the joy that can be experienced from opening up an egg and enjoying the golden gifts within!

Why are we proposing this eggceptional replacement for the Christmas bird? Because in Tokyo’s hip, trend-setting Kichijoji neighbourhood, a national egg buffet is taking place as I write! And for a limited time only, visitors and residents in the capital can feast on rare eggs from all over Japan!

The all Japan Egg Buffet - Eggsclusive to Kichijoji in Tokyo

The all Japan egg buffet offers Tokyo’s residents the opportunity to indulge in and explore rare eggs from all over Japan!

The buffet is being provided by the “Phantom Egg Store” which has set up a temporary shop between December 18th to December 27th in Kichijoji station, Tokyo.

Every day the pop-up offers a rotating lineup of up to 15 unique egg varieties from different parts of Japan for customers to select themselves and add to their very own box of eggs.

Notably unique offerings include eggs whose yolks are flavored with yuzu or sake lees, as well as eggs with bright red or snow-white yolks. The store also gives customers the opportunity to sample eggs from chickens of international origin such as the blue egg laying Araucana from Chile or the famously fluffy Silkie chicken from China.

Some toppings with your tamago?

The very special egg buffet has been organized by the Nihon Tamago Kake Gohan Research Institute, loosely translated as Japanese Egg Topped Rice Research Institute. The institute hopes to promote the enjoyment of Japan’s soul food, tamago kake gohan 卵かけご飯 - a dish made by cracking a raw egg on warm rice and mixing them together, then adding a topping such as soy sauce.

Visitors to the Egg Buffet can also pick up various condiments to enjoy with their eggs, especially for those planning to make their own tamago kake gohan. For example, the store is offering a soy sauce that the Kakekomi Gohan Research Institute promotes as Japan’s best soy sauce to use on tamago kake gohan. These condiments will make fine replacements to gravy for those who have come round to our idea of an egg-based Christmas feast for 2020.

Hearts of gold: Support Japan’s farmers during the COVID-19 pandemic

It’s important to note that the Phantom Egg Store originated as a means of supporting Japan’s local farmers whose businesses have been impacted by COVID-19, by selling their eggs to customers who can’t access the farms directly due to travel restrictions.

Not only can you enjoy handpicking your own treasure chest of exquisite eggs when visiting the Phantom Egg Store, but you will also be supporting a good cause!So, after a year of missed egg-speriences being forced to stay put by the Coronavirus pandemic, the opportunity to sample and enjoy eggs from areas we wanted to but couldn’t visit is nothing short of a Christmas miracle. All those best-laid travel plans that cracked to pieces can now be cathartically forgotten by picking one's very own box of Japan’s most extraordinary eggs!

Phantom Egg Store Details

• Store Name: Phantom Egg Store
• Location: Kichijoji Station, Tokyo, in front of the central ticket gates
• Prices: ￥800 for a box of 6 eggs
• Website: https://www.japan-tkg.jp/