You are probably already aware of the whole Chicken and KFC tradition in Japan during Christmas.

 

Honestly, at first, I was surprised to find out that Japanese people eat KFC for Christmas, and not only that, but they also reserve it ahead of time.

Everything started with a campaign called KFC’s Christmas Chicken back in 1974, which grew in popularity, and ever since, people in Japan choose to eat KFC for Christmas.

For those interested in finding out more about this unique custom, you can find more information here.

In today’s article, I am going to introduce you to a few places where you can buy your Christmas Chicken in case you haven’t decided yet:

1. Supermarkets and AEON Mall

Supermarkets and the Aeon Mall are a great place to buy a good roast chicken or chicken sets at an affordable price.

You can find a lot of varieties, and because there are so many options, you might probably spend quite a lot of time deciding which one to go for.

2. Costco

At Costco, you can buy the Costco Rotisserie chicken, roasted in an oven, super soft, juicy, and popular during the wintertime!

You might want to be among the first to buy it as it gets sold out right away.

You can also cut it and use it in salads or use the bones for a delicious broth.

Official Website

3. MOS Burger

Crispy and delicious, the Mos Chicken is another tasty option for this Christmas. It has a nice fragrance of soy sauce and goes well in combination with rice, too.

You can get the Mos Chicken for 250 yen(+tax) or get the Mos Chicken Pack (5 pieces for 1,250 yen+ tax or 10 pieces for 2,500 yen+tax).

Official Website

4. Konbini

The convenience stores are one of the best options for Christmas. 

At Seven Eleven, you can get the Nana-Chiki(deep-fried chicken) Party Set or opt for one Nana-Chiki if you want only one bite. 

It has such a fragrant smell the crispy meat is so flavorful. For the boneless option, the price for one piece is 203 yen, while the one with bones is 300 yen.

I personally like the one with no bones because it’s juicier, and I like cutting it and putting it on salads, too. You can also get fried chicken (揚げ鳥/Agetori) for 194 yen or roasted chicken leg for 442 yen.

The Nana-Chiki Set includes four pieces (two with bones, two without), and you can buy it for 1,006 yen, or you can get the Nana-Chiki Party Set for 1,810 yen that includes three boneless nana-chiki, three nana chiki with bones, and fried potatoes.

Official Website

At Lawson, you can buy the L-Chiki or Kogane Chicken/黄金チキン (golden chicken). The mix set with two L-Chiki and two Golden Chickens without bones costs only 840 yen. 

You can also get the six pieces box for 1,260 yen. If you want only the Golden Chicken, you can buy the four pieces set for 960 yen.

Official Website

FamilyMart is probably the most known konbini when it comes to chicken. The Fami-Chiki is delicious, and for the 2020 Christmas Chicken, you can buy the chicken packs below:

• Party Set with Fami-Chiki(no bones x3), roasted chicken leg (teriyaki x3), Premium Chicken(with bones x3) for 2,184yen.
• FamiMa Chicken Set A with cheese Fami-Chiki x3 and premium chicken x 3, for 1,440 yen.

Official Website

The last one is Ministop, which has the Gokuuma Chicken/極旨チキン (Extreme Chicken). You can buy the four pieces set for 885 yen, or the Extreme Chicken x2 and Smoked Chicken Legs x2 for 1,015 yen. 

They also have available a snack set with four pieces of Extreme Chicken and an X-size box of fries for 1,317 yen.

For 2,138 yen, you can also buy the chicken party set with Extreme Chicken x4, Juicy Plain Chicken x4, and Cranky Chicken Salt Flavor x4.

Official Website

5. KFC

Last but not least, we have KFC. As it is probably the most popular option out there, you might want to reserve it beforehand. 

This Christmas, KFC came up with the Party Barrel Sets, Christmas Pack, and Premium Series.

 

There are just so many options, but I would personally choose something from the Premium Series as it looks fancier and healthier.

If you want variety, then the Party Barrel Set is for you (it even has tiramisu and gratin!).

The Christmas Pack has many types of chicken so, if you want to have a taste of nuggets, original chicken, BBQ chicken, I recommend this one.

You also have many options of side dishes, so if you want to spend 2020’s Christmas the Japanese way and order from KFC, you can reserve your favorite Christmas Chicken set on their official website.