Munching on fried chicken.

Taking a stroll to a local 7-Eleven, Lawson or Olympic to pick up a fresh, cold, strawberry cake.

Walking along Omotesandō Avenue, awing at the illuminated Christmas lights detailing a number of trees.

An ideal Christmas for those in Japan.

Sophomore Elise Nguyen is coming up on her third annual visit to Japan, where cultural differences in Tokyo compared to Houston have been “perfectly welcoming.”

Nguyen’s family connection with Japan first began in the early months of 2005 about five years before she was born.

“My parents ended up really liking [Japan] after their first visit, so during the summer of 2023, for the first time, we went together as a family,“ Nguyen said. “And ever since, Japan has felt like another side of our world that feels like home.”

What began as a feeling of home for Nguyen’s family later blossomed into a reality in 2024 once they purchased a house in Ōta City.

“My parents loved the people and the cleanliness—we all felt naturally and warmly welcomed — so it didn’t take long for [my parents] to decide that we’d find a home there too,” Nguyen said. “Now, we go to Japan as much as we can, especially every summer and winter, not only to visit our new house, but to appreciate the country altogether.”

This upcoming Christmas marks Nguyen’s first in their new home away from home.

“In the past, we stayed in hotels, so we were limited in what we could do to create our own traditions,” Nguyen said. “ [Now,] we plan to set up a Christmas tree and possibly invite our friends from Japan over for dinner. This time around, I think we’ll bring a bit of the American Christmas spirit to Japan.”

Much like in American Christmastime, Tokyo and the rest of Japan are festively embellished in string lights, decorative wreaths and signature Christmas trinkets such as bows and ornamented trees. According to Nguyen, however, there are also significant differences.

“Christmas in Japan is different from America because most stores are open,” Nguyen said. “A lot of Japanese people tend to celebrate [Christmas] by going out to eat KFC and to buy a cake for dessert.”

Along with celebrations, the meaning behind the holiday also has its differences.

“One interesting tradition in Japan is that Christmas is viewed more as a romantic holiday rather than a family holiday like in the United States,” Nguyen said. “You’ll see lots of couples out and about during the Christmas season since it’s celebrated in a way similar to how [most Americans] celebrate Valentine’s Day.”

Despite an array of materialistic things that scream “the holidays” for Nguyen, it is the simple memories that stand out.

“One of my favorite memories in Japan during winter was when my parents and I were walking around Ginza shopping, and there was light snow falling on everyone’s jackets,” Nguyen said. “Considering all the places I’ve traveled to, I hadn’t experienced something so comforting until then. It was such a warm moment that felt like something straight out of a movie and that I still reminisce about today with a bittersweet feeling.”

Out of a handful, one of Anita Nguyen’s most cherished memories was going to Nara Park to see deer.

“The deer would run free and go up to us and we could feed them cookies that the locals sell,” Anita Nguyen said. “I’ve had encounters with deer in America and they would run away from you. Deer in Nara walk up to people and they’re not afraid to interact.”

For the Nguyen family, involving themselves in a substantially different country from where they live and were raised in has left lasting impacts. The celebrations, food, weather and the culture as a whole has been something unforgettable and has felt like a “missing puzzle piece.”

“Japan is an important place to me because I truly feel safe as I can roam freely and have meaningful daily interactions with others,” Nguyen said. “Going to Japan every winter and summer has documented countless memorable memories I made from middle school all the way to high school.”

When it comes to Elise, her father Ted Nguyen has a myriad of feelings for opening up a new side of the world to her.

“To me, I believe this experience shows Elise that there is so much more to the world than just where we live,” Ted Nguyen said. “It teaches her new values and cultural perspectives that simply don’t exist in the United States. I feel extremely happy knowing that her experiences in Japan will help her build even stronger values and standards for herself.”

For the future, the Nguyens have high expectations of what Japan might bring them.

“We’re hoping to explore other cities in Japan that we haven’t been to, like Hokkaido, Okinawa and other nature-scenic destinations,” her mother Anita Nguyen said.

On top of this, Ted Nguyen has other permanent plans for his future in Japan.

“Japan has truly become our second home away from home. We visit quite often, and for me, it never gets old,” Ted Nguyen said. “Every trip is a wonderful and enriching experience. Our plan is for our family to eventually move there full-time.”

From being born, growing up and spending 15 years of life in a metropolitan city in Texas, Nguyen was finally able to see what’s beyond her home, taking away foundational values and viewpoints.

“I think I’ve developed a wider perspective on what it means to have distinct traditions, customs and culture since traveling to Japan,” Nguyen said. “I couldn’t really grasp or actually make sense of what these things meant before leaving America. Especially with the holidays, Japan fills the void that has always been a bit blank and apparent to me in Houston. Being in a foreign country and seeing all of the cultural gaps from home just generally helps me appreciate so many of the smaller things a little bit more.”