Japan is not a Christian country in any sense, though there are a small minority of Christians scattered throughout Japan. But the commercial side of Christmas ... and feelings of goodwill have crossed cultural boundaries. It is common to see Christmas decorations in major cities; major department stores encourage gift giving, and Christmas is commonly celebrated as a time to have a party with friends. In this way one can loosely imagine that Christmas and New Years are reversed between Japan and Western countries, as New Years in Japan is a very important holiday, a time to gather with family and return to the countryside for a few days.