Every holiday has its meal, and in Japan at Christmas it's takeaway crispy chicken that rules the roost. For faithful, joyful and triumphant vegetarians in Japan, however, the roasted holiday bird is as appealing as the piece of coal left at the bottom of a stocking.
Vegetarians are already on the naughty list when it comes to Japanese cuisine, and gifts are denied them at every turn. No, the recipe cannot be made without fish. No, this tempura isn't available without shrimp. Bacon is a meat? Really? Life for vegetarians is hard here, unless you're satisfied with tofu and salt-water ramen.
But the holidays — and the traditions that come with them — are often about nostalgia. Sure, Christmas dinner in Japan is celebrated at the tail end of just another workday, and it's hard enough to find time to celebrate, much less in a vegetarian fashion. But while some might be resigned to shrug it all off as humbug, mixing up a turkey substitute could not only make your apartment smell like the faraway hearth of your youth, but it would also probably be more delicious than everyone else's takeaway bucket of deep-fried chicken.