'Tis the season to be jolly? Well ... maybe not so much if you're single during Christmas in Japan.

Being a country with a tiny Christian population, Japan has not traditionally associated the festive season with family and goodwill as in the West, but rather with pretty lights, Kentucky Fried Chicken and a romantic night out with a special someone.

An online survey by Aisekiya Labo in mid-November found that 23.3 percent of unmarried men and women aged 20 to 39 are expecting a new encounter in the lead-up to Christmas.