聖誕老公公學校 表參道上的聖誕節

Japan school trains wannabe "Santa-sans"Share








TOKYO | Tue Nov 27, 2012 6:50am EST

(Reuters) - Magic tricks and straight answers are all part of being Santa in Japan - at least according to Tokyo's Santa Claus Academy, which trains St. Nicks in a country with little Christian tradition and a Christmas that's far more retail than religion.

On a recent weekend, 88 Santa wannabes packed the school in Tokyo's fashionable Roppongi district for a crash course in how to behave as "Santa-san," as the man in red is known in Japan.

"There are many children who don't believe in Santa Claus anymore," said Masaki Azuma, head of the school. "So I said to myself, 'Let's bring Santa Claus back.'"

The morning session began with Azuma training students in the mindset of being Santa Claus, such as not to reply to anything unless addressed as "Santa-san," along with teaching them magic tricks, which Azuma recommends as a good ice-breaker for often shy tots.

The rest of the session was devoted to answering the difficult questions that children have a habit of posing, such as "My house doesn't have a chimney and we also have a security system, so how will you be able to come in and deliver my present?"

The academy's answer is that Santa, whose job is to deliver presents no matter what, will find a way. Also, the home security system should recognize him and let him in.

After this, the students dressed in their Santa outfits to stroll streets in the busy Omotesando district, exchanging high fives with shoppers and occasionally stopping to pose for pictures.

"Not only were we able to attract attention, we also interacted and made each other's days," said Kazuko Iida, who visits local preschools and retirement homes during the Christmas season.

Despite nearing 70, Azuma has vowed to press on with his school, believing it has a key role to fulfill.

"Even as times change, Santa Claus is a figure that needs to live in the hearts of everyone," he said.

(Reporting by Kimiteru Tsuruta, editing by Elaine Lies)












■三少四壯集







表參道上的聖誕節 郭正佩／文 　(20081223)










　如果不以「正統性」做為判斷標準的話，把東京排名為「全世界聖誕時節氣氛『最?烈』」的城市說不一定也不為過。況且，這位城市把這年末節慶時分商業氣息延長的本領，或許也沒有別的城市能夠比擬。

　莫約十月下旬開始，東京稍微能叫得出名字的建築物、主要街道、商家，就如排山倒海似掛上節慶燈飾，把街道照耀地彷如白日般明亮。（問題是本來其實已經很 亮了。）更了不起的是，這麼這麼掛著，居然可以一路從十月末，一路慶祝到隔年二月十四日西洋情人節。（說到「西洋」情人節氣氛，東京恐怕也可排名世界第 一。）

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　於是，新宿時代廣場附近（初到東京時有點啞口無言，這裡不止有時代廣場，還有一棟長得和帝國大廈幾乎一模一樣的大樓），架起如夢似幻的聖誕步道。對，後來還築起一次只讓一對情侶進入，拍照、聆聽聖誕音樂的鈴鐺小屋。

　於是，東京巨蛋附近出現亦如巨蛋形狀，直徑有六公尺寬覆天蓋地的彩色音樂燈飾。每隔十五分鐘左右，就像萬花筒般閃爍。還有長約一百公尺左右命名為「雞尾酒街」臨時架起的音樂燈光步道，漂亮是漂亮，走進其中，簡直像進入電動玩具場景嘛。

　然後是汐留Caretta廣場，在作曲家東儀秀樹的設計之下，轉變成所謂「藍色光波世界」。銀藍色大海主題燈光，令人聯想起廣重浮世繪畫作裡波濤洶湧海浪。聽著東儀先生譜的樂，好像站在大海中央。這樣可以和聖誕節聯想在一起嗎？雖然不是很確定，不過總之還有「說不定」能讓戀人們愛情加溫魔法的神祕午夜奇蹟會登場。

　澀谷車站旁MyCity百貨公司樹起巨大聖誕樹，附近道玄?、宮益?及公園通行道樹，也同時掛上約莫六十萬顆燈飾。最著名約會等待地點忠犬八公雕像，以及道玄?周圍，裝飾起為了「讓情侶們進入聖誕心境」的巨大心形燈飾。

　往明治神宮方向，有東京香榭大道之稱的表參道並木一路立著和風燈籠概念似燈柱，似乎有和巴黎香榭大道及紐約第五大道比美的意味。當然，古典和宗教氣氛畢竟比不上歐美城市，於是請來前衛燈光藝術家，為這城城市設計出摩登卻又融合日本味的街道裝飾。

　偶爾會看到模特兒、歌手之類的人，一旁跟隨帶著裝備的攝影師、導演，趁這時節拍攝出有濃厚冬日氣氛的影像、錄像。沿著裝飾起的表參道散步，不知不覺還真會有成為日劇裡主角的錯覺。

　六本木也在不遠處，比起表參道，聖誕時節六本木之丘一帶，似乎還更像巴黎香榭大道。銀白色流蘇般的燈飾，以「永遠．瞬間」為主題，掛滿六本木之丘旁大道樹梢。

　站在大道天橋上，能看到遠方亮著燈火的東京鐵塔。東京鐵塔黃橘相間和大道上閃爍的銀白色燈光互相映襯，如果此時天空中還飄著一點濛濛雨絲，倒還真有一點印象派畫作的感覺。

　也可以到丸之內大樓、惠比壽花園廣場、東京車站附近的帝國旅館走走。天色更暗，那麼，把最後一站定為東京鐵塔如何？雖然不像巴黎艾菲爾鐵塔般每個鐘點如星光般閃爍，靜靜待在幾乎沒什麼遊客的東京鐵塔腳下，觀賞因為聖誕節慶特別裝飾起的燈光花園，也有另一番風情。

　雖然各地聖誕節大抵和商業運作都有那麼一點關係，東京的聖誕節，卻緊密地和聖誕節之後其實還有將近兩個月之久的情人節結合得天衣無縫。看來，如果不像情 人節一般，找個「義禮」情人，約在掛滿「讓情侶們進入聖誕心境」心形吊飾的澀谷忠犬八公雕像，然後一起逛逛表參道、到新宿星光步道散步，站在情人鐘下許 願、到東京巨蛋走過「能讓愛的氛圍出現」的雞尾酒街、然後在汐留廣場等待具有「讓戀人感情加溫魔力」的午夜奇蹟，沒有情人在身邊的人這個時候待在東京，還 真不知該怎麼過才好。