JAPAN: The official Santa Claus from Finland gives out early gifts to children at a kindergarten in Tokyo

Record ID: 465459

  • Title: JAPAN: The official Santa Claus from Finland gives out early gifts to children at a kindergarten in Tokyo
  • Date: 3rd December 2010
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (English) FINLAND SANTA CLAUS FOUNDATION OFFICIAL SANTA SAYING: "I really love Japanese children. They are so cute and one thing which is so different from other children from the world is they are so, so polite already when they can just stand. They are very very polite." SANTA ON SLEDGE REINDEER STRUGGLING TO PULL SLEDGE
  • Embargoed: 18th December 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVAC13H26W3AQ8TI5JWKDUXPI65U
  • Story Text: December has arrived and Santa Claus is getting busy.
    Santa stopped by a kindergarten in downtown Tokyo on a warm Thursday morning (December 2) to give out gifts.
    Stepping into a room from the balcony in true Santa fashion, he greeted the cheering children with a booming "hello" in Japanese.
    "My home district in Finland is the northern part of the country, which is called Lapland," the official Santa Claus from the Finland Santa Clause Foundation explained to the children.
    Around 50 children and their parents were offered the privilege of meeting Santa ahead of Christmas.
    During the brief meeting, the children sang Santa a christmas song, offered him pictures which they drew, and then lined up to receive their early Christmas gift.
    "I am so happy," said Reira Moneke, after getting a calendar from Santa.
    Excited parents also milled around to get a photo of their child with Santa, some also wanted their own photo with Santa and his long grey beard that reached beyond his belt.
    The children who had been eagerly waiting for Santa were satisfied.
    "I was hoping I could meet Santa," said Miyo Ito, smiling happily after her wish came true.
    Even though some ended up crying, Santa said everyone should expect a real gift on Christmas for being good.
    "I really love Japanese children. They are so cute and one thing which is so different from other children from the world is they are so, so polite already when they can just stand. They are very very polite," said Santa, he added that he has been busy replying to letters from children around the world and taking care of his reindeers before coming to Japan.
    Santa will be going around hospitals, kindergartens and nursing homes around Japan as part of his pre-Christmas tour, organised by Finnair.
    When Santa had to leave, the children all came out on the balcony to bid Santa goodbye as his bipedal reindeer struggled to carry the sledge to his next destination.
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