Santa Claus has come to town

The Yomiuri Shimbun

Having left his sleigh behind, a Santa Claus exchanges a high-five with a child upon arriving by airplane at Narita Airport on Friday. Due to the pandemic, it was the first visit to Japan in three years for the jolly visitor from the Santa Claus Foundation of Finland, which was established in 2000 to maintain the worldwide image of Finland as the home country of Santa Claus. This St. Nick, who greeted children in the airport lobby with a hearty “Hello! Merry Christmas!” and posed for photos, will be staying through Tuesday and visiting with children and the elderly at various facilities in Tokyo and Chiba City.