It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Top to bottom - Poinsettia's in Shinagawa Station; The Attack of the Blue Elves in Shinjuku; Evening rush hour in Ikebukuro

When I was growing up in Newcastle, I marinated in idyllic Christmases (must have been all the Fosters we left out for "Santa"). Truth be told, I've always been a sucker for Rolf Harris Christmas carols, chrissie pudding, paper bonbons and the dodgy paper crowns we were forced to wear on Christmas Eve.

But I don't remember poinsettias ever being part of the equation. I remember holly (plastic of course). I remember the aroma of a freshly cut pine tree (that we, um, didn't steal from private property on our family's annual "Pine Tree Run"). But poinsettias were always that flower that spurted white corrosive toxins (at least that's the urban myth that my 10 year old alter-ego believes) like a virulent ebola virus. Part of Christmas? Erm, no.

Apparently I'm alone. Everyone I've asked considers poinsettias a crucial part of Christmas. And the Japanese sure as hell do. It seems to be the definitive Christmas icon here. I mean, that's fine. It's a flower. It's red. How bad can it be? Just don't make me touch one.