Western expats in Japan can tell you that a lot of Japanese people really dig Christmas--department stores often bring in Santa and pipe in the "Jingle Bells." Yes, in terms of music, the Japanese tend to stick to the Western Yuletide standards; perhaps because the whole Christ thing hasn't really caught on that much, Japanese don't have much in the way of homegrown Christmas music.

However, if you've been pining away for some traditional Japanese Christmas sounds, despair no longer--a pair of musicians in the American Pacific Northwest have come to the rescue. En, "a duo bound to Japan, music, and each other" have produced a shakuhachi and koto version of "White Christmas," available on their website. If you thought Bing Crosby always sounded half in the bag, this version is positively woozy!