The apparant strategy?
From what I can see, gradually replace "Merry Christmas", with "Happy Christmas" this year. I am certain this is not just a sudden popularity to say it the standard British Way. I saw it at a number of shops here in Japan this year I had never seen it before (that, and more "Winter Sales" rather than "Christmas Sales" that I have seen in the past.
My theory: They cannot easily change "Merry Christmas" overnight into the PC "Happy Holidays" in Japan because for the Japanese, the latter greeting makes no sense and sounds strange and unnatural when said. There is no political correctness here and there is specificity in everything. 10 out of 10 Japanese would say （どんな休日のですか？）"WHICH Holiday?", or （いったいクリスマスって何が悪いのか？）"What's wrong with "Merry Christmas?". Even "political correctness” itself requires a good 30 minute explanation to most Japanese, they often cannot get their hands around the concept and usually just laugh at it initially with a sense of incredulity, curiosity and confusion.
So (again, my theory) in a phased-in approach, they can get people to start dropping "Merry" and then just change "Christmas" to "Holidays" in about two or three more years. I do believe it is happening. I have heard in Latin cultures it is moving to "Feliz Fiestas" from "Feliz Navidad" as well, so this might be a worldwide phenomenon.
Sorry to report it this year, folks, but it was fun while it lasted.
Maybe a few years after Christmas is fully restored in the USA, due to the time lag, then the Japanese will revert back to a hearty "メリークリスマス！"）
Its OK. When I was in Spain last year, all of the signs in the shops said “Feliz Fiestas” (Happy Holidays), while NONE said “Feliz Navidad.”
But there is hope; Merry Christmas is coming back in the United States.