Halloween in Japan: Top 5 Things to Do
- Cri
- Nov 19
- 4 min read
Previously published on Minkai.art
I don’t know about you guys, but Halloween is one my favorite time of the year: the pumpkin-flavored food, the costumed parties, the gothic aesthetic… As a huge horror fan, I can safely say that this is the holiday I enjoy and look forward the most.
Being born in Italy, however, I didn’t grow up trick or treating. We party, we dress up, but here it is more of a commercial phenomenon, a holiday to spend mostly with friends.
But what about Halloween in Japan?
As we already talked about in the past (check out my IG profile 😊), in Japan the “spooky month” is August. Obon (お盆), the Festival of the Dead, is the Buddhist tradition in which families pay respect to ancestors. Similarly to Halloween, it is believed that the veil which separates the world of the living from the world of the dead thins out, and spirits must be appeased so they can properly rest.
Celebrating Obon however doesn’t mean that Halloween has no place among Japanese people. Scary costumes, lively orange and black decorations and crazy street parties are a must in Japan, and today I would like to give you an overview on how this tradition can change skin (or not?) in a country with a very different cultural background
Halloween: the Beginning
Also known as All Hallows’ Eve, Halloween is the day that precedes All Saint’s Day, on which Western Christians remember all the dead. Some scholars believe that this tradition originated from Samhain, the Gaelic festival that marked the end of the harvesting season, the moment in which the afterlife collided with our world.
Celebrated especially in Anglo-Saxon Europe and North America, eventually Halloween started to spread to other countries across the world. That includes Japan, as well.
The release of two cult American horror movies, The Exorcist in 1974 and Halloween in 1979, surely contributed in spreading this aesthetic in Japan, but we can say that the most important factor was, believe it or not, the opening of Tokyo Disneyland! In fact, the first Disney Park built outside the United States, in 1983 began organizing street parades in Tokyo, culminating in the first official Halloween event in 1997.
From that year onward, similar parties spread in Shibuya, Kawasaki, Osaka, and the deed was done. With stores full of pumpkin-themed merchandise and others, like Donki, selling all kinds of costumes, Halloween officially became a staple in Japan.
Top 5 things to do on Halloween
Now, let’s say you happen to be visiting Japan on the end of October. What kind of activities can you look forward to?
Street parties
If you find yourself in Roppongi Hills, Ikebukuro or Osaka on October 31st you can be sure there will be parties all over the streets. But the most well-known is the Shibuya unofficial event, for sure. Counting over 1 million people, this street party is by far the biggest in Japan. People parading in costumes, drinking and having fun: this is what you can expect between 6pm and 12am.
Just be careful after midnight: no drinking allowed!
On October 31st, even trains transform. I’m talking about Halloween trains parties.
This strange phenomenon apparently started in the 90’s, when some people began throwing parties on commuters’ trains, causing all sorts of disruptions. Today, however, these events are much more organized and dedicated trains are provided by cities to accommodate party goers. Why not try and catch one?
Costumes
The thing I love the most about this holiday: dressing up!
With stores like Daiso and Donki (short for “Don Quijote”) selling cheap costumes, and specialized cosplay stores for high quality make up and outfits, you can find something to wear for sure.
Superhero and Disney characters are a staple, but you can also spot more “local” outfits from folklore and urban legends. Characters like the red-dressed killer Aka Manto, and the spooky ghost of Toire no Hanako-san, can be found wondering in the dark, maybe searching for their next victim…
In the Bakeneko parade in Kagurazaya, every year hundreds of people parade dressed up as Japanese monster cats, while on social media the phenomenon known as Jimi Halloween spreads.
Literally “simple Halloween”, these costumes depict people in everyday situation, and they look super funny.
Theme parks
As mentioned before, Tokyo Disneyland ran the first Japanese Halloween event. Today still, every year the park transforms, and even adults are allowed to attend wearing their favorite Disney character costume.
Osaka Universal Studios even offers a proper Trick or Treat experience, encouraging guests to ask candies to the staff. Plus the classic Halloween parades and Horror Nights, of course!
Haunted houses (Obakeyashiki, お化け屋敷)
More related to the summer tradtion of Obon (Day of the Dead), hunted houses are reopening in October. By entering you can undergo your “test of courage”, or as Japanese people call it, the kimodameshi (肝試し).
The most frightening and well-know is the Dreadful Labyrinth – Jikyu General Hospital in Fuji-Q Highland. Themed as a haunted hospital, it forces guest to run though dark medical rooms, while ghosts of previous patients chase them.
Limited edition goods
Last but not least, food! In October lots of Halloween merch comes to stores, including desserts and beverages. While KitKat is tempting us with Apple Pie-flavoured bars, 7-Eleven sells the classic Japanese dorayaki with a twist: pumpkin pudding cream instead of azuki.
So, how are you spending this Halloween?
References
TAKAGI Yoko / GROOT Marian, Tokyo Halloween on the Street. Japanese Dressing Up Between Bricolage and Authenticity, 2017