Halloween in Japan
Halloween in Japan
Halloween is a relatively new holiday to celebrate in Japan though given that Halloween is built around freedom of expression through design and costumes it is catching on fast in Japan and looks like it’s there to stay. Here are some of the main differences between Halloween in Japan versus Ireland
1. Trick or treating rarely happens in Japan
Almost always, the first thing people want to know is, “is there trick or treating?” Most definitely, when many of us westerners think of Halloween, it is the first thing we think of. However, the practice of going from house to house, saying “trick or treat” and accumulating mass quantities of candy is non-existent in Japan.
2. Dressing up is for adults!
The appeal of Halloween in Japan lies in two things: commercialism and costumes. Many fanatics of “cosplay” (costume play) find the idea of dressing up very appealing, and this is an especially popular mindset among those is Harajuku and the otaku (geek) crowd in general.
Taking this into consideration, this means that Halloween ends up being mostly for adults who want to dress-up. Costume parties become a focus for places serving alcohol and the like around late October.
3. Ghost stories are saved for the summer…
Japan has a long tradition of spooky folklore but it’s actually in the summer that Japanese people celebrate the spirit world, which peaks with the Buddhist festival of Obon in August. At this time, horror films and shows fill cinema and TV schedules, and horror-themed bars and restaurants get booked up.
4. Party on the Luas?
Japanese Halloween trains
At Halloween, Japanese trains transform. They are normally quiet peaceful places, but at Halloween, they become one of the craziest and trendiest places to celebrate.
The phenomenon started in the 1990s when groups of American ex-pats started throwing Halloween parties on the trains (and leaving a huge cleanup operation behind!). Today, the Halloween trains are much better organized and have websites where you can sign up for the fun. It’s a rare sight to see trains full of zombies, vampires, and other scary-looking characters riding the trains and partying. It’s even stranger to see the regular commuters standing between them!
“We witch you a happy halloween!”
