Halloween with a Japanese Touch: from Theme Park Parades to Street Parties in Shibuya
- Narelle Katsumoto
- 10月31日
- 読了時間: 5分
Japan, like many other countries, celebrates this wonderful spooky event. But just as every nation adds its own flair to this Irish-origin holiday, Japan has thoroughly adapted and curated its own unique version of the ghostly tradition. Festivities now start as early as the beginning of October and climax on the 31st.
But how did this Western tradition take root in a country with such a rich history of its own supernatural tales? Let’s trace the journey of Halloween in Japan.
How Halloween Came to Be in Japan
Halloween wasn't part of the Japanese cultural scene until the 1970s. The turning point came when the iconic Japanese toy store Kiddy Land in Shinjuku began selling Halloween-themed items. The idea, according to the company, was sparked by foreign residents in the area who were looking for familiar Halloween goods.
This curiosity led to the company’s initiative to bring their staff to the US to learn more about American Halloween culture. By 1983, the store organized the first costume parade for children that garnered around 1,000 observers—a number that steadily grew each year.
This budding exposure inspired large theme parks like Disneyland to escalate the holiday’s popularity. Tokyo Disneyland hosted the country's first major Halloween event in 1997. The sheer success of this event prompted other theme parks, like Universal Studios Japan (USJ), to follow suit and develop their own thrilling spins on the celebration.
The trend soon moved beyond the theme parks. Shopping streets and department stores began banking on the idea, rolling out limited-edition goods, hosting costume contests, and selling everything from pumpkin-flavored snacks to elaborate decorations; solidifying October 31st as Halloween in the calendars of Japanese people.
How It’s Celebrated Today
Halloween in Theme Parks: The Two Reigning Powerhouses
When you talk about Halloween in Japan, there are two theme parks that immediately come to mind: Tokyo Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan (USJ). These two attractions draw a majority of the crowds traveling between Kanto and Kansai. Year by year, visitors of all ages get to experience a unique taste of Halloween with their favorite characters.
Disney Halloween at Tokyo Disneyland: Family-Friendly Fun
The birthplace of Halloween in Japanese theme parks started with just 400 visitors at its first event. In its first run, special Disney-themed sweets were given out to children up to 12 years old. A year later, they organized a spectacle called the "Happy Halloween Twilight Parade," featuring famous Disney characters in Halloween-themed clothing. This was so adored that it now draws in people from all parts of Japan.
The atmosphere here is generally vibrant, whimsical, and geared toward families. Children are often encouraged to wear any Disney-owned character costume (yes, that means Star Wars is okay!) or dress as park entertainers. Each year features different parade themes and attractions.
This year, for example, they have "The Villains' Halloween 'Into the Frenzy'," where children see famous Disney villains like Maleficent and the Evil Queen alongside their favorite characters. They are also featuring an attraction called "Haunted Mansion 'Holiday Nightmare'," inspired by The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Halloween Horror Night at Universal Studios Japan (USJ) in Osaka: Pure Scare Fest
USJ offers a distinctly darker take on Halloween, catering primarily to thrill-seekers and horror fans. If you stay around the park after 6 PM, you'll witness a bunch of zombies spreading out across the areas, scaring visitors. This 'Zombie Flash Mob' is one of the most awaited and popular events at USJ. Some of these zombies even have a scheduled performance by the New York area.
USJ also features collaborations with famous horror films and games, hosting scare fests or zones in designated areas. For this year, they have included popular franchises like Chainsaw Man, Resident Evil, and Chucky.
But if you're not a hardcore horror fan, don't worry! You can still enjoy family-friendly events like the "Pokemon Unstoppable Halloween Party" and meet-and-greets with beloved characters like Minions and Shrek.
Halloween for Kids: To Trick or Treat or Not?
Aside from visiting major theme parks, Japanese kids have their own ways of celebrating Halloween. Unfortunately, the highlight of the holiday, trick-or-treating, is not as common in Japan as you might expect. There are a couple of cultural reasons for this:
Apartment Living: Most Japanese people generally live in large apartment complexes. Going door-to-door within these buildings didn't strike as a fun or practical idea to the residents.
The Notion of Meiwaku (迷惑): This concept, meaning "to bother or be a bothersome to someone," is central to Japanese etiquette. The Japanese greatly value their personal space and privacy, and disrupting that by knocking on a stranger's door is often looked down upon. This likely explains why traditional, chaotic trick-or-treating never truly resonated in Japan.
But that doesn't mean the custom is dead! Local governments and organizations have cleverly adapted the tradition. By collaborating with local businesses in shopping streets and malls, they bring in parades of kids dressed up in costumes in a regulated and safe environment.
It's not as open and chaotic as the American counterpart. Some stores allow visits from anyone, while others require a registration or a specific dress code to enter a shop for treats. It often functions like a kind of "stamp rally."
Parents might buy a stamp card for their kids, who then go from shop to shop looking for stamps or stickers. Once they've collected everything, they can often get a prize in exchange. Some children even do this with their schools or cram schools, without their parents.
Halloween for Adults: Public Party Galore
Although Halloween began as an event for children, it is now immensely popular among adults. With cosplay already a deep part of Japanese culture, it was a no-brainer that costume lovers accepted Halloween with open arms.
Halloween at Shibuya Crossing: The World's Biggest Unofficial Party
Today, you can see people donning costumes ranging from famous anime characters to everyday household items roaming the busy areas of Shibuya and Shinjuku (in Tokyo) and Amemura in Osaka. The gathering in Shibuya is particularly famous, often drawing around 1 million people, cementing its crown as the "biggest unofficial Halloween party in the world."
No single person organizes this event; it's a spontaneous gathering where people meet on the streets to drink, pose for pictures, and hang out with friends in public. Even hardcore otaku (anime and manga fans) join the event, taking the opportunity to express their love for cosplay.
Of course, with crowds that large, things can get chaotic. Over the years, these massive gatherings led to issues like massive littering, excessive drinking, vandalism, and other disturbances. Since then, local governments have enforced strict regulations to manage damage control and keep the chaos contained.
Jimi Halloween: The Simple Costume Trend
For some people who aren't flamboyant with their costume choices, a trend called Jimi Halloween (地味ハロウィン) emerged. Jimi means "plain" or "simple." This whole movement began in 2014 by a group working at Daily Portal Z, who admitted they felt a bit too embarrassed to go full-out for a traditional Halloween.
Participants in Jimi Halloween show up in "boring," relatable, and often hilarious costumes. Instead of being a famous character, they might dress up as “Your mom’s friend covered head-to-toe in sun protection (so you can’t quite tell who she is!)" or "A person who is late for work, but successfully snagged their late pass." The real fun comes from others trying to guess their specific, low-key inspiration for their costumes!
Halloween-themed Food
Like every season in Japan, Halloween provides a golden marketing opportunity for businesses to get creative. Companies love the buzz around “limited-edition” goodies, offering Halloween-themed treats that are only around for a short time, which helps drive sales. Some fan favorites include:
Pumpkin-flavored and Apple-flavored KitKats.
Pumpkin Spice Lattes from various coffee chains.
Halloween-themed donuts from Mister Donut and Krispy Kreme.
So even if you’re not a huge Halloween fan, there are plenty of seasonal flavors to enjoy.
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Picture Sources:
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