Halloween is celebrated on October 31st every year in many countries, including Japan. However, the Halloween traditions we are used to differ from Japan. In Japan, trick-or-treating is hardly done. Here, Halloween is mostly celebrated by young adults looking to dress-up and party. In this article, we introduce how Halloween is celebrated in Japan, so have a look.
Table of Contents
- Halloween in Japan - How did it begin?
- How does Japan celebrate Halloween?
- Dressing-Up for Halloween in Japan
- Halloween Events in Japan
- Halloween Food in Japan
- What about the children?
- Japanese Dictionary : Halloween
Halloween in Japan - How did it begin?
Halloween is celebrated on October 31st in Japan. Compared to other Western holidays like Christmas and Valentine’s Day, Halloween was late to receive recognition in Japan. However, once people came to enjoy Halloween, it developed at an incredible speed, and is now a celebration that many young Japanese people participate in every year.
Halloween was first introduced to Japan as early as the 1970s. It started with a toy store in Harajuku that started selling Halloween-themed products. Other companies started to become interested in Halloween, and later, the first Halloween parade was held in 1983.
However, it wasn’t till the year 1997, when Tokyo Disney held its first Halloween event “Disney Halloween” and Kawasaki City in Kanagawa Prefecture held for the first time the “Kawasaki Halloween” parade, that Halloween became familiar to people in Japan. At that time, these events were relatively small in scale, and usually only held for one day on Halloween itself.
※ As of August 27, 2021, Kawasaki Halloween will no longer be held. (Source: Kawasaki Halloween)
In the 2000s, Halloween-themed activities and celebrations gradually expanded. For example, Tokyo Disney started allowing visitors to dress-up for Halloween in 2002.
2009 was the turning point for Halloween in Japan. Not only did Tokyo Disney hold their Halloween even throughout the park, but Halloween fell on a Saturday that year. A Halloween weekend meant more people could participate and a more festive atmosphere which caught the interest of shops looking for business opportunities. After many years of publicity, Halloween in Japan finally became the lively celebration that we are familiar with today.
In 2023, not just Tokyo Disney but theme parks all over Japan, like Universal Studios Japan and Nagasaki Huis Ten Bosch, are holding Halloween events spanning the Halloween season.
Writer's Pick
How does Japan celebrate Halloween?
The popularity of Halloween can definitely be attributed to the promotion and cooperation of commercial businesses, but it also stems from the original cultural characteristics of Halloween. In Europe and the United States, the classic Halloween tradition is for children to dress-up in costume and go trick-or-treating. In Japan, Halloween is all about dressing-up!
Japan already has a strong cosplay culture, and you can often see cosplayers at anime events dressed up as their favourite anime or game character. However, this is usually limited to anime fans and gives off an otaku feel (remember that otaku carries a bad image in Japan). Well, Halloween is free of that negative image, everyone can participate and dress-up for Halloween and join the fun!
In addition, unlike Christmas and Valentine’s Day, which emphasises romance and spending time with a significant other, Halloween can be enjoyed by anyone regardless of relationship status. This has made Halloween even more popular with increasingly large-scale events, which may at times cause problems. A classic example is Shibuya Halloween.
What is Shibuya Halloween?
Shibuya Halloween is the unofficial term for unofficial Halloween gatherings and events in Shibuya that has caused many problems over the years. This includes overcrowding, drunken antics, security risks, and is a huge nuisance to business and residents in Shibuya. Many businesses choose to close early on Halloween night to avoid trouble.
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The Shibuya Ward has, every year, called for people to refrain from gathering in Shibuya for Halloween but to no avail. This year of 2023, the Shibuya mayor is cracking down on Shibuya Halloween, mainly for safety reasons in light of the Itaewon tragedy last year.
Other ways Halloween is celebrated in Japan is with Halloween-themed desserts and pastries, Halloween events at theme parks, Halloween house parties, and Halloween decorations.
Dressing-Up for Halloween in Japan
In Japan, all kinds of costumes are worn for Halloween dress-up. There’s typical Halloween costumes like witches or wizards, ghosts or vampires, and also cosplay of anime, game, manga, TV shows, movies, game, etc. characters. Cosplay for Halloween is especially popular at otaku areas like Akihabara and Ikebukuro in Tokyo. Gothic lolita is also a popular choice of costume.
100 Yen shops like Daiso and megastore Don Quijote are popular stores where people can get all sorts of Halloween products at affordable prices. This includes Halloween costumes. For higher quality (at a higher price) costumes and accessories, try Hands (previously Tokyu Hands) or LOFT.
Halloween Events in Japan
As previously mentioned, in recent years, many theme parks in Japan have started holding Halloween events. Among them, Tokyo Disney Resort, Universal Studios Japan, and Huis Ten Bosch are especially popular.
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1.【Tokyo】 Tokyo Disney Resort (Tokyo DisneyLand & Sea)
- Visitors are allowed to dress-up as Disney characters (rules & regulations apply).
- Halloween version of Mickey and Friends greeting parade.
- Halloween food, drinks, and merchandise.
- Each park has different events and activities, so check beforehand.
2. 【Osaka】Universal Studios Japan
- Usually several concurring Halloween events & attractions at the same time with a different theme and target audience.
- Halloween Horror Night and its attractions are only open to visitors aged 13 and above as it is honestly horrifying.
- Special Halloween concerts and performances, including collaborations with other companies like Sanrio or Pokemon.
3. 【Nagasaki】Huis Ten Bosch
Huis Ten Bosch is a Dutch-themed theme park in Nagasaki.
- Halloween event features several concurring attractions including with different themes and target audience. A horror-themed scary attraction for adult visitors, and also family-friendly children attractions.
- The highlight event is the forest illumination decorated for Halloween with pumpkin features and an autumn cottage.
- Famous for its year-end fireworks event, they also hold a Halloween-themed fireworks festival.
4. 【Oita】Sanrio Harmonyland & 【Tokyo】Sanrio Puroland
- A Halloween event for Sanrio lovers, especially Kuromi, whose birthday is on Halloween.
- Beloved Sanrio characters are all decked out in Halloween costumes.
- Sanrio Halloween food, drinks, and of course, merch!
- Halloween special greeting parade and photo spots.
5. 【Tokyo】Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay
- A Hallowen event for anime & game lovers, and cosplayers.
- Cosplay as your favourite character for a photoshoot at designated photo spots.
- Check out other amazing cosplays, and perhaps meet a famous cosplayer.
6. 【Tokyo】Mundane Halloween
地味ハロウィン (Jimi Halloween) is a Halloween event like no other and has become very popular! It was started in 2014 by some people on DailyPortalZ.
- Dress-up in “mundane everyday costumes” like shop clerks, office workers, etc. doing relatable things.
- Participate in person or online.
And more! There are many more events occurring at shopping malls, or even neighbourhood parks and streets. Have a look around your
Halloween Food in Japan
In other countries, Halloween is synonymous with trick-or-treating, and trick-or-treating with candy. In Japan however, pumpkins are the taste of Halloween. To cater to the festive atmosphere, many sweets & snack brands, cafes and restaurants, have launched pumpkin-flavoured snacks, treats, and desserts.
Photo from PR Times.
Additionally, Halloween Afternoon Teas usually served at hotels have also become popular. It is a luxurious and delicious way to spend Halloween. Advanced reservations are usually required with popular hotels booked up fast.
What about the children?
You may be wondering, “if Halloween is for the young adults, then what about the children?!”
Do not fret as Halloween is also celebrated by children in Japan. Aside from theme parks holding Halloween attractions for families and children, there are also shopping malls and neighbourhood events where parents and children can join a Halloween parade or fun Halloween activities
Additionally, quite a number of preschools also hold Halloween parties these days. Children dress-up adorably in their little outfits and teachers dress-up too. There are also families that decorate their house for Halloween and have a little party at home.
To Close: Japanese Dictionary Halloween
To end this article, here's a quick and easy lesson on Halloween-related Japanese vocabulary. Are you ready to get your spook on for Halloween?!
🎃 Halloween is coming soon, so here's a Japanese lesson on Halloween-related words. Time to get our spook on! 👻 🦇...
Posted by WeXpats on Thursday, October 26, 2023
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