Hello everyone, I'm Yuki from NihonBox / YattaJapan ! Starting this month, I am happy to be able to share with you on YattaJapan the many treats that are found here in Japan, but I'm also going to tell you about our culture or favorites in this column, starting with Halloween this month!

Halloween has been celebrated in Japan since the early 70's, when the Kiddy Land Toy Store in Harajuku started selling Halloween products. In 1983, this same store organized a Halloween parade in Harajuku, one of the most famous and creative district in Tokyo. This would be the very first Halloween event in Japan. After the 90s, thanks to the Halloween events in popular theme parks like Disneyland, this holiday has become more and more popular. Now in Japan, Halloween is not only for children, but also for adults and is celebrating in a very original way, unique to Japan.

Yōkai, the japanese monsters

Of course, the funniest things to do during Halloween is to dress up. Children usually wear Western monsters costumes, but also those of yōkai, the famous Japanese monsters with mystical powers! 

Yōkai have existed for a very long time in the Japanese culture. We find them on many traditional prints. One of the most popular one is the kappa. He looks like a humanoid turtle, with a beak and lives in the rivers. The Tengu is another well-known yōkai with its red face, long nose and wings. He lives in the mountains and is the source of supernatural events.

What to do for Halloween in Japan?

Japanese people celebrate Halloween in their own way. However, since it has become more and more popular and commercial, some people are decorating their homes with pumpkin heads and garlands the way Americans do. Small events are held in schools. The children go together to visit the neighborhood shops in search of treats. As you can see in your box this month, there are a lot of dedicated snacks for the occasion.

In Japan, Halloween is not just for kids. Adults take the opportunity to dress up and party. Of course, as we are in Japan, Halloween is a little different and has almost become a cosplay party where you disguise yourself as a movie or anime character. Many people do not even try to look scary, but just want to wear an original costume. Many Halloween parades are held several weekends before Halloween. For Disney lovers, a great parade is organized at Disneyland. Exceptionally, everyone can dress up on this occasion, only on the condition to be dressed as a Disney character.

Recently, with the development of social networks, the Shibuya district has become Tokyo's number one gathering place for Halloween. There are really so many people it’s almost dangerous. Personally, I prefer not to go too close to Shibuya for Halloween, even if it is an experience that I advise you to try at least once if you can, but be careful! ;)

By Yuki ⋆⁺₊❅

Originally written for the October 2019 UmaiBox brochure