Halloween in Japan

October 20, 9:11 AMJapan Travel ExaminerJoshua Williams

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Japan Travel Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Halloween in Japan

(photo: flickr/yamakazz)

Question: Do they celebrate Halloween in Japan?
Answer: No, not yet.

Is “not yet” a strange answer? Well, to be more specific, Halloween is not a traditional Japanese holiday or festival, but like many other customs from the west it is slowly working its way into Japanese modern society.

The average Japanese person will almost certainly know of Halloween. Most would be able to say it is in October. However, fewer would be able to pin the day to the 31st. Even less have likely taken part in a Halloween party, unless they have friends from North America or Britain, belong to some kind of eikaiwa (English conversation school), or live in Kawasaki city (where there was a Halloween parade of about 3,000 people last year).

However, like Christmas, Halloween has been increasingly imported to Japan through TV, movies, and by companies as a fun way to promote and/or sell services and merchandise. Eikaiwas use Halloween as means to get children interested in western language study. Tokyo Disney is doing a promotional Halloween theme event throughout September and October. Baskin & Robbins 31 is offering a “Halloween Sundae” this October. Japanese candy-makers are now starting to package treats with Halloween themes, too.

Halloween decorations are sold in small quantities in the seasonal sections of large Japanese department stores, such as JUSCO – right next to their Christmas displays. Costumes can be found at toy stores and variety shops.

Lastly, there are a couple things to not expect from any sort of Halloween in Japan: door-to-door trick-or-treating and real pumpkin carving - typical American-style pumpkins often cost more than 3,000 yen, or about $30. Also, don’t expect any sort of Halloween-related events to happen on October 31st either. The weekend or two before the 31st is more likely. Kawasaki’s Halloween parade was held on Sunday, the 26th, last year.

While Halloween is not truly celebrated in Japan (yet), one can still have a fun time with it in the country (but please don’t have that fun time on public trains, which has been problematic in the past).

Have a happy, safe, and scary Japanese Halloween!

Read more about Japan by the Japan Travel Examiner