It’s spooky season in many places around the world! And Japan is no different. This season adds a fun, lively energy to the air that culminates into a party vibe around Halloween itself. But what is it like experiencing Halloween in Japan? Let’s dive into how we enjoy the scariest holiday of the year!
Do We Even Celebrate Halloween in Japan?
Of course! Well, kind of…
The history and traditions of Halloween are actually very western! If you look at the history of Halloween, it’s super fascinating, but Japan just doesn’t have that same history which also means it doesn’t have the same customs.
Although, Japan has adopted several themes, including tasty treats, spooky motifs and scares! Image via Instagram
Also, some of the overlapping customs are part of other holidays or times of year. For example, O-Bon, in July and August, serves a similar purpose as the Day of the Dead. Summer vacations and summer field trips often involve kimodameshi, or the test of courage where young folks do something scary to test their mettle. And summer, as well as school festivals, often have obake yashiki, or haunted houses.
Also, don’t expect trick-or-treaters to come to your door. And don’t expect horror movie marathons on NHK. That doesn’t mean that Japan doesn’t have its own ways of celebrating the western holiday.
It’s said that the holiday first really came to Japan in 1997 thanks to Tokyo Disneyland, and it’s steadily gained popularity among young people as an event and party holiday ever since!
So How does Japan Celebrate Halloween?
Costumes are definitely still a fun part of Japan's Halloween party culture, especially for places like Shibuya in Tokyo and Amemura in Osaka! Image via Instagram
Well, there are actually a few ways that Japan celebrates the spooky holiday. Mainly, Halloween is known in Japan for its events, especially the huge nighttime parties!
Amusement parks are also a big attraction for Halloween lovers, with many of the major parks hosting their own huge events and parties. Japan also loves a haunted house, and this season’s best haunted houses tend to be at the amusement parks!
You can also find tons of treats (sans the tricks) all over Japan complete with seasonal ingredients, like these black crepes! Image via Instagram
And while we said not to expect trick or treaters, kids get in on the holiday with community-organized trick-or-treating, allowing a safe, fun international event for families and is gaining popularity. These can be at one event area or done among certain communities!
Last (and our personal favorite) is limited-time menus and snack items that fit the spooky theme. Afternoon tea shops particularly shine in this area with cute spooky themed foods. Meanwhile, restaurants, coffee shops and snack brands often release limited-time items as part of their offerings.
What to do when spending Halloween in Japan?
So, we know what people do to celebrate Halloween in Japan in general, but what about for people who are maybe visiting Japan and don’t have a lot of time to do everything. From our perspective, here are the best things to do in Japan during the spooky season and Halloween itself.
Check Out the “Street Parties” and Events
Shibuya Halloween has had quite a crackdown over the last couple weeks, and yet this 2024 photo shows that it's still going strong. Image via Instagram
Shibuya Halloween is probably the largest and most famous Halloween event in Japan despite being an organic, grassroots, informal event. Tons of people in costume used to head to Shibuya to have a great time and drink on the streets. Other areas, like Osaka’s Dotonbori and Ame-mura areas, followed suit with fun street parties.
However, this and many other informal street parties have come under scrutiny for some of the bad behavior of a few attendees, leading to an overall crackdown on these parties. This unfortunately means that these street parties became almost nonexistent just last year.
That being said, areas like Shibuya and Dotonbori are still extremely popular for Halloween parties at many bars and clubs. And of course, hopping between bars or just hanging with friends is totally allowed, so you can still see people in costumes on the street on their way to their next destination.
Official Halloween Parties
Japanese humor being different from Western humor leads to some really fun costume ideas, like this Miyazaki family costume at Kawasaki Halloween. Image via Instagram
You can still enjoy plenty of official street parties and events that are approved (and even hosted by the government) beforehand. Cosplayers may have a great time at the Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival, a three-day event complete with stage events and a parade.
Roppongi also offers a really cool Halloween parade, and Roppongi being Roppongi means that you can enjoy a fun night out after the parade.
The government of Kawasaki (southern Tokyo) also hosts a fun “Happy Halloween” event that includes a parade and trick-or-treating during the day and performances into the night. It’s also known for being more family-friendly!
Enjoy Amusement Parks
Amusement parks are a great way to spend your Halloween as they have their own special events, themes and attractions! If you happen to be in Tokyo during the spooky season, you have a few options available.
Tokyo
You can't talk about Tokyo amusement parks without talking about Disneyland and Disneysea, both of which go all out for Halloween! Image via Instagram
The most popular for that area is definitely Tokyo Disneyland and Disneysea. You can look forward to seeing tons of Disney villains from both park staff and attendees. You can also find Halloween-exclusive food and merch that are only available in Japan!
However, if you want a more kawaii experience, check out Sanrio’s Puroland. Not only is the park decked out in scary-kawaii decorations, but they also have a special party every year hosted by Hello Kitty, complete with DJs bumping some great music!
Osaka
Don't let Disney overhear this, but USJ's Halloween event is probably the best amusment park one in Japan. Image via Instagram
If you’re in Osaka, we totally recommend USJ! Universal Studios Japan, or USJ, runs their Halloween Horror Nights event, just like in the States. However, USJ offers some Japan-exclusive attractions and events, including HamiKuma’s Sweet Scream Party and the Hahaha! Halloween Party.
Zombies are also a big part of Halloween Horror Nights Japan, including street zombies, a zombie tour and their annual Resident Evil: Night of Heroes event. They’ve also included an extra scary Chucky haunted house.
And this year, they’ve done some cool partnerships with Japanese beauty brand Kate for a witchy haunted house and popular anime Chainsaw Man for their The Chaos 4-D event and Chainsaw Man-themed rides! Plus, Halloween night is actually the one day when the park is open all night. (We may be a bit biased when it comes to USJ’s Halloween event.)
Oh, and costumes are encouraged at all three of the above options!
Enjoy Some Tasty Treats
Much like trick-or-treating as a kid, we challenge ourselves to get as many treats as we can while we can during the spooky season. Image via Instagram
Like we mentioned, Halloween season sees plenty of limited-edition treats that are perfect for enjoying around the holiday.
Eggs ‘n Things, a popular Hawaiian (and kind of Japanese) restaurant specializing in breakfast, is a great example. This Halloween, for two weeks only, they have a white and purple stack of pancakes with a pumpkin cream on top and plenty of edible decorations.
You also have places like Krispy Kreme and the Chiikawa Bakery that make super cute versions of their usual products. Meanwhile, 7-11 (or 7i Holdings) has a Black x Red Halloween Parfait, pumpkin cream shou cream, eyeball donuts and more!
Tea shops also often get in on the spooky spirit with Halloween-inspired afternoon tea sets. While these places usually require reservations, they are often worth it for those looking to spend Hallow’s Eve in a bit of style and luxury.
The Hilton Tokyo, the Grand Hyatt Tokyo and the Prince Park Tower are all great options for that perfect combo of spooky vibes, good food and cute drinks!
And who wouldn't love to enjoy a spread like this one at Osaka's Westin Hotel? Image via Instagram
Did we leave anything out? How would you spend a Halloween in Japan? Let us know with a comment! And if you’re looking for tasty treats for Halloween, check out MiauMall for Japanese Sweets and Snacks that are perfect for the scary season!
