KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Do Japanese people like Halloween?

• What do Japanese people do in Japan for Halloween?

• How do Japanese people celebrate Halloween?

• Do Japanese people trick or treat in Japan?

WHAT DO JAPANESE PEOPLE DO FOR HALLOWEEN?

Daniel TJ International Correspondent Tokyo, Japan

I was here in Japan when Halloween started in Japan. It was a slow process. Many Japanese people did not understand or like the idea of celebrating a foreign holiday event. And Halloween was a strange concept in Japan and still is a bit misunderstood in Tokyo and beyond.

So how did Halloween start in Japan - and how is the idea of Halloween doing today?

About 2014 to 2016 Halloween was a foreign thing. A strange foreign thing. However was taking off in Roppongi. Why? Because the local businesses in Roppongi saw Halloween as a money maker for restaurants, stores that could sell costumes, bars, local events organizations and the like love the idea of Halloween to increase profits.

By 2016 Roppongi became the area where adults celebrated Halloween by wearing adult style costumes to attend parties, go to bars and clubs, and walk around wearing daring costumes that one could not wear in conservative Japan. Until now.

Year after year Halloween spread to other areas of Tokyo albeit not without its critics. Many Japanese people did not understand why one wanted to dress up in costumes related to a foreign idea or celebration.

"I loved Halloween in Tokyo because I could wear anything I wanted and it was accepted now."

However that did not stop the young adults in terms of having fun. They dressed up as Witches, Ghosts, Spiders, - you get the point. Halloween spread from Roppongi to Shibuya to Ikebukuro, to Ginza and across Japan as well.

The parties were not as wild as they are in Hawaii but they were getting there. There were venues that included Scary Fashion Model contests. There were Runway Model events for the best dressed scary female in the categories like: Sexy Witch, Nurse, and Office Lady among others.

After a few more years there was large scale events like block parties and festivals that included Japanese food, crafts, art, music and the like. Halloween created a billion yen opportunity to cash in for anyone with a good idea.

Once businesses and corporations saw that Halloween could create a new revenue stream for the present and the future, Halloween was promoted on TV, Radio, on the Internet, in Movies, and other media. Halloween was slowly being accepted by the Japanese at all ages and locations in Japan.

"Once my restaurant in Roppongi made a lot of money - I really understood the power of new holidays."

In 2025, Halloween starts October 1st and ends of October 31st. In Western countries, Halloween is only one night. Not an entire month. However the Japanese tend to make foreign holidays Japanese style. Like Christmas is not a religious holiday in Japan. It's a night for love hotels, friends, hot nights out on the town and the like.

Today in Japan, Halloween is alive and kicking. Japanese people from young children to adults enjoy Halloween parties, events, and TV shows.

Living here in Japan from America -I do like to watch people celebrating Halloween. The costumes are amazing and if the holiday brings a smile to the faces of Japanese people, then let the parties across Japan happen for the 30 days of Halloween fun in Japan - with a twist of a little passion.

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