Halloween as we know, always celebrated on October 31, is a traditional and cultural event that takes place in Anglo-Saxon countries, especially the United States, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Halloween entered Japan due to the influence of North American culture, such as Tokyo Disney’s “Happy Halloween” parties and parades and English-speaking private schools, which decorate and hold parties in October, introducing elements of Halloween into the games and vocabularies during lessons.
The month of October is marked by decorations and Halloween parties in Japan. Wherever you go, you see pumpkins and witches. Shopping malls are full of decorations and products adapted for the Halloween party; gyms and some schools exchange sweets between children and parties, many parties for young people and adults in costume.
The date, despite being recently added to the country’s festive calendar, has grown in Japanese taste, so much so that many stores are crammed with specific products for this time of year. Events take place in various cities this month, at theme parks and even train stations across Japan.
From an Anglo-Saxon root, the word Halloween is a version of All Hallows Even, which means (All Hallows’ Night). In Japan, Halloween, as well as Christmas, Easter, Valentine’s Day, among other celebrations of western origin, is more of a commercial date than a commemorative one, which has become more and more popular every year. The date was created to boost sales in the Japanese market, which during the period has stores full of pumpkins and other merchandise related to the theme.
Halloween is a fun excuse to relax, and play around with costumes. In the land of anime and manga, this is not difficult, after all cosplayers are everywhere all year round. Favorite characters range from classic monsters, to anime and video game villains and heroes such as Super Mario, Jaspion, to animation master Hayao Miyazaki’s friendly totoro.
Commemorative Date: October 31, Halloween