The Celebration of Halloween in Japan

According to a 2010 internet survey produced by Japanese website, MyVoice, 74.1% of those surveyed said they know about events or traditions that take place on Halloween and 24.8% said they only know the holiday’s name and nothing more. In addition, a toku-chi.com survey conducted the very same year revealed that 98.1% have at least heard of Halloween. According to the figures, it seems that most people in Japan can recognize Halloween as a holiday. However, despite being well known, many choose to not celebrate Halloween.

On Japan’s Yahoo! Answers site, internet users have been discussing the reasons behind Japan’s lack of enthusiasm for Halloween. One user commented, “I feel like I’d be reported if I gave little children candy.” Another admitted, “I’m embarrassed to wear a costume.” But an overwhelming amount of people simply wondered what Halloween is all about. “I have no idea how Halloween came to be or why it’s celebrated,” said one user. “What are you celebrating?” questioned another.

Those who do celebrate Halloween tend to do so as a fun celebration, purely for amusement value and without cultural subtext. It’s highly commercialized, just as Christmas is. Japan has a tendency to adopt festivities from other cultures, like Valentine’s Day and Christmas. Seasonal offerings from global companies like the Disney parks, Krispy Kreme and KFC also influence the appeal. In 2000, visitors and Disney characters in costume held a ”Happy Halloween Twilight Parade” in the park.
Already enamored of Disneyland, the people of Japan were enchanted by this new idea of Halloween.

Also the introduction of mandatory English language programs may influence the knowledge of and therefore celebration of Halloween. In 2011, English became a compulsory subject for Year 5 and 6 primary school students. With over 4000 English exchange teachers molding young minds with English language and Western culture, the idea of carving pumpkins may have been introduced in English language class. The majority of schools aim to make learning fun by incorporating elements of foreign culture.

The Japanese have always been fond of "fancy dress" or the cosplay culture. With such a distinguished history of fancy dress, the quick adoption of Halloween costume parties isn’t too much of a surprise.

Last weekend in Japan’s Kanagawa Prefecture, thousands of Halloween lovers descended on the streets of Kawasaki City to take part in the Kawasaki Halloween Parade 2013, the 17th of its kind and Japan’s largest public parade dedicated to the Western festival. The 1.5 km course was flanked by food stalls and specially decorated shops catering to the tourists and locals vying to get the best shots of the coolest outfits. Despite the somewhat inclement weather, thousands turned up to witness and take part in the event, proving once and for all that Halloween has most definitely found a permanent home in Japan.