Festivals in Japan: Halloween

Some said it was “just not Japanese” to trick-or-treat and since Japan already had its own festival to remember the dead: O-Bon, Halloween would never take off. But just like a lot of other Western holidays,Halloween is seeing a rise in popularity. Although the festival is relatively new to the country, the Japanese wouldn’t be Japanese if they didn’t make use of the chance to dress up and go crazy! Especially in the cities the festivals are a big hit and attract masses of people in the most extravagant costumes.

The origin of Halloween can be found back in the days of the Irish Celts, who lit bonfires and wore masks to calm down evil spirits. But just like with any Western holiday, nobody really cares what it once was about. As long as the music is good and the party keeps going…