Halloween in Shibuya

If the Japanese calendar is dominated by meaningful celebrations, old graceful rituals and respected traditions, there are also a few moments in the year when heavily marketed events take the power. Typically: Valentine day, Christmas, and Halloween. These imported, made-in-the-West celebrations were adopted to fill gaps between "real" Japanese ones, and to give shops sales opportunities. And so it feels a bit cheap, unreal, misunderstood. As Valentine is already a very commercial celebration in the West, it doesn't matter so much, but Christmas for instance is kind of depressing in Japan. Japanese Christmas is too Disney, too KFC, too Sexy-Miss-Santa costumes to be good.

But Halloween... I don't know, Japanese Halloween is working well enough. Or maybe because as a European, I was not used to celebrate Halloween when I was a child, so my opinion doesn't count. No trick-or-treating kids on the streets, no one ringing the bell at night to ask you for candies... Maybe Japanese Halloween is missing the point. BUT, for adults, let's admit it's a nice partying opportunity. In the country of cosplay, people do'nt hesitate to go wildly costumes... Here is a sample of 2015's not-so-little monsters. Check it out!

Tokyo Halloween is for grown-up only...

Shibuya horror show - It's more fun with friends

Kawaii costumes - It's Japan after all

Tokyo Westerners - Bend it like the Japanese