Halloween in Japan

In the evening of Oct.29th, 450 costumed people occupied three train cars of the Osaka Kanjo (loop) line. The Mainich English article did not mention the nationality of the riders but in Japanese one, it said most of them were foreigners. They said that foreign people coordinated with each other about the Halloween project on the Internet, then jacked the train cars and got boozed up for over 2 hours. Since they continued to ride each stop, the Osaka Kanjo line had to delay service resulting in several stations being stuffed with angry people confused about the party. Well, I don't think train cars are a party place but I like this kind of crazy news very much; they may find a better way to have it next year :-). I also met a Santa Claus in an elevator in my friend's apartment building and he said to me, "the population is getting bigger now". Maybe he meant that he had to start delivery earlier than usual this year. ha ha ha

I can see Halloween displays everywhere in markets making it seem that Halloween is becoming accepted in Japan. I suppose many Japanese don't know the origin of Halloween but, why do they use pumpkins? Why a horror theme? Actually, I heard Halloween could be popular like this because...

1. English conversation schools have Halloween parties. Do you know there are a huge number of English conversation schools in Japan? Well, many Japanese would have the obsessive idea that they have to master English conversation... That could be a reason.

2. It might be another move in commercialism... Completely same as Valentine's Day. Amusement parks can have events like in they have in Harajuku but those are usually bad... Regular Harajuku has more of a "Halloween mood" normally. Also, the food industry can make Halloween sweets; yes even Japanese-style sweets (various types of manju). And variety shops can sell Halloween items with of course Sanrio, they can always do the same thing with that damn CAT!

Comments

[margaret]

Don't be ashamed! Americans like their money, too, believe me. This is a very commercial holiday.
In other communities there's alot of house decorations, (Sometimes very gaudy!) and haunted houses set up for people to walk through and get scared.
Today, religion gives way to fun, and that's why all the candy given out to children.
Where I live, after all the small children get candy, and go inside for the night, the teenagers dress up and walk from house to house, visiting friends and bringing food. I think we have older ways where I live, because you have to like old things to appreciate the houses (over 100 years old).

[Mari]

Hi There
Margaret. Thank you for your explanation.
I am a little ashamed of this Japanese way. If they can make money, we don't care tradition, religional meaning of foreign festival. Anyway Wan, I love a mini-coffin bad. it is so funny!!

[margaret]

For some Irish, the veil between the living and the dead are thinnest on October 31st, and disguising oneself fools devils coming to look for you.

I think the horror theme is meant to make light of things of which people are frightened, as folklore says this holiday is the one closest to the world of the dead.

The carved pumpkins are an idea that came from Ireland, where they used turnips as carved out lanterns to go 'souling' which is an old form of 'trick or treat', people gave pennies and not candy. This is when back when people would pay a priest to pray to get souls out of purgatory. The children would collect money to free souls.

Pumpkins/turnips are used because of a legend of a man too rotten to go to heaven, or to hell, so he wanders the night with a carved pumpkin as his lantern.

Where I live, the residents have seemed to rebel against 'Hallmarking' their holidays.
All the children were dressed in old-style costumes and no one had store bought decorations. I had just moved into this new 'old-style' community, and it was the best Halloween ever. Americans can be too competitive, and I was glad not to have to explain why I used old handcarved decorations, and not brand-new shiny expensive things.

[Claytonain]

ha ha! Go chaotic gaijin force!

[Claire （クレア）]

Originally, it was a pagan holiday that was co-opted by the Catholic church to become "All Hallows Eve". Nov. 1 is "All Saints' Day" and Nov. 2 is "All Souls' Day". Look here
for more information if you are so inclined.

Now it is a Hallmark holiday just like Valentine's Day, with cute decorations and all that--it's almost as bad as Christmas now. I haven't seen anybody here ever dressed up as that damned cat, though. Now that would be scary!

[ahbonk]

Yup, Halloween is famous coz it's a good reason to wear Goth. I remember last year I went to Japan nearing Halloween, a few girls were seen dressed in "Nightmare Before Christmas" costumes. It even became the theme of the haunted mansion in Tokyo Disneyland...

I have a friend who's really into this. Instead of a handbag, she would use a mini-coffin to store her stuff! >_<