From Shizuko Mishima,
Your Guide to Japan Travel.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

In recent years, western-style Halloween decorations and traditions are becoming popular in Japan. Some big Halloween events are also held in many places. See Japan Halloween Events.

It's said that Japanese o-bon is similar to Halloween. O-bon is a traditional festival when people visit graves and bring back their ancestors' spirits to homes and offer special food and so on. People don't wear costumes in o-bon, but many people wear traditional Japanese summer kimono (yukata) and go to bon dances. Also, Japanese ghosts stories are often told during the o-bon period.

As people dress in Halloween costumes, costume play has been a trend among Japanese youth. Kosupure is a Japanese word for costume play. Cosplay in Japan usually means masquerade. People dress in anime/movie/computer game character costumes, uniforms, samurai/ninja clothings, kimono, and more. Young people enjoy wearing various costumes and make-ups/masks and becoming to their favorite characters.

If you are interested in wearing Japanese Halloween costumes, these are some ideas.

Buy Direct: Japanese Halloween Costumes

Happy Halloween!

Japanese Pumpkin Recipes from About Japanese Cuisine Site