Halloween Special

I feel like Halloween is even a bigger deal this year than last. I feel like Japanese netizens are finally finding the spirit of it. I feel like bakers make a better attempt than most with all their Halloween decorations and fall and pumpkin themed treats and breads. Of course it would kind of make sense for them to try new promotional items with the changing of seasons and holidays are just the thing to welcome that. Otherwise, stores also advertised with more decor, the costumes and holiday accessories were front and center and in larger supply. And perhaps most impressively, was that a few stores even ran Halloween commercials, though limited. 

With every intention of going to USJ again this year for Halloween, that alas did not happen. This year, the Universal Studios Japan Halloween Event has actually been extended into November (I think by two weekends even), though by and large, the majority surely appeared the 27th. What is so special, is that this year, Capcom is sponsoring the Halloween event probably in large part due to their release of a new addition to the resident evil series. So everything is again Zombified, but now more money is being thrown at it to make it better. Such a shame I missed it (ok, technically I haven't, but for me Halloween ends Nov. 1st).

Instead, this year I went to the Kitayama Halloween event in Kyoto. They held it both on Saturday and Sunday. Early in the day, they had pumpkin and small gourd carving. For the most part, they are not pumpkins as the great orange squash we all know and love, they are the pebbled green tinted and occasionally orange coloration leaks in squashes that are oddly shaped. Well it mattered not to the patrons. They still had a grand time carving them well into the night. Some were carving little gourds that could be no bigger than an apple! Among the carved, my favorites were a Tottoro and a Mario and a pumpkin within  pumpkin. The pumpkins there that they were selling were incredibly expensive at 300 yen a kilogram and a good sized pumpkin would be about 18 kilograms. I bought my pumpkins for 500 and 600 yen at Costco and a flea market. The Flying Pig is a pretty grand place to find decently priced things from Costco without having the membership. At my school in my handcrafts club, we ordered a few of the smaller ones and carved them up. It was all their first time and I think they did a wonderful job. Pumpkin pies and roasted and spicy seeds to come later!

Throughout the day, there were handcraft stalls and Halloween themed treat stalls at a few places around the venue. Things like artfully designed spooky plants or apple and pumpkin flavored cookies. Metal workers and live glass blowing. Jewelry makers and wood workers. All in all, I probably make it sound like there were more than there actually was; there probably was somewhere around 10 total. And on the lowest level of the outdoor venue was a night time party, complete with hired DJ for the event. That was where the costume even took place. Only the deal was, you had to pay 1000yen to enter. Then you were given a set of stickers and would give your sticker to whomever you thought was best dressed for the evening. And the one with the largest number of the night would win. Last year they announced that their winner wore a Lady Gaga themed costume. I really wonder which one....Anyways, downstairs at the party, is where most of the action happens and it is also where all the food is, albeit not free. 

At the end all, there would be an announced winner to both the carving and costume contests who would then receive prizes, though I would not be able to tell you what exactly they were.

Also I have to hand it to the party goers, there were so many many people who were dressed up and coming to the event and just walking around. It  was almost like a little piece of home. I think the funnier thing about this all, was all the ladies coming wearing kimonos. You know in America, that would be an actual costume, but here in Japan it is more like formal wear. I suspect they were wearing them to be in the spirit of dressing up, though an added bonus is that it would give them an excuse to wear something elaborate, that, let's face it, sees very little time outside the wardrobe. 

Also as Halloween was in fact yesterday, and I was in Osaka, I did not see any loop line goers, though plenty enough of folks dressed up. So possibly the train station staff and police did a better job of shutting down the event this year?

Halloween!

HAPPY ﾊﾛｳｲﾝ EVERYONE!!!!

Halloween, my favorite holiday, is not too widely celebrated in Japan. However this is not to say it is not celebrated at all. There are many places that love to put up decorations in their windows and I got to see a handful of trick or treaters this year as well. So that is to say it is celebrated MUCH MUCH more widely than I noticed in Korea.

This year Halloween was on a Monday. I did not decorate my classroom like I did last year, simply because I have more than one classroom...also if I just celebrated with one class, all my students would get jealous (my classes are in a rotation where I will see every kid once every 4 weeks...that just won't do). What I did do was dress up a bit. I bought a witch hat and wore some fall clothing and a skirt and to the thrill of my students I was a witch-teacher for Halloween. Unfortunately I am not allowed to give out candy much to the disappointment of everyone who came up to me and said trick-or-treat.
What DID happen was after school on my way home I discovered that my favorite bakery was having an event and giving out free cookies to anyone who was dressed up. Guess who got a cookie! Also I got like 50 photos with these adorable kids who were dressed up.

I really love the wizard with the wand
and the adorable ninja!

My cookie!!

Japan is not a big celebrater of Halloween, but there are a couple of certainly noteworthy events that draw a crowd in the spirit of Halloween. Here are a few events that take place in the Kansai area.
One really important activity that I would encourage everyone to go to, is the festival held in Kitayama, with pumpkin carving masquerades and music! This is a truly fantastic spirited festival! You can find out more and see pictures at their home page here: http://www.kitayama-halloween.com

Another odd-ball gaijin event that I find amusing in a only-a-gaijin-would-do-this sort of way, is The Loop Line Party. There is a loop line around Osaka. This means that there is a train that makes a full loop, returning to the start point, Osaka Station. Every year, for it seems a number of years, a bunch of costumed gaijins make this a party train. Quite a large number of them meet up and get on a specific train and proceed to drink and make merry. Seems like a good time right? Well don't worry it won't get too out of control because the city has taken extra careful precaution since this event started and have employed a number of train station personnel and officers to keep it in hand. As you may have guessed, with the ruckus that follows such a happy crowd, there are many of less than content citizens trying to proceed to more mundane tasks.

This picture is from the 2002 Loop Line Party,
with hundreds of people participating in the revelry.
You can see the train in the background.

If you are more into the scary aspect of Halloween: the one that follows you hidden in the dark, but never to be seen sort of way; the one that has you looking over your shoulder on empty streets; or the one that makes your hair rise and chills run down your spine when a rustle in the leaves only reveals a rabbit. Then! you just might be interested in Universal Studios Japan. They put on a classic Halloween event much similar, yet very toned down to the ones you might know, such as Knot's Scary Farm, or Hallowscream, or Scare-o-winds.

The entrance and railcar for Universal Studios Japan, in Osaka.

 Universal Studios decorates their Hollywood themed entrance with pumpkins and classic autumn decor, as well as a face-painting area with many getting their faces made up in glitter and paint in honor of the festivities.

Other than these few modifications, and the few dressed up for the occasion, you hardly notice anything differing from the norm until after sundown, when half the park becomes infested with zombies, in what they declare as Zombie Nation. At 6 pm zombies out pour from a few special entrances for the general entertainment and scaring thereof, the public. In addition to those meandering around, getting a good scream out of their particularly susceptible victims,  there are also two rides that are overtaken for the festivities as well: one of these is Space fantasy, a recent ride that is much like an indoor roller coaster, which they turn off the indoor lights and add a zombie soundtrack; and the other featured one is the age-old classic, Jaws, which is done up in eerie blacklights with a few added zombies. These modifications to the rides is not the only scarezone they add to their park however, they also add three walking 'scarezones' which are much like a very shortened version of the haunted walking tours at Scare-o-winds and Hallowscream.

One thing that I certainly applaud them on is that all of their zombies have themes and jobs, for instance, fisherman zombies with fishhooks coming out of their mouths, or firemen zombies with axes, you get the idea.

Of course if you find none of this entertaining enough for you, there is always a private costumed party at a specific house or bar that is always easy to find and be a part of.


Speaking of costumes~