Halloween in Japan

A couple of people have asked me what Halloween in Japan is like, so I thought I'd give it a shot. It's a very new holiday, and one of my friends told me it started at Tokyo Disneyland and then spread out from there. It's an ideal holiday for Japan-- cute, kid friendly, commercial, neighborhood-oriented, with the potential to make it sexier.

Houses aren't decorated like houses in the states yet, although I saw a few pumpkins and shopfronts were very festive. I also saw tons of Halloween merchandise in stores the past few weeks. I imagine there will be pretty fantastic sales tomorrow-- I think the merchants may have over-anticipated the demand for plastic pumpkins and ghost doormats. I'd consider going with an orange/black graveyard style decor for my apartment, except I really hate orange. The costumes I saw were very elaborate and adorable. My favorite was a felt crab costume that looked as though it had taken some parent the better part of the summer to construct.

There's a holiday in February that reminds me a little bit of Halloween in its seemingly pagan roots. On setsubun, the father puts on a demon mask and the children of the house attempt to drive him out by through dried beans at him, chanting, "let the evil out, let the good come in." It's celebrated in February 4th, and marks the changing of seasons-- I guess it's a bit like Groundhog Day. It also reminds me of the "Sing Back the Sun" spirit of solstice mummers festivals. I think the tale of St George slaying the dragon was supposed to suggest the defeat of winter and the return of the sun.

I used to start planning out my Halloween costume in June. It's funny how when you're little, the passage of time is marked by all these special days. I remember in elementary school, even St. Patrick's day was a big deal. I would wear all green, and build villages for lepruchans with the other kids in the neighborhood in the "meadow" across the street. Over the years, those days stop mattering as much. Valentine's Day? Drink wine in the dining hall. St Patrick's Day? Green earrings so your friend stops pinching you. Now, the landmarks are due dates for assignments and departure itineraries and visits from faraway friends. I don't think any of my favorite days in the last year have been holidays (except, possibly, Thanksgiving and a holiday a friend and I made up because we needed it). I agree that the commercialization of holidays-- and I don't really want more stuff or more candy or more decorations-- but I'm very pro-things-to-get-excited about. I guess this is the time in life to begin creating my own traditions.