Japan Day 13 (Part2): The Mayhem of a Shibuya 渋谷 Halloween ハロウィーン
Halloween in Japan was so intense that it warrants it’s own post.
To reiterate…Halloween in Tokyo. Wow! When we realized that we’d be spending Halloween in Tokyo, we did some research online, and came to the conclusion that Japan doesn’t really celebrate Halloween. Man were we wrong. Somehow our search must have been outdated, but if there is one thing that Tokyo has down to a science, it is Halloween. How could a nation of cos players not love a holiday designed to dress-up like your favourite character?
My last-second attempt at scrounging together a Halloween costume (from a tiny backpack of nothingness) was pretty dismal. I really wish we had been more prepared!
I went as Tony Tony Chopper, the beloved One Piece Character, OR as everyone in Tokyo seemed to call me “CHOPPER CHOPPER CHOPPER!”
We began our Halloween costume prowl in Harajuku, the fashion and shopping district that is know for it’s unique fashion trends. Arguably, Harajuku celebrates Halloween (or at least the dress up portion of Halloween) 365 days a year. While wandering the shops, we found some excellent advertising or Japanglish! (To Book Train Travel in Japan Click Here)
Main entrance alley in Harajuku, just outside the metro station.
We stopped for a beer and meal, and watched people dressed in costume walk by.
After Harajuku we headed to Shibuya to take in more costumes and to locate the One Piece Store ‘Mugiwara’. Mugiwara is located in the Parco at Shibuya. The Mugiwara store sells every conceivable piece of One Piece merchandise, from gatcha to mugs and books and cookies and models etc etc etc.
Jives receives his straw hat, or mugiwara!
I pose beside my name sake, Tony Tony Chopper.
After the Mugiwara store, we wandered around the smaller streets of Shibuya. As it got later, the street became more packed with costumed Halloween-ers!
I had my picture taken with many different costumed fellows, Snow White, fellow One Piece fans, Colossal Titans….
The Colossal Titan and his feather boa
A gloomy Snow White
Meeting some fellow One Piece enthusiasts
It is incredibly difficult to describe how crazy the streets got. There were people everywhere taking photographs, strutting there stuff, doing back flips, dancing, chanting…. carrying each other on parade-like float platforms…..
It appeared that it was popular to dress up in groups. We saw many groups of girls dressed in the same costumes, a horde of Waldos, a group of Marios, a herd of Super women, a flock of witches, a band of horses….
A congregation of Waldos
This man was being carried on a platform, raised on to the shoulders of his friends?
Halloween in Tokyo amazed and astounded us. We would completely recommend timing your trip to Japan to coincide with this holiday! For us, it was an incredibly happy mistake!
This guy was dressed as “Sushi”
For more of the insanity, Jives has made a video of our adventures that day….
BUMBLING TOURIST 