Halloween has been celebrated in many parts of the world for over 2000 years, but it has only become popular in Japan in the last 20 years or so.
 
Most Japanese are unaware of Halloween’s origins as a Celtic ritual to celebrate the harvest and drive away evil spirits. For them, it is simply an entertaining seasonal event that naturally complements Japanese anime and cosplay (costume play) cultures.
 

As Halloween becomes an established seasonal tradition in Japan, more and more costume contests and related events are taking place in metropolitan areas. These include huge gatherings of Japanese and foreign cosplayers at the Shibuya scramble crossing in Tokyo on Halloween day.
 
Other great places to celebrate Halloween include Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo and Taikoen in Osaka, where special Halloween events will brighten your stay. Please join us if you can!
 

■ Hotel Chinzanso Tokyo
For details, visit: https://www.hotel-chinzanso-tokyo.com/
 
■ Taikoen (Osaka)
For details, visit: https://www.taiko-en.com/e/