Kansai

Halloween has grown in popularity in Japan in the 21st century ever since Tokyo Disneyland hosted a big Halloween party in 2000. Nowadays, you can find themed events both big and small up and down the country. Halloween in Japan is a tad different from what you might expect in the US and western countries. For a start, it’s targeted more towards young adults rather than kids. Trick or treating is not popular and you won’t find many shops kitted out with spooky decorations such as cobwebs, witches’ broomsticks or pumpkin heads (although carving jack-o-lanterns is becoming more common). The big thing in Japan is dressing up in costumes such as zombie outfits, gothic attire or as popular Manga or Anime characters. Another Japanese twist is the Halloween train. Many subway trains in Tokyo and Osaka become unofficial venues for parties, with revelers in costumes filling the carriages and often partying away next to more sober passengers. Here’s where you can go if you live in the Kansai region and want to join in the Halloween fun. Halloween Events and Parties in Kansai The biggest and most well-known Halloween shindig in Kansai takes place at Universal Studios in Osaka. In…