Everyear that I've been in Japan the Halloween holiday season has grown. The Halloween spirit is reanimated each year by corporate sponsors who smell profit in this celebration of the undead. The average Tokyoite seems not so interested, but just as Valentine's Day and Christmas took some convincing, I have a feeling the day will come when the whole nation is celebrating it. Each passing year the size and scope of the celebrations expand and as the market for Halloween goods expands so do more stores jump on the broomstick.
The register workers at my local supermarket are all proudly wearing little cat ears and devil horns. Entire floors of the stores Don Quixote, Tokyu Hands and Loft have been transformed into Halloween emporiums. Import food shops display mountains of spooky chocolates from abroad. The full force of consumerism has jumped in on the side of Halloween, and appear to be promulgating it well.
That said, I'm guessing that probably only about 5% of the Tokyo population is actually actively participating in Halloween. This makes the greatest feature of it, trick-or-treating, essenitally non-existant in Japan. Trick-or-treating requires that everybody understand and willingly participate in the concept, otherwise it is basically door-to-door candy extortion. Fancy dress... extortion.
The closest thing I can think of amongst Japanese holidays is Setsubun. Setsubun which is celebrated on the third day of February is somewhat akin to Halloween. Though from any child's point of view Halloween is decidedly better. On Setsubun, only one member of the family is allowed to dress up, and that person must dress as a devil. The family then throws roasted soy beans at said devil to drive out bad luck whilst inviting in good luck. After the ceremony is complete, each member of the family eats a roasted soybean for each year of their life so far. Mind you, these are not chocolate covered roasted beans. Heck, they aren't even salted.
I've explained the concept behind trick-or-treating to more than a few children and totally blown their pre-pubescent minds in the process. Usually it ends with the kid in stuttering disbelief... "Wait... whuh? You mean any house I go to they give me free candy? Real candy! Not blah tasting roasted beans?" It's a good thing most are unaware, or children would realize how shafted they are getting on the holiday front.
Halloween has become, like Christmas and Valentine's Day more of an adult's holiday in Japan. While the popularity of schools having Halloween parties has grown, the more noticeable change has been in the explosion of adult themed Halloween costumes and adult oriented parties. It's a perfect fit for the Japanese, many of whom are already dressed Halloween appropriate year round. But still it's struggling to take off.
I suppose the last thing Japan needs is yet another imported holiday. But the retailers certainly seem to think it's necessary. Something to fill in the dead shopping space before Christmas begins in earnest. But that holiday is still the premiere shopping event. Halloween is still in full swing, and yet I've already seen shops bring out the Christmas decorations. Some lament the westernization of the local culture. I understand their point of view but in my experience, quite simply everybody likes a reason to party. Japanese and Western holidays can live happily side by side. Even though, beans do have a hard time competing with "Candy Bindge Day."
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