Halloween, arguably the most commercial event of the year after Christmas, at least in America that is. But that heavy American influence has spread to many parts of Asia and the Halloween gatherings in cities like Tokyo had become legendary, as thousands of costumes wearing revellers gathered in the centre of the city. But the disaster in Seoul two years ago where one hundred and fifty-nine people were killed due to overcrowding, as well as the general discontent over years of littering and public drinking problems has meant that the authorities are doing much to crack down.

As this may be my only Halloween in Japan, I decided to head to the city centre in any case to see what was happening and what people were up to. First, I headed to Shibuya which ‘traditionally’ was the main focus point for Halloween in Tokyo. However, for the second year running it was officially cancelled in Shibuya, with police having the whole area partially locked down and under tight control. Hachiko Square was blocked off and the famous crossing was roped off by police, forcing people to move around in a make-shift one-way system. People were actively discouraged from coming here in costume and there really wasn’t much to see. The few people who were in costume were probably just passing through on their way to and from the train station. Though in its own way the policing effort itself was a sight to behold. Perhaps more was happening at Shinjuku and I made my way there on foot.

During the two-mile walk I really didn’t see a great deal related to Halloween, though it was amusing seeing people doing wheelies on their motorbikes in Harajuku. Sadly, I didn’t get any photos of that. Initially arriving in Shinjuku, it didn’t seem much was happening here either, but I spotted a few local marshals who were holding no-drinking signs and I followed them to Kabukicho where finally I found a sizable gathering of people in costume very appropriately outside the Toho Cinema with Godzilla looking down on us all.

There was also a heavy police presence here as well, but things overall were much more relaxed. There were fewer people, more space and no traffic which meant people could just enjoy themselves, whether it was showing off their costumes or taking pictures. The most shocking outfit was definitely the woman walking around in what can only be described as lingerie which showed off all her body tattoos, reminiscent of something you’d expect from the Yakuza. I believe they were all real as well, certainly not something you see everyday in Japan. Fittingly the friend she was with was dressed as a police officer, of sorts. There were plenty of other more normal costumes however, including the aforementioned Godzilla, video game characters and various Yokai.

I think in Tokyo Halloween has shifted from being a big outdoor public event to one mostly hosted inside bars and clubs where the numbers of people can more easily be controlled and where you can of course drink. Essential. It’s a pity I never got to see Shibuya on Halloween at its peak, but I wouldn’t want a repeat of the incident in Seoul and I was still happy to have seen and photographed what I did. But admittedly I am looking forward to seeing more traditional Japanese events as the months pass by.

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