Halloween Decorations in Japan

Halloween craft and decoration at a food court in Kobe, Japan. I’m not sure what the creators were thinking but the concept seems to be a mix of Humpty Dumpty, Halloween, Japanese Culture and Christmas.

Hi fellow Hivers and ReggaeJahmmers. I hope you’re having a great weekend.
As a kid growing up in Jamaica 🇯🇲, Halloween wasn’t celebrated. I think most Jamaicans still don’t celebrate it. Things and time have however changed and maybe more people are interested in having costume parties.
Maybe the same is true for Japan 🇯🇵 and other countries. While Halloween isn’t necessarily a part of certain cultures, it has become more widespread especially where commercialism is concerned.

In the classroom setting in Japan, it’s common to see foreign teachers of English doing Halloween lessons at this time of year. Students often exchange chocolates, sweets and other snacks. Some teachers may do pumpkin carving as an activity. Students enjoy making Jack-o-lanterns and many go on group trips to enjoy Halloween celebrations at Universal Studios of Japan.

Though this happens every year, I do get surprised at how the packaging of regular snacks change to Halloween packaging “overnight”. The same happens at Christmas time. The snacks are the same, same flavors, same kinds, but the wrappings may have “Happy Halloween” or “Merrry Christmas” and may cost a bit more than those with regular packaging. Hmmm…
The most surprising thing for me however, is how early items are up for sale for these events and how quickly they go in preparation for following events.

Early Celebration?

Some of the items that were being sold at Costco for Halloween.

I went to Costco in September and certainly saw Halloween items being sold. What kind of surprised me and made me feel rushed, was that just a few sections away from pumpkin scarecrows, Jack-o-lanterns and skeletons, were Christmas trees, ornaments and Christmas carols ringing in the air. I really had to stop and check if the month was still September. The irony to all this is that though it’s Halloween weekend, stuff for the celebration are basically out and now, it’s all about Christmas.

Halloween at the 100 yen Shop

While some may opt for more expensive items, the 100 yen shops which are are similar to dollar stores in America, offered a wide range of affordable items. Kids and adults alike, could easily find decorations, masks costumes and so on. Daiso is one of the most popular 100 yen stores. Below are some of the Halloween items they sold.

Creativity

Some of the decorations I saw were quite creative and colorful. I saw a large number of paper lanterns. Each was decorated and transformed to make faces. From a distance, they seemed like colorful balls. Up close, it was interesting to see the different designs on each lantern.

I assume that these decorations in public spaces, especially at large malls, somehow attract customers and increase sales.

Possible Sunday DashOut Items?

Some people love to have pumpkin pie at this time of the year. I don’t usually have a sweet tooth (except for fruits) and I’m not a fan of pies but did snap the Halloween cake and pies from my most recent Costco trip.
The pumpkin pies were going for about 1600 yen. They were fairly big.

Do you celebrate Halloween?
Do you usually wear costumes?
What are decorations like in your area?

Have a wonderful and safe weekend.😃