Scaring Kids is Fun!

This past weekend I went to Shiojiri to participate in the largest Halloween Festival in Japan. It's run by JETs, was founded by JETs, and the most popular attraction is the haunted house staffed by JETs ("look Mom! A gaijin! They really do look like ghosts!"). In all it's glory it attracts about 16,000 people. Not to say it isn't fun. It is- a lot (despite several multi-hour "detours" on both the trip there and back). It's just very different from Halloween at home.

I grew up very used to the idea that Halloween is about creepy things and scaring people. And candy. Can't forget the candy.

Halloween in Japan is about costumes. Any costumes. Because they are Japanese, people are especially interested in cute costumes (see picture above- which I stole off of another JET's Facebook account, as I forgot my camera). And festival food, which- while delicious- is not candy.

On to the Haunted House- this was fabulously simple. Get lots of people in random costumes into dimly blacklit rooms with hiding spaces and let them do whatever they want to scare the small children who chose to come through. I really think the randomness was key- people were actually spreading word about the dead Santa (and I am happy to say I did the makeup that caused people to scream, point and grab him for pictures).

All in all, it was really interesting to see a Japanese take on a holiday that they really didn't buy into until about 20 years ago. Only thing that would have made it more enjoyable is if someone had been handing out Reeses. If you want to see a picture of me in costume (and the dead Santa make-up I did), check out the pictures of me on Facebook. Should be the most recently added.