Zombie nurses and scary police officers roaming the busy streets of Shibuya. Disney princesses and anime characters taking pictures with one another long after sun down. This is the relatively new “Japanese-style” Halloween.

Halloween was never celebrated in Japan like it is now. The holiday was never a significant annual event. However, more and more people started wearing scary costumes with their friends, and now it is trending among teenagers and young adults.

Tokyo Disneyland and Universal Studios Japan now celebrates Halloween too, with many scary events and villain themed activities and goods.

Less than 5 percent of Japanese people are Christian. However, Japan celebrates Christmas along with Halloween. In fact, most marriages are held at chapels even if the couple is not Christian! This is because Japanese people do not have strong beliefs towards a single religion. Temples worship Buddha (Buddhism), while shrines worship gods (Shinto). Despite the difference in religion and the beliefs between Buddhism and Shinto, most Japanese people go to both temples and shrines to pray today.

Halloween is commercialized in Japan, and most citizens do not know the origins of the holiday. The celebration was imported from overseas, but sadly, the history was left behind.