Posts Tagged ‘halloween’

Cute Japanese Halloween vs. scary American Halloween

NTV’s “Zoom In” morning show highlights some of the differences between Halloween in Japan and Halloween in the United States:

Some of the information mentioned include…

• Packages of Halloween candy sold in the state are huge (this is at least partly because people need to buy a lot of candy to give out to trick or treaters, a fact that the report doesn’t adequately explain).
• American Halloween candy is often shaped like gross and scary things like skulls and severed hands. Japanese Halloween candy is mostly cute-looking.
• The biggest Halloween events in Japan are costume parades. They visit the Omotesando Halloween Pumpkin parade for a look at some of the costumes. Such events were originally started for foreign children, but now most participants are Japanese.
• We are shown 4 women in Kanagawa prefecture who build an eco-themed costume for a costume contest. It seems that most Japanese people prefer cute costumes.
• Viewers are told that scary costumes are popular in the United States. Their America correspondent puts on some make-up and participates in a Zombie Crawl. Onlookers, including small children, are amused by the zombie costumes.
• To highlight the scaryness of American Halloween, we are given a look at the #1 haunted house in the States: Eastern State Penitentiary’s Terror Behind the Walls.
• The last part is about a Halloween camp for Japanese kids. Families participate in a variety of Halloween-related activities, none of them particularly horrifying or scary.

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• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

Halloween & the Japanese economy

The Japan Times reports that Halloween is growing in popularity among Japanese, with businesses seeing increasing sales of Halloween-related products:

“When the economy slumps, people stay home and celebrate anniversaries for their families. Halloween is about kids and parents spending money on them,” Kase said. “And after all, candy and costumes are cheap. Halloween is a reasonable indulgence.”

Spokeswoman Mayumi Funaki of online mall Rakuten Inc. said sales of Halloween goods jumped 45 percent this year thanks to brisk interest in costumes for women and kids.

Discount chain Don Quijote Co. saw its sales of Halloween-related goods rise 20 percent this year, spokeswoman Aya Suzuki said. She also cited increased demand for costumes.

Daiso Sangyo, which runs ¥100 shops, began Halloween campaigns three years ago and the popularity of goods such as witch’s hats, presents bags and stickers has been growing ever since, spokeswoman Hiroko Kusaka said.

Morinaga & Co., a major confectionary maker, is selling 11 Halloween-related products, up from nine last year, and sales have increased 20 percent from a year ago, spokeswoman Kaori Nakamura said.

Here’s a FTV news report about new snack products and the Halloween events at Tokyo Disney:

This is the first year that Tokyo Disney Sea has held special events marking Halloween. At both Tokyo Disney Sea and Disneyland, Halloween festivities will be continuing until November 3rd. If you approach Halloween uniform-wearing staff members and give a “trick or treat” greeting, you’ll receive some free candy.

During the snack portion of the news report, it is mentioned that more companies are now releasing special Halloween products. Sometimes it only involves changing the outside packaging of products, a move that apparently boosts sales.

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• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

Yamanote Halloween Train 2009 [ハロウィン山の手線ジャック]

October is here again, which means that certain foreigners in Japan are once again planning to board trains on Tokyo’s Yamanote Line and hold a loud drunken party.

This message recently appeared on Gaijinpot forums:

Its time we got this started. Its a Saturday this time around so almost nothing to discuss, but nonetheless:

Date/Time: Sat. October 31, 2009 from 21-ish
Meetup Place: Shinjuku Station, Yamanote platform #15 (towards Ikebukuro)
Train to board: 21:06 soto-mawari (North-bound)

Gather towards the back of the train, by the stairs that come down from the South exit. Train car 9 sounds like a good one to board.

See you all there. And, of course, BYOB.

In previous years, the Yamanote Halloween party has resulted in halted trains, vandalism, and general harassment of Japanese passengers unlucky enough to find themselves in train cars targeted by the party-goers.

According to one Gaijinpot user who has attended past parties in the 1990′s, many participants see the event as a way to “get back” at Japanese people:

I went on the Yamanote line party way back when and while it was a lot of fun, it did get out of control and stopped being a fun event and started being a “pick on unsuspecting Japanese” event. I remember seeing a poor lady trying to get off at her stop unable to get past the large drunken guys who weren`t letting her through. Seeing her face, it really stopped being a “Happy Halloween” for me.

I got off at the next stop, thankfully missing the Japanese police who were waiting at Ikebukuro station for most party goers to get off.

The Halloween train seemed to die out not long after that – only to be revived some years later by people who had probably never been on any of the original trains.

I have ridden the train in costume many times (including face painting) and will be doing so this year too – on my way to other Halloween events. No problems, and a really fun atmosphere.

The Halloween train itself – no way, not any more. What spoiled it for me was the overtly stated attitude of a lot of people that it was a chance to “get back” at Japanese people.

Maybe the “new Halloween train” is different and only fun and lighthearted and not in any way threatening to those just riding the train. If so I wish you luck and hope you have a lot of fun.

As for the argument that drunk salarymen do it and worse…….do you really want to emulate that shit?

Last year’s Halloween Train was a tiny affair. Costumed participants were outnumbered by Japanese police and angry users of 2-channel who had come out to prevent the party from occurring. 2-channelers have already taken notice of the Gainpot announcement, so it is likely police have been warned and will be ready to prevent things from becoming wild.

Death threats have also been posted:

17 ：名無しさん：2009/10/11(日) 17:54:14 ID:6RV62LbS
Gaijin haloweeners:
Now we ceclare we form assassination squad..to kill unscruplous costumed gaijins
who disdainfully ride on our crowded trains and do some absurdity

If you’d like to warn the police in Tokyo about the party or the death threats, please use one of the following numbers:

General Police Contact Number 警視庁　03-3581-4321（代）

Shinjuku Police Station 新宿警察署　03-3346-0110

Shibuya Police Station 渋谷警察署　03-3498-0110（代表）

Shinjuku Station Railway Police 新宿駅お客様相談室(鉄道警察) 03-3356-7505

A disclaimer for readers from 2-channel: 尚、ジャパン・プローブがこの企画の主催者及び後援者とは一切関係がない上、この企画に賛同するような発言も述べていない。この企画の存在をそのまま記載したにすぎないので、ご了承ください

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• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)

Yamanote Light Vandalism Video

[edit: thought the light vandalism was reported this year, word is this video is actually from last year's revelries.]
Just thought I would put this up while the controversy is still fresh. This is a video that includes footage of when the lights were taken out on the Halloween train invasion.

BTW, my take on the whole thing: Have fun, while not being an ass. In fact, that is just common sense really.

Video Report by Yamanote Halloween Train Supporter

David “Samurai Dave” Weber, who has participated in the Yamanote Halloween Train since 2005, has posted this video report to Japunit:

The video seems to be made up of clips from the 2006 party:

I have more commentary from myself and from participants including one who confirms the existence of the Halloween Train event going back to 1990. It also contains a brief message to a pair of Tokyo-living Wikipedia users who last year did everything they could to get an article on the event deleted because they never heard of it.Also for some of the critics who decry the event as just crazy gaijin taking over the train, you’ll note that nearly half the people in this video are Japanese.

At around the 6-minute mark of the video, we are shown how Japanese passengers reacted to the party. I believe the word “terrified” was used.

Yamanote Halloween Train 2007: October 27th!

人の命を奪うなどを脅しすることは「脅迫罪」と言い、刑法第２２２条に定められています。たとえ実際に殺人をする意思がなくても、地理的な面から見て不可能でも、違反になるような行為を宣言・脅しするだけでも「抽象的危険犯」として脅迫罪が成立します。
Japan Probeはこのような違反行為を絶対に許しません。脅迫罪に至るような発言に関しては、既に警察と連絡を取り合っています。これからも「脅迫」のような発言が発生した場合も警察に通報します。
ご了承ください。
[Disclaimer: This event is not sponsored or endorsed by JapanProbe.com. If you want to participate, do so your own risk.]

[

尚、ジャパン・プローブがこの企画の主催者及び後援者とは一切関係がない上、この企画に賛同するような発言も述べていない。この企画の存在をそのまま記載したにすぎないので、ご了承ください

]

I have been notified that the infamous Yamanote Halloween Train party will be occurring in Tokyo on the night of October 27th. Here are the details (via wikipedia):

The 2007 event is scheduled for Saturday, October 27, 2007. Festival-goers board the JR Yamanote Line at JR Shinjuku station, platform 13 (Yamanote bound for Ikebukuro). Japanese citizens as well as foreigners meet where car 10 stops, in front of the escalator from South exit. Everyone boards the 21:08 northbound train and loops around clockwise. Frequently everyone brings their own alcoholic beverages.

And a few videos of last year’s train, so you get the idea of what kind of event it is:

To some the Yamanote Halloween Train is a fantastic good time. Others view it as a shamefully rude display of public intoxication and a major annoyance to the Japanese passengers who unexpectedly encounter it. What are your opinions, probers?

Update 1:: Looks like this story has been picked up by 2channel and Japanese blogs, and many Japanese netizens are not happy!

注：このブロッグのコメントのなか、在日外国人からの賛同的な発言は極少数であり、一般の人が否定的な意見を表している。よって、「欧米人のモラルの低劣さ」ではなく、一部のみが問題を起こしていることを認識してもらいたい。

Update 2: There may be another Yamanote Halloween Train party tonight, as this conflicting announcement has been found on a German Yahoo group:

Although police might come in later to clear the wagons and make space for
those well-behaving, sober students and businessman normally filling late
night trains, don’t worry: Nobody will arrest you for drinking and singing
on a train – just keep your ticket!

This year’s train leaves from Ikebukuro station at 9.06 pm on Saturday
night, October 27th. Gather from 8.45 pm on platform #7/8 in JR’s Ikebukuro
station (the “outbound” trains in direction to Ueno) and just get on the
train when it arrives. Don’t be late! Come in costumes, bring your friends
and your own drinks – don’t count on those kiosks. And tell everybody else >
the more, the partier!
P.S. Note that this year’s starting location is Ikebukuro, not Shinjuku.

(Japanese)

YAMANOTE 嫌い？ Love Beer ★ ?
今月２７日土曜日にはまた、あなたが電車と仲直
りするチャンスがあります。

それは、世界で有名な山手線ハロウィーンパーティ。主催者は誰もいない。数百人の
(B
人が、同じ場所・時間に集まり、同じ電車に乗っちゃうだけ。

変わってる？え、だからこそこのゲリラパーティは去年にも大ヒットだった。５００
(B
人くらい、外人半分、日本人半分が同じ電車で、独特のコスチュームをまとい、騒ぎ
(B
ながら、ずっとぐるぐる回っていた＞

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hekireki69/sets/1263795/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssGrcaTsbzU

69/sets/1263795/>

私たちは数時間続けると警察に追い出される可能性はある。礼儀正しい学生やビジネ
(B
スマンのために、深夜の電車を開ける必要があるからね。けど、心配ご無用！私たち
(B
は電車で飲んだり歌ったりすることだけで逮捕されることはない。だって切符を持っ
(B
ているのだから。

今年は１０月２７日土曜日に夜８時４５分から、ＪＲ池袋駅の７・８番ホーム（外回
(B
りの上野行き）でみんな集まります。そして２１時０６分の電車にみんないっぺんに
(B
乗ります。

人が多ければ多いほうが楽しいから、みんな誘ってね。ワイルドな仮想できてね。そ
(B
して食べ物、飲み物は各自持参してください。遅れないようにね。

Most forums seem to have the Shinjuku information for the party, so those looking to join in or break up the party would probably be better off going to that one…

Dozens of 2-channelers have already claimed to have notified the police about this and told them to arrest the party participants. Here is the public information for the cops/Shinjuku station which has been posted all over several Japanese blogs:
警視庁　03-3581-4321（代）

新宿警察署　03-3346-0110

渋谷警察署　03-3498-0110（代表）

新宿駅お客様相談室(鉄道警察) 03-3356-7505