If you’re traveling to Japan in October and want to take part in some Halloween festivities, this article has got you covered! You can find Halloween events and festivals for everyone in Tokyo – from the family-friendly parades at Tokyo Disneyland to terrifying walk-through horror houses that most adults wouldn’t even dare to enter! Let’s dive in and look at the best ways to celebrate Halloween in Tokyo in 2023 – from visiting haunted places to sampling delicious Halloween dessert buffets!
P.S. Visiting Japan but not Tokyo during Halloween? Check out the bonus list of events outside of Tokyo at the end of the article!
Planning your upcoming trip to Japan? Take a look at my other useful article Visiting Japan in November – 23 Best things to do in 2023. Or, if you’re planning a stay in Tokyo, check out my most popular article A 5-day Tokyo Itinerary for Beginners.
Halloween in Tokyo 2023 – A Guide to the 15 Best Events
1. Tokyo Disneyland – Halloween Parade and Events
This year, Tokyo Disneyland Resort celebrates its 40th anniversary, and visitors planning a trip to the most magical place on earth may be interested in the special anniversary events that take place on Halloween.
The festivities at Disneyland, which occur over a 6-week period, include a special spooky Halloween parade featuring Disney characters in Halloween costumes, the ‘Holiday Nightmare’ Haunted Mansion, fireworks, and themed food such as spooky-looking desserts and Nightmare Before Christmas-themed hamburgers. Visitors are also encouraged to come dressed up as their favorite Disney character as part of the Halloween celebrations.
- Where: Tokyo Disney Resort, Chiba.
- MORE INFORMATION: Tokyodisneyresort.jp/en
2. Sanrio Puroland – Halloween Party
Sanrio Puroland, also known as Hello Kitty Land, is an indoor theme park that features Hello Kitty-themed rides, live performances and parades, stores, restaurants, and characters roaming throughout the park, much like Disneyland.
The park opened in 1990 as an attempt to challenge Disneyland which opened seven years earlier. Though not on par with Disney’s size, Sanrio Puroland sees approximately 1.5 million visitors a year and is one of the most popular theme parks in Japan.
In recent years, Sanrio Puroland has gotten into the Halloween spirit with the popular ‘Puro Halloween’ party which features Halloween-themed shows, decorations, and cute characters, and there are plans to continue the cute tradition again in 2023.
- Where: Ochiai, Tama, Tokyo.
- MORE INFORMATION: Puroland.jp
3. Shibuya Halloween – See the Best Costumes on Display!
The original and most famous party in Japan during the Halloween period is an unofficial event where thousands of people gather in elaborate costumes all around Shibuya crossing.
Since 2019, the police have banned people from drinking alcohol outdoors due to a few incidents in previous years which saw drunk people flipping cars over and getting a bit rowdy.
Despite the more sober atmosphere, it’s still worth a look if you want to see the great efforts partygoers have gone to with their costumes.
- Where: Shibuya Scramble Crossing, next to Shibuya station, from around 5 PM.
4. Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival
One of the more popular ways to celebrate Halloween in Tokyo, the Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival offers a uniquely Japanese take on the spooky season. Locals and foreigners trade in their bloody machetes and gothic makeup for elaborate costumes of their favorite manga and anime characters.
Cosplay, dressing up as a character from a film, book, or video game, is big business around the world, and nowhere more so than in Japan, where an estimated 27 billion Yen is spent on costumes each year.
Each year Ikebukuro Central Park is taken over by cosplayers from around the world showing off their favorite characters and extravagant costumes, and the best part of all is it’s free.
- Where: Ikebukuro Central Park.
- MORE INFORMATION: Ikebukurocosplay.jp
5. Halloween Dessert Buffet: Hilton ‘Alice in the Picture Book’
The arrival of Halloween is marked by a series of amazing all-you-can-eat Halloween-themed dessert buffets around central Tokyo. Extremely popular among groups of Japanese girlfriends and couples, you must make a reservation in advance to secure your entry to some of the city’s top buffets.
If you’re looking to satisfy your scary season sweet tooth, you should try the ‘Alice in the Picture Book’ sweets buffet at the Hilton Hotel, Tokyo which takes place between September 5th, and November 16th.
The buffet offers some unique sweet treats including hatters, clocks, and playing cards, carefully designed and beautifully presented to recreate Alice’s delicious and memorable story.
- Where: Hilton Tokyo, Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo.
- MORE INFORMATION: Tokyo.hiltonjapan.co.jp
6. Halloween Dessert Buffet: Intercontinental Halloween Sweets Party
From early September through the month of October, the Intercontinental Hotel in Tokyo Bay is offering a Halloween sweets party & dessert, and a light meal buffet that is second to none.
Popular sweet treats are transformed into beautifully designed desserts using seasonal staples such as sweet potatoes, chestnuts, apples, pears, and figs, as well as luxurious ingredients such as champagne, chocolates, and seasonal sorbets.
In addition to the sweets, the buffet includes a range of international cheeses, freshly made crepes, savory dishes, and drinks. The sweets buffet runs through mid-afternoon. Be sure to book in advance or you might be disappointed.
- Where: Intercontinental Tokyo Bay, Kaigan, Minato City, Tokyo.
- MORE INFORMATION: Interconti-tokyo.com
7. Sunshine 60 Building – A Real-Life Haunted Location!
Sunshine 60 is a 60-story skyscraper in Toshima, Tokyo, which houses offices, shops, restaurants, and an observatory. It also harbors a dark and chilling past. The skyscraper was constructed on the site of Sugamo Prison, best known for holding thousands of convicted Japanese war criminals including former Prime Minister Tojo, who was hanged at the prison.
Despite its cheerful name and busy shopping and entertainment complex, this city within a city is rumored to be haunted. Since opening there have been reports of ghost sightings, chilling unexplainable sounds, and accidental deaths. It has become a popular destination for paranormal investigators, YouTubers, and people looking for a scare.
- Where: 3 Chome−1−1, Higashiikebukuro, Toshima City, Tokyo.
- MORE INFORMATION: Sunshinecity.jp
8. Aoyama Cemetery – Scene of a Terrifying Ghost Story
Japan’s first public cemetery is the final resting place of many notable Japanese politicians, journalists, writers, actors, and celebrities, including the beloved dog Hachiko which is one of the most famous graves in the cemetery. The large central avenue of the cemetery is lined with cherry blossoms which come alive every spring and often draw large crowds.
Unsurprisingly, the cemetery is also known for several chilling ghost stories, including a story about a taxi driver who picked up a young girl close to the cemetery however when he reached her destination the back seat was soaking wet, and the girl was nowhere to be found.
- Where: 2 Chome-32-2 Minamiaoyama, Minato City.
- MORE INFORMATION: Tokyo-park.or.jp
9. Daiba Haunted School- Fun Horror Walkthrough in Odaiba
This haunted and chilling walkthrough experience is unlike anything else you will find in Tokyo. On the fourth floor of Decks shopping mall lies a decaying old school where the long-dead spirits of a teacher and students who met a violent and bloody end are waiting.
As you enter, armed with only a torch, you will become a part of a series of events that are tragic and grim. In this 15-minute supernatural encounter filled with dark corridors startling special effects and a horrifying soundtrack, you will unravel a story that is, in true Japanese horror fashion, both original and simply terrifying.
- Where: Decks Tokyo Beach (Seaside Mall) 4F, 1-6-1 Daiba, Minato, Tokyo.
- MORE INFORMATION: Obakeland.net
10. Tokyo Shitamachi Ghost Tour – A Spooky Walking Tour
Everyone loves to be scared now and then, and this small group tour offers visitors to Asakusa a chilling walk through the local area’s dark and haunting past.
Meet your guide outside Tokyo station at 6:00 PM. From there you will head to the local shrine at Otomachi where locals refuse to turn their backs to the nearby shrine for fear of the vengeful spirit which has haunted the area for almost a thousand years.
As you follow your guide, you will learn about the tragic and shocking events that took place in each of the locations along your tour become coming to an end at Asakusa station.
- Where: Starting point: outside of the ticket gate of the JR Marunouchi North Exit of Tokyo Station.
- MORE INFORMATION: Viator.com
11. Conrad Halloween Night Tea – Delectable Desserts
From early September up until Halloween night, the Conrad Hotel in Tokyo offers guests a unique and beautifully hand-crafted selection of Halloween-themed sweet and savory snacks to enjoy far from the busy crowds and chaotic costumed parades.
Menu items include grilled pumpkin sliders, chocolate tart, and caramel mousse, panna cotta, and lime rose jelly shots, with a selection of drinks and a free limited edition Conrad stuffed bear in a witches costume.
Enjoy a tranquil and refined Halloween as you watch the sunset on Japan’s glittering capital from the 28th floor. Booking in advance is recommended however as the annual Halloween event can sell out quickly, particularly in late October.
- Where: TwentyEight Bar & Lounge on the 28th floor at Conrad Tokyo Hotel.
- MORE INFORMATION: Hiltonjapan.co.jp
12. Tokyo Mystery Circus Presents: Sadako and the Cursed Video
The world’s first escape room-themed park in Kabukicho offers a wide range of escape rooms based on stories and different thrilling mysteries, complete with puzzles, interactive props, and cleverly-constructed plots.
This Halloween, Tokyo’s favorite escape-room park claims to have its most terrifying room to date, as Sadako Yamamura, the chilling and tortured long-haired vengeful spirit from the infamous Ring series of films, comes to life. The game, Sadako and the Cursed Video, which is also available in English, lasts approximately 80 minutes and is designed to be played by up to four players together. So if you’re looking for a scare on Halloween night, this is the place to be.
- Where: Tokyo Mystery Circus, 1 Chome−27, Kabukicho, Shinjuku.
- MORE INFORMATION: Mysterycircus.jp
13. Onryo Zashiki at Tokyo Dome – A Horror House Walkthrough
Tokyo Dome is an amusement park in central Tokyo that features a variety of rides and attractions for all ages. Entry is free but tickets need to be purchased for individual rides. Attractions include a roller coaster, the world’s first center-less Ferris Wheel, bowling, and a Japanese haunted house ‘Onryou Zashiki’.
The Story of the Cursed Glass Window goes that once a young couple owned the house until a mysterious tragedy struck them down. Today, their vengeful spirits remain and attack trespassers bold enough to disturb their final resting place. The special event runs from July until the end of October, and be sure to arrive after 5 PM for the attraction’s special Scream Edition.
- Where: Tokyo Dome City, 1 Chome-3-61 Koraku, Bunkyo City.
- MORE INFORMATION: At-raku.com
14. Halloween Trick-or-Treat Festival Tokyo
Every year in late October, the streets of Kichijoji fill up with Halloween decorations and kids in this special family-friendly western-style annual Halloween event which is a great place for kids up to elementary school age.
The lively festival features a stamp rally, photo contests with prizes for best costume, trick-or-treating around the Kichijoji area, and later the streets are taken over by kids in a great costumed Halloween parade.
Tickets to the Halloween festival sell out quickly each year due to rising popularity, so pre-purchasing online is definitely recommended. More details on how to get your tickets to the event are in the link below.
- Where: Starting point is near Kichijoji Station, Kichijoji, Musashino.
- MORE INFORMATION: Lexis.co.jp
15. Chow Shock Labyrinth – Jikyu General Hospital
Widely considered to be one of the most feared horror attractions in Japan and among the largest in the world. This labyrinth of fear can be found in Fuji-Q Highland Theme Park in Yamanashi prefecture, two hours east of Tokyo.
The 900m walk-through is 50 minutes of pure fear. A two-story hospital filled with harrowing sights and sounds, unsettling rooms, and vengeful spirits roaming the dark corridors.
The attraction was allegedly inspired by a real-life hospital close to Mount Fuji which became known for harvesting organs from unsuspecting patients who later returned to exact revenge on the very doctors who killed them.
- Where: Fuji-Q Highland Theme Park, Shinnishihara, Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi.
- MORE INFORMATION: Fujiq.jp
Halloween Events Beyond Tokyo – Rest of Japan
1. Universal Studios Japan
If you happen to find yourself in the Kansai area in the weeks running up to Halloween, you must visit Universal Studios Japan for their special Halloween Horror Nights event.
The park is open as normal during the day, but as the sun sets the entire park transforms into a real-life interactive horror experience as actors dressed as zombies roam the streets and haunted house walkthroughs pop up throughout the park. Halloween at USJ is a major event and a lot of fun for teens and adults but please note it may be a bit too intense for young children.
- Where: Universal Studios Japan, Osaka.
- MORE INFORMATION: Usj.co.jp
2. Demon Makeover in Kyoto
If you find yourself in Japan’s Kyoto this year, you’re in for a treat. The Creative Kimono Transformation Photo Studio offers visitors the chance to join the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons and take part in a photoshoot unlike any other.
From their menu, take your pick out of eleven Japanese spirits and demons including Jorōgumo, Karasu Tengu, the Nine-Tailed Red Fox, and more, and step into the dressing room before being transformed into a creature of Japanese folklore.
The three-hour makeover includes hair and makeup, dressing, and a full photo shoot. Optional extras include props and a smoke machine.
- Where: 3-273 Miyagawasuji, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto 605-0801.
- MORE INFORMATION: Maiko-maiko.com
3. Miffy Halloween Parade
Huis Ten Bosch, located in Sasebo, Nagasaki, is named after the Dutch Royal Palace of the same name and features many life-sized replicas of old Dutch buildings. It was built to reflect the strong historical connections between Japan and the Netherlands.
Japan’s largest theme park features many attractions in different themed areas of the park including the world’s largest triple-decker ‘Sky Carousel’.
On October 31st, families can enjoy the cute Halloween parade of the popular rabbit children’s character Miffy and her friends as they glide through the park on their large, decorated floats leaving a trail of bubbles in their wake.
- Where: Huis Ten Bosch Machi, Sasebo, Nagasaki.
- MORE INFORMATION: Huistenbosch.co.jp
Have you been to any great Halloween events in Japan that we haven’t mentioned? Let us know in the comments!
Visiting Japan in October? Check out this list of events and festivals taking place in Japan in October.
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