halloween in Kyoto

I have come across reports of celebrations in Tokyo in the week leading up to Halloween (eg. parade in Harajuku)
We will have left Tokyo and will be in Kyoto on the 31st Oct. Is there any type of event there that would be good to check out?
thank you

Halloween is not observed in Japan, except by some hard-core foreigners and maybe a few local friends who try to inflict their halloween antics on innocent passerbys. The police have warned them against doing so.

However, there are some pubs and clubs that have costume parties on and around that time.

Last year's Foreigner Halloween celebrations in Tokyo left many locals and some foreigners VERY angry.
The public behavior of many of these Halloween celebrators was completely unacceptable and made headlines across Japan.
Just know if you are out partying some people may not be so friendly towards you even in Kyoto.

Hi, I agree with the above. Japanese shops are happy to have halloween displays and parents might buy some cute candy/choc for their kids, but do not try to push anything more on the Japanese. Enjoy your festivals at home and stick to the Japanese festivals in Japan - late Oct will be autumn leave time - beautiful - enjoy those instead. If you really want Halloween go to Disneyland, or USJ in Osaka - they will have something going on. Not wanting to sound harsh, but based on the above trouble from last year it looks like foreigners trying to celebrate Halloween might not get the response they are looking for in Japan! Have fun whatever you do.

I understand what is being said in the responses but I asked this because in Tokyo there is infact recognised and organised events that are obviously enjoyed by all. From what I read there is a huge parade of over 1000 children thru the streets of Harajuku at 1pm on the nearest sunday to halloween. It is a recognised event as the streets are blocked off for this and has been running annually for a number of years.
Because of this I would still appreciate anyone else who may know if there is infact any other ''Japanese'' celebration of halloween that they are aware of
thanks

The parade is not a problem. It's not really that much of a hallowean parade either. The vast majority of people attending are using it more of an excuse for fancy dress. That said there are still many hallowean costumes.
A few shopping places even allow children dressed up to go from shop to shop at 4pm to receive a free gift etc..
The problems last year came from when foreigners were leaving the parade to celebrate hallowean into the night. This is something that Japanese do not normally do and parties are normally located at specific places.

I guess it means what you mean by celebrate. If by celebrate you mean look at a bit of cosplay then yes you will certainly see this.

Tracking down a Halloween blog, I found an event in Kitayama, Kyoto:

http://www.kitayama-halloween.com/

They will put up news on this site (yet under construction) as they become available. Last year they had pumpkin carving and parade as well, as it seems :)

Those are the photos from their 2007 event.
http://kitayama-halloween.seesaa.net/category/3251298-1...

Apparently after the Halloween event, the site organizer moved their website to the new one without posting photos for 2008 :( but they definitely held the event in 2008 and are planning for 2009 as well :)

much appreciated

In Osaka they have the JR loop line party where mostly gaijin get drunk and very rowdy. It is an embarrassment to all foreigners how they act.
Go to Sam and Dave's nightclub in Kyoto for their party. Just please be respectful out on the street.

The Sheraton Kobe has a great Halloween party. It's not too far from Kyoto.

Halloween is not a Japanese traditional festival. It is very irritating that it is taken from its traditional ideas in the USA and turned into a dreadful excuse for all things embarrassing. It has no place other than in harvest areas of the USA

fmj,

I know what you mean, but Christmas was not traditional Japanese event either, though it is "celebrated" widely now, in different ways. Halloween celebration has not taken root in Japan yet, and only the merry-making part may be apparent, but for example, the Japanese blog where I found the Kyoto event described the origin of Halloween quite well, so along with the party-making, the spirit is communicated in some ways too. I know how one such partying led to quite a nuisance in some area, but all we can do is to pray that the participants in such partying practice some self-restraint, so that the festival as a whole would not be frowned upon.

Thanks AK: I guess I am very sceptical when we are constantly harrassed by children and older teenagers at all hours of the night "trick or treating": here in Australia they really have no idea of what it means, and can get very ugly when no gifts (they actually expect lollies/alcohol etc) are forthcoming. It can also be a trigger for mindless vandalism here ("egging" houses, cars in the street etc ) in retribution for non-participation. I loathe the whole concept, except for the fun harvest festivals etc with family in the USA. Maybe I'm just an old bore.....

This is a little off topic, but since the subject was brought up. Why is there a Christmas in Japan, but no Buddha Day?

Buddha's birthday is celebrated, called "hana matsuri." I have heard that it is far more extensively celebrated in predominantly Buddhist countries such as Thailand. In Japan it is celebrated relatively quietly at temples, and it is not a national holiday.

Wow. Reading the answers to this question made me think that the OP (original poster) had implied or stated that they were going to go off into the night harassing people on Halloween, but the OP simply asked if there were any Halloween events.

Sheesh. I understand the whole "all the idiots come out on Halloween" sentiment, but Halloween does not automatically equal harassment, vandalism, delinquency , etc. And nothing the OP said implied that they were going to participate in those kinds of antics. The lectures on proper behavior seemed a little unnecessary and off-topic from the original question to me.

fmj,

Not Japanese
Halloween is not a Japanese traditional festival. It is very irritating that it is taken from its traditional ideas in the USA and turned into a dreadful excuse for all things embarrassing. It has no place other than in harvest areas of the USA

Neither is it an original US harvest holiday, rather an imported festival with origins in the Ireland and the UK. There's nothing wrong with celebrating Halloween in Japan, it all depends on how you choose to celebrate it. No matter what the holiday, there will always be those who choose to use it as an excuse to get drunk and be rowdy.

Hee... yep.. it was just a simple question.. and then so much emotion...haa..

So thanks for your support LV. Evenso, I appreciate everyones time spent in response to my question - be it informative and helpful or as beration.. no probs - 6 weeks until we're off!
And as to Christmas.. is anyone game to come in and say what the youth use the occasion for?
cheers

And as to Christmas.. is anyone game to come in and say what the youth use the occasion for?
cheers

Dating. Its popular as a couple's holiday, while new year's is more for family.

it was just a simple question.. and then so much emotion

further evidence of halloween's relatively poor image in Japan.