Transcription
At 6:30 AM, I walk to the station to go to work. Today is October 31, 2025, Halloween. Halloween in Japan has completely lost its original religious and cultural meaning. In Europe and the United States, Halloween is a traditional occasion that combines Christian culture with folk beliefs. It is a "warm festival" where families gather at home and feel connected to the community. On the other hand, Halloween in Japan has no religious basis or sense of community belonging. As a result, only the form was imported, and the meaning was lost. In other words, Halloween in Japan is "soulless costumes." However, precisely for this reason, people have poured Japan's unity and desires into this "empty vessel." Japanese society is one of the most appreciative of "discipline" and "conformity" in the world. In Japan, hierarchical relationships in companies are strict. People live their lives constantly watching others' eyes. In this era, Halloween is the only day we can take off our masks. On this day, even students and office ladies, who are usually serious, wear bold outfits, cheer, dance, and drink heartily. They say, "On Halloween, I can be myself." In other words, Halloween in Japan is not an "unusual celebration" but a "temporary outlet for social tension." The emotions that Japanese people have suppressed suddenly erupt on Halloween night. This is what creates the chaotic Shibuya scene. I eat breakfast before going to work. Sagatani (soba restaurant). Cold soba noodles with sesame sauce and chicken. 700 yen ($4.5, €3.9). Sesame oil. Soy sauce. Chili oil. Rock salt. Chili oil. Chili pepper. Water. Cold soba noodles with sesame sauce and chicken. 700 yen ($4.5, €3.9). Chicken. Narutomaki. Green onion. Wasabi. Thank you for the meal. I will leave for work now. At 6 PM, I finished my work. I am in Shibuya, Tokyo. I will have dinner before returning home. Hidaka-ya (Chinese restaurant). Stir-fried meat and vegetables. 840 yen ($5.5, €4.7). Gizzards 210 yen ($1.4, €1.2). Pickled mustard greens. Gizzards 210 yen ($1.4, €1.2). Thank you for the meal. Every year, tens of thousands gather in Shibuya, Tokyo, on Halloween night. The busy intersection is so crowded that it's difficult to move. Trash, drunks, police, shouting. It's as if the city has gone mad. In the past, there were incidents of light truck rollovers. The police deployed riot police, and even issued a "ban on street drinking during Halloween." It is no longer a "festival" but a "social phenomenon on the verge of turning into a riot." But the core issue is not just "youth behavior." There is a deeper "spiritual hunger" among contemporary Japanese people. In Japanese society, expressing emotions is usually forbidden. Only on this night is everyone allowed to lose their minds. Shibuya's madness is the other side of Japanese "culture of patience." The morning after Halloween, a huge amount of trash is left in the streets of Shibuya. Costume pieces, empty cans, masks, wigs, makeup traces. They are the remnants of the previous night's "liberation" and symbols of "emptiness." When people see the cleanup volunteers tidying up, they remember: "The freedom that night was not real." However, next year, people will wear costumes, laugh, shout, drink, and dance. This is the "eternal cycle" of Halloween in Japan. On Halloween night, Japanese people wear costumes. But in reality, they live their lives wearing "masks" all the time. At work, they try to please their boss, and at school, they try to gauge the general mood. They hesitate to show their true feelings even to family and friends. In Japanese society, "pretending is more important than true feelings." Precisely on Halloween night... "You can replace the mask with a costume and express your true feelings." It is a paradoxical phenomenon. When I wear a mask, I am myself, and when I wear a costume, I am my true self. Here, the "inverted reality" of Japanese society is revealed. I buy late-night snacks from convenience stores. Cocoa pudding with strawberry sauce. 400 yen ($2.6, €2.2). Parfait with matcha tea and chestnuts. 419 yen ($2.7, €2.4). My wife and son are asleep. I will take a bath. Companies have made Halloween in Japan a "consumer event" par excellence. Halloween-exclusive sweets, Halloween products, costumes, theme park events... The economic impact is said to exceed 100 billion yen annually. In other words, Halloween in Japan relies more on marketing than religion. Companies advertise "free transformation days," and people spend money to "transform themselves." But only the appearance changes. Once the costumes are removed, the same daily life awaits us. Each time this "empty transformation" repeats, people become more exhausted. The dark side of Halloween in Japan is not just problematic behavior but a mirror reflecting Japan's "social structure," "psychological illness," and "cultural contradictions." A night of freedom stemming from a society suffering from extreme peer pressure. Meaningless "fun" created by a consumer society. Loneliness and the desire for recognition in the age of social media. My room. The "true self" lost in a masked society. Instead of wearing costumes and transforming into "someone else," Japanese people return to their "true selves." This is why this night of madness was both sad and beautiful. It is the only night when Japanese people truly feel alive.