Halloween in Japan is celebrated by wearing Halloween and Cosplay Costumes. It’s a relatively new tradition and the costumes are more cute than scary. It’s one of the few times in the year that Japanese workers are able to let their hair down.
UPDATE: It has developed into a giant unofficial street party. In 2018, more than 300,000 people gathered around Shibuya Scramble Crossing on Halloween and the previous weekend.
Shibuya is known for its busy shopping district and bustling nightlife.
Shibuya Scramble Crossing is the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing. An estimated 2,500 people cross each time the lights change.
Shibuya Station is one of Tōkyō’s busiest railway stations. In front of the station is Hachikō-mae Square which is named after Hachikō; a Japanese Akita dog remembered for his remarkable loyalty to his owner, Hidesaburō Ueno, for whom he continued to wait for over nine years following Ueno’s death. A memorial statue of Hachikō sits in the square and is used as a popular meeting place. Opposite the statue is a Tourist Information centre.
A few minutes walk from Mito Station is a tobacconist with a very special employee: a cat named Hachi (ハチ) after the black marks on its forehead which look like the Kanji character for the number eight. Hachi attracts visitors from all over Japan because the number eight is considered lucky.
The old town is home to Kōdōkan is a restored 19th-century school and the ruins of the 12th-century Mito Castle.
Harajuku is popular mainly with thrifty fashion-conscious teenagers and young adults looking for a more upmarket shopping experience.
Harajuku Station was opened on 30th October 1906. The current station building was built in 1924 and is the oldest existing wooden station building in Tokyo. Due to current and predicted future congestion levels; East Japan Railway Company announced that they will be rebuilding the station in time for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
The station has two main exits. The Takeshita Exit which leads to Takeshita Street and the Omotesandō Exit.
Shinjuku is a large entertainment, business and shopping area around Shinjuku Station. It’s teeming with cafés, restaurants and Izakayas.
Shinjuku Station is the world’s busiest railway station, used by over three million passengers every day.
Kabukichō is an entertainment and red-light district on the Northeast side of Shinjuku Station. It reportedly has a large Yakuza presence and many bars have a reputation of adding extortionate hidden charges to customer’s bills. Some establishments will only accept Japanese customers.
Golden Gai is an area in Kabukichō containing around 200 bars, mainly for Japanese customers only.