“Clothes make a statement. Costumes tell a story.” ~Mason Cooley
The local heavily western-influenced “American Village” and “Carnival Park” at Mihama held their annual Halloween costume contest this past week. And even though the weather was NOT cooperating, with rain most of the night along with colder temperatures, the place was still packed, and the costumes were still rocked! The main street was closed for pedestrian-only traffic, and a large, well-lit stage was setup, funneling to a relatively long runway for contestants to strut their stuff. Jody and I managed to get a good spot up front, and hunkered down as long as we could until finally we (and my poor camera) needed to retreat to Starbucks for some dry cover and a mug of hot chocolate…. Remember, our stuff isn’t here yet (see Castaway), so I don’t even have a jacket!
Halloween was not like this my first time here in 1999, when the locals in our neighborhood made special trips to see our lit-up pumpkins on display at night. I still wasn’t aware of much of a tradition when I was back again in 2005, even though I lived in a rather western-influenced part of the island.
However, this year, I could spy car loads of Japanese kids in costume being dropped off all along the seawall to go trick-or-treating alongside their American counterparts here in the Miyagi neighborhood of Chatan Cho. AND, the vigor and energy the Japanese put into their costumes! It wasn’t just those who entered the contest, which must have number at least 200 entries (most with multiple people in costume), but the wide variety and surprising number of people just out and about in costume to enjoy the festivities. Jody and I are already planning our entry for next year. And we are known to be Halloween costume contest first-prize winners….
Of course the Japanese are already into cosplay (costume play), which primarily centers on anime and manga characters. BUT, they certainly have adopted well our Halloween traditions, where I’m happy to report that really, for a change, nothing much was lost in translation. My personal favorites? Sexy Japanese nurses of any flavor, dead, zombie, or just anime! Enjoy the photos, and the Japanese version of a Halloween theme favorite.
This is Halloween…in Japanese!!
Nozoite minai ka
Fushigisugiru sekai wo
Annai suru yo
Bokura no HALLOWEEN!
Kore ga HALLOWEEN
Tanoshii HALLOWEEN
Kabocha ga himei wo ageru
Kore ga HALLOWEEN
Machijyuu sawagu
TRICK OR TREAT
Minna ga shinu hi made
Kyoufu no machi hibiku himei
Sutekina HALLOWEEN
BED ni kakureru ore wo miro
Surudoi kiba ni
Makkana me
Kaidan ni kakureru ore wo miro
Hebi no yubi ni kami no ke kumo
Kore ga HALLOWEEN
Tanoshii HALLOWEEN
HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN
HALLOWEEN TOWN kono machi wa
PUMPKIN SONG ni daikassai
HALLOWEEN TOWN kono machi wa
Minna ga kyoufu wo daikangei
Toori no kado wo magatte goran
Wakuwaku shichauze nanikaga
Suki da ze! HALLOWEEN!
Akakuro! Nebaneba! Kowai darou?
Ara, zenzen yo! Noroi no kotoba tonaeru dake de
Yamiyo no tsuki ni noru wa
Kyoufu no koe hibiku himei
Sutekina HALLOWEEN
Atashi wa PIERO yo okao ga hen
Ikinari araware sugu kieru
Senaka ga tsumetaku kanjiru kai
Boku da yo kurokami yurasu kaze
Oresama tsukiyo ni utsuru kage
Kyoufu no yume nara omakaseda
Kore ga HALLOWEEN tanoshii HALLOWEEN
HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN
Acchi mo kocchi mo kowain da
Sou ja nai to tsumaranai
Kore ga minna no shigoto sa HALLOWEEN
HALLOWEEN TOWN kono machi wa
Minna ga kyoufu wo daikangei
Sutekina JACK ni odokasaretara
Tachimachi shinzou tomaru yo
Suki da ze HALLOWEEN!
Minna de GYAA! Taisetsuna otoko no otoori da
Eiyuu JACK warera no ou
Minna hakushu de tataero
Kore ga HALLOWEEN tanoshii HALLOWEEN
HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN HALLOWEEN
HALLOWEEN TOWN
Kono machi wa PUMPKIN SONG ni daikassai
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, whee!
Related articles
- Photos: Readers show off Halloween costumes (chronicle.northcoastnow.com)
- You Wear it Well: 48 Costume Photos for Halloween Inspiration (theyearofhalloween.com)
- Web Find:12 Wordplay Halloween Costumes (kimketcherhomes.wordpress.com)
- Pop Art Zombie Halloween Costume (brightatmidnight.wordpress.com)
Do you have any other photos of the gent in the Star Wars costume (4th photo down from top, next to your first paragraph). I work with him and he doesn’t have any good pics of himself in costume.
Sure am sorry, but I do not. The only other one of him came out blurry and I did not keep. I don’t remember catching him/them on the stage or catwalk. Great costume though, and a great event!!
Thanks for getting back with me. The guy in the pic has collected several movie quality costumes and is about to retire and head back to the US.
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