“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!

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