Halloween Hustle in Shibuya

Hey folks!

How are you all?

So, this post is coming a little late as I haven't been around to write blog posts for a while, but I have finally been able to take a restful weekend so... better late than never!

This year I met up with a friend in Shibuya for Halloween. Little did we know, it would be both the best, and worst idea!

 I had been to Shibuya exactly two years ego on Halloween night and while there were a few people dressed up in costumes it would not prepare me for the night I had ahead of me.

It seems that within two years Halloween has gained an awful lot of popularity!  After emerging from the station to find a mass of people I realised that finding my friend would be no easy task.
We managed to find each other without too much difficulty however our search for a coin locker turned out to be fruitless and so I ended up looking more like a pack-horse than a spooky-scary monster for Halloween.
If you ever plan on going to a large event like this in Japan I would advise coming very early or searching for coin lockers that are separate from the station if you intend on using them otherwise you run the risk of becoming a beast of burden like me.

These guys were wearing Kigurumi (animal/character onsies) whilst zipping around the streets

While it was crowded from the outset, we had no idea just how crowded it would become later.

Instead of people going to clubs or house parties for Halloween, people gathered in Shibuya to hang out and see the fantastic costumes people were wearing. It became almost like a huge costume parade down the streets of Shibuya.

We joined the throngs and wandered the streets enjoying the sights

A herd of wild Pikachu appeared!  *notice the sneaky Keep Out Guy in the corner*

The guys dressed up as 10,000 yen (£50) notes were popular

May not be clear but these guys have taps coming out of their crotches.... yup.

Yeah, this happened.... They were certainly popular with the ladies.

These girls were just too cool for school.

 It started to get more and more crowded as the night went on and it became gradually more difficult to make it down the streets.

People watched from Bershka as the throngs became thicker 

Zombie brides and Attack on Titan cosplays

A rather creepy un-dead version of Amazon's mascot Danbo

* fun fact: Danbo sounds like the Japanese word for cardboard 'Danbooru'*

We were getting peckish and given my poor choice of footwear, I was grateful for a chance to rest so we went to a Korean restaurant to re-fuel.

I can never resist cheese tteokbokki!

One of the best costumes of the night was this Halloween mikoshi. A mikoshi is a palanquin used to transport deities. They are usually seen at festivals where they are carried along the streets from the main shrine to a temporary or new shrine.

I really loved this costume because it was definitely something you wouldn't see outside Japan, and I thought it was great that a group of friends had come together to make a float big and sturdy enough to carry the friend on top. They were really enthusiastic, chanting "wasshoi!" (heave ho!) as they bounced her and the mikoshi through the crowd and really got the crowds going!

Cameras at the ready!

It was about this time that the crowds started to get really dense. It got to the point where we were packed in like sardines so I was unable to take pictures. It was such a squash that we could barely move and simply had to shuffle along with the crowds. There was no way to pick your path and I had to cling to my friend to avoid being separated. The rabble was so bad that an accessory was pulled off my bag by the sea of people pushing past us.

It the numbers were so huge that police had to cordon-off sections of the famous Shibuya crossing in order to control the flow of the crowds. 

Taking refuge

When we got back to the station, hanging around outside was not an option so we took refuge at the foot of the stairs leading into the metro.

In fact the crowds were so bad that it appeared on the news:

Not my photo: http://www.yukawanet.com/archives/4960448.html

This gives you an idea of the crowds. Picture from: http://news.tv-asahi.co.jp/news_society/articles/000061653.html

A sea of people.  Photo from: https://twitter.com/ui_nyan/status/660371174539395072/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The sudden increase in popularity of Halloween is certainly surprising! I couldn't have imagined I would be able to see this number of revelers in Shibuya two years ago.
While I certainly wouldn't recommend going to Shibuya on Halloween if you aren't a fan of crowds, it was certainly an experience which I hope to try again. Only, next time I hope to dress up in true Halloween spirit!

It was great seeing all the creative and funny costumes and hope that I get a chance to do this again next year.

While it is a bit late, I hope you all had a great Halloween this year!

See you next time!