Halloween Musings

Akasaka Dorm Group

A few weeks ago Halloween quickly came and went, without most of Japan noticing. While Halloween is a widely celebrated holiday for both young and old alike in the US, it isn’t truly recognized on these shores. A far cry from Washington DC’s M street which is stuffed full of people in costume going out to be seen and drink at one of the many bars, Tokyo’s streets remained clear for the most part of costumed revelers. But, being a foreigner in Japan doesn’t change your traditions, and I along with all of our friends pieced together a costume during the week before.

On October 30^th, Metropolis Magazine – Japan’s #1 weekly magazine for concerts, events, and anything you could possibly want to do if you’re a foreigner living in Japan (gaijin) – was hosting their annual Glitterball extravaganza. Advertised for weeks at “Womb” (one of Japan’s most popular clubs) from 8pm – 12 all you can drink and eat with guest appearances by a number of popular DJs, the Glitterball sounded too good to be true. Being in the Halloween spirit, Nick, Harry, and I all purchased tickets for the event and we planned to get there slightly after 8 to make the most of it.

This year, I decided to be a geek due to its simple requirements and instant recognizability. To properly pull it off, I purchased a pair of suspenders, pocket protector, and a cheap bowtie to go along with a friends nerdy glasses (which he lent me), my shirt, and slacks. The end product was fairly convincing, and I got Nick and Chris to go along with it also!

We got to the Glitterball around 8:20 and it was already packed with people. It seems wherever you go in Tokyo, you can expect it to be crowded. Barely able to move, we made our way down to the bar at the basement which was located right next to the food they were offering. True to their word, the Glitterball delivered on all their promises: Drinks – unlimited bottles of Corona as well as mixed drinks made to order at the bar; Food – pizza, Indian curry, garlic bread, and burritos, afterwards your breath wouldn’t impress anyone but your stomach sure would be satisfied; and Music – they had 3 floors each with a different genre, Techno, hip hop, and house. All 3 of us ended up having a great time and I managed to meet some German people who I used some of my neglected language skills on. Harry ended up meeting his current girlfriend in the last hour of the party and Nick and I made a stop off at McDonald's before calling it a night.

with Kevin on our way to the TUJ party

Halloween night Temple Japan’s student council made an arrangement with Muse (a club in Roppongi) to have a party for all of the students. For discounted drinks and no entry fee it was a good deal and all of my friends made the trip over. There were a bunch of good costumes and it was definitely an entertaining night. I was really impressed with the turnout and the organizers did a good job of making sure all the TUJ students had something to do on Halloween.