14 best Halloween events and parties in Tokyo

Tokyo Disneyland’s annual Halloween festivities are always highly anticipated. This year, the entire park will be decorated with Mickey Mouse-shaped pumpkins and ghosts.

The Haunted Mansion ride, specifically, is getting a Nightmare Before Christmas revamp as usual, with Jack Skellington featured throughout the ride. During the day, you’ll get to enjoy the 'Into the Frenzy' parade featuring Disney villains including Maleficent riding on floats decked out in spooky Halloween decor.

Over at the restaurants and shops, expect seasonal souvenirs featuring ghost Mickey, neon-green spooky Mickey and Friends plushies and a selection of Halloween-inspired dishes such as ghost dango dumplings, pumpkin-flavoured ice cream sundaes and maple pumpkin-flavoured churros. And yes, you’re welcome to dress up in full costume as your favourite Disney character this year.

Enjoy a projection mapping show with a spectacular view of Tokyo's skyline as a backdrop this October from the main deck of Tokyo Tower. Made by the creators of A Summer Flow of Light, this Halloween-themed performance is projected on the 30-metre-wide glass windows with a scenic view of Tokyo in the background. It features a breezy autumn evening with leaves falling, insects chirping in pampas grass, and ending in a spooky scene of jack o' lanterns, bats, ghosts and witches that will synchronise with the music to scare guests.

While you're there, don't miss the special Halloween-themed Tokyo Tower light-up on October 31. Titled 'Infinity Diamond Veil Halloween,' it's a rare chance to see the tower in pumpkin orange and magenta. 

Sanrio characters are dressing up as magicians this year for the amusement park's magic-themed PuroHalloween celebration. For the 20-minute Halloween parade, you'll find Hello Kitty, My Melody, Kuromi and friends transformed into wizards. You can catch the spectacle from the first floor or second-floor balcony at Puro Village.

You’ll also get to meet and greet Halloween versions of Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, Pompompurin and friends. Make sure you stick around for the illumination show. It’s inspired by Ojamajo Doremi, as the TV series is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Throughout this Halloween season, Sanrio Puroland’s food court is serving some appropriately themed food and drinks. There’s pitch-black Kuromi karaage fried chicken and cheese hamburg curry (¥1,600), turquoise blue Cinnamoroll magical curry with curly fried shrimp (¥1,600) and Pompompurin Halloween gentleman’s katsu curry, as well as sweet treats like a golden Pompompurin sweet potato mont blanc (¥950) and Milk’s rare cheese and choco-mint parfait (¥900).

Japan’s largest eSports park is getting a spooky makeover for the Halloween season. From now until October 31, Red Tokyo Tower is hosting Red Spooky Festival every day from 5pm, with games and activities for the entire family to enjoy at half price for those in costume.

Red Tokyo Tower’s virtual reality attractions like the VR Horror and Space Shuttle 2.0 are offering scary games that aren’t for the faint of heart. Walk through a virtual haunted house with jump scares that come around every thirty seconds, or ride a spooky skeleton VR roller coaster.

Those who aren’t a fan of sudden spooks will enjoy a game of ‘Red Light, Green Light’. It’s easy: the goal is to reach the finish line without getting caught. There are also designated photo spots with Halloween decorations as well as free treats on weekends for those who say ‘trick or treat’ to the staff.

Admission tickets purchased before 5pm include a free ticket to the VR Horror attraction.

Pull on your costume, bring the kids and stroll around Yokohama's Western historic quarter this October as seven of the dozen or so Western mansions in Yokohama's Yamate district are decorated in elaborate Halloween decorations. 

If you're feeling active, pick up a stamp card at any of the designated spots to participate in a stamp rally adventure on October 26 – the first 2,000 people collecting six stamps or more will receive a prize at the end. The six must-visit venues to claim your prize are America Yama Park, the Osaragi Jiro Memorial Museum, Kanagawa Museum of Modern Literature, Yamate Archives Museum, the Yokohama Doll Museum and the Yokohama Yamate Museum of Tennis (YITC). You can also fill up on festival food and take pictures at designated photo spots.

Present your stamp rally card at the Home of a Diplomat or the British House to claim your prize. Check the official pamphlet for a detailed map and full event information.

Celebrate the magic of the moon this Halloween with a whimsical afternoon tea at Conrad Tokyo, featuring five sweets and three savouries crafted from seasonal delights like chestnuts, pumpkin, grapes and figs. Highlights include chestnut mont blanc, Kyoho grape and pitaya jelly, plus classic and pumpkin scones with clotted cream and fig jam.

For something extra special, go for the Deluxe Afternoon Tea with champagne and a grape plate, or the Halloween Night Tea (available from 6.30pm) served with four savoury and four sweet dishes plus free-flowing drinks, including beer and sparkling wine.