6 best Halloween events at theme parks in Japan

Puroland always knows how to pull off a show for Halloween, and this year doesn’t disappoint. Considering Kuromi’s birthday is Halloween, it’s only natural that she is the star of the show, along with Sanrio mainstays Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll and Bad Batz-Maru (sorry, not Bad Bunny). Labubu from the Pop Mart multiverse is also joining in the Halloween extravaganza, making this year’s celebration monster-themed. You’ll find the four characters dressed up and dancing as monsters to match Labubu’s vibe at the Puromonsterscramble Party live show, a spectacle you can catch at the first-floor Entertainment Hall.

You’ll also get to meet and greet Halloween monster versions of Kuromi, Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll and Bad Batz-Maru at their DJ sets and at designated photo areas in front of the Entertainment Hall and the third-floor photo spot. Make sure to grab some limited-edition monster-fied Sanrio character goods at the Entrance Shop on your way out; these include special-edition headbands, trading cards, keyrings and mini figurines.

Throughout this Halloween season, Sanrio Puroland’s food court is serving appropriately themed food and drinks. There’s pitch-black Kuromi karaage fried chicken and croquette curry (¥1,650), turquoise Cinnamoroll costume fighting curry with minced meat cutlet (¥1,650) and My Melody’s rose pink Moonlit Night cheese hamburg steak curry (¥1,650), as well as sweet treats like My Melody and Kuromi’s Cute Monster purple sweet potato and tiramisu mont blanc (¥950) and Labubu and Puromonster’s almond peach parfait (¥1,000).

Until November 3

There's lots to do at USJ's annual Halloween Horror Night extravaganza. Marking the 15th anniversary of Halloween Horror Night, USJ is upping the ante with bigger and scarier events than ever, including the largest zombie horde in the park’s history taking over the streets after dark.

Come sundown, from 6pm until closing, the living dead will spill across the park in the Street Zombies experience, with the familiar sights of USJ transformed into a full-blown zombie nightmare. The undead then take over the streets for Zombie de Dance, a high-energy show set to King Gnu’s So Bad. For the final show of the night, the 15th-anniversary celebration gets an extra dose of nostalgia, with past Halloween Horror Night hits including Ado’s Show and Sandaime J Soul Brothers’ Rat-tat-tat making comebacks.

USJ will have ten Halloween-themed attractions this year. If you’re game for more jump scares, take on the Factory of Fear: Zombie Tour haunted house, Chainsaw Man 4D horror theatre, Resident Evil Requiem: The Dive or USJ’s first R-18 horror experience, Lights Out: Nightmare Isolation. For something a little tamer, go for the Hollywood Dream ride, featuring a special Chainsaw Man and Kenshi Yonezu collaboration.

Until November 8

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 Mickey-shaped pumpkin muffins, 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.

Until October 31

This Nagasaki theme park boasts scenery that resembles an old Dutch town, complete with colourful houses and a canal. The grounds have started lighting up with autumn-themed illuminations to kick-off its Halloween festivities.

The Halloween decor is extensive. There are hundreds of jack-o-lanterns adorning the streets leading up to the Art Garden, where you’ll find Huis Ten Bosch’s main light display. Musicians wearing Halloween-coloured costumes are performing at various times of the day to set the mood. 

Children can enjoy a daytime Halloween parade with pumpkin floats featuring Miffy, and get treats from the staff by saying ‘trick or treat’. Adults, however, can enjoy the park's Haunted Halloween event until November 3, where you can encounter zombies roaming in the park and performing a dance after dark. If you’re looking for even more spooky ways to end the night, ride the Nightmare Cruise Ship, where you’ll find yourself trapped in a sealed-off, zombified resort vessel.

Visitors on October 10-11, October 31 and November 1 will be treated to a special Halloween-themed fireworks display. You can catch the spectacular show from almost anywhere in the park.

Until November 3

This Halloween, Legoland gets taken over by creepy monsters like vampires, mummies and spiders. If you want to participate in Legoland’s ‘Candy Hunt’, come dressed in costume and fill out the participation form upon entry. Get yourself a colourful pumpkin bucket (¥2,000, ¥1,500 online) if you fancy a souvenir, which comes with your choice of Lego mini kit, a Lego build of a cat wearing a pumpkin, and limited-edition Halloween-themed Factory Blocks.

The Palace Cinema is screening ‘The Great Monster Chase’, a short 4D Halloween-themed Lego movie that runs for about 15 minutes. Don’t leave the theme park without trying some special Halloween food. There’s a monster-shaped chocolate cornet pastry (¥950), mochi mummy dog (¥800) and more. 

For three nights only, Legoland will be open after sunset for its special Halloween Night on October 30, 31 and November 1. This means you can enjoy the park from 6pm to 9pm for just ¥2,500. The park’s attractions will take on a spookier theme and you can enjoy special workshops and evening shows that are exclusive to Halloween Night.

Until November 3

One of the three Sanrio theme parks in Japan, Harmonyland in Oita prefecture is celebrating the spooky season with Halloween-themed decorations, shows and food. For this occasion, popular Sanrio characters will dress up in Magical Masquerade-themed Halloween costumes for meet and greet. So you can expect to interact and take photos with My Melody, Kuromi, Hello Kitty and more. Cafés and restaurants within the park are serving exclusive meals like Pompompurin’s Halloween hotdog (¥900), purple Halloween burger plate (¥1,980), Hello Kitty curry (¥1,980) and the like.

If you’re here for just one thing, make it the Halloween-only Magical Masquerade – Excite live show at Harmony Village Theatre, featuring thrilling performances and characters decked out in glamorous masquerade costumes. The twenty-minute shows are held once a day at 4pm on weekdays and 3.15pm on weekends and holidays. On Halloween day and November 1, the show will start at 11am.

Until November 10