Spooky season starts early in Japan. While traditions like trick-or-treating around the neighborhood haven’t yet hit the mainstream, Halloween is still on the public’s radar, bringing with it a celebration of all things autumnal, sweet and scary. Starting in September, witches, ghosts and pumpkins take over the nation’s biggest theme parks, bringing both family-oriented festivals and skin-crawling adult frights.
Visiting these attractions in the coming weeks? Here’s what you can expect.
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Tokyo Disney Resort
Until October 31
Halloween is the Disney villains’ favorite time of year, and they will once again be overthrowing the Magic Kingdom. For families with little ones or those who prefer a milder experience, Tokyo Disney Resort offers an exciting but not-so-scary Halloween atmosphere with seasonal attractions, menus and merchandise.
Keep an eye out for staff with special buckets while in Tokyo DisneySea’s Mediterranean Harbor area and greet them with “trick or treat” to get candy — gratis! Another freebie is on offer at Disneyland’s Soft Landing restaurant, where saying “trick or treat” when making a purchase will earn you a complimentary bag of avocado-and-cheese corn chips.
Costume Policy
One of the key highlights of Disney Halloween is dressing up in costumes. Decked out in hoopskirts, wigs, makeup and special effects, dedicated fans come to showcase their intricate handmade cosplays. It’s a thrilling experience just to go people-watching.
An important note for this year’s festivities: From October 1 through October 15, guests will not be allowed to wear costumes at either of the Tokyo Disney Resort parks. Outside of that two-week window, though, between September 16 and October 31, children and adults alike are welcome to visit the theme park in their Halloween ensembles.
Shows and Attractions
At Tokyo Disneyland, catch “Into the Frenzy,” a time-limited performance from the Disney villains — Maleficent, Dr. Facilier, Jafar and more, including the Big Bad Wolf. The electrifying parade is sure to add some pizzazz to your Halloween celebrations. Meanwhile, over at the neighboring Tokyo DisneySea, Mediterranean Harbor will host the “Disney Halloween Greeting” show with Mickey Mouse and his friends.
A brief fireworks show will light up the sky over both parks as part of the “Night High Halloween” spectacular. The show, beginning at 8:30 p.m., will be held nightly during the Halloween event period, with the exception of Friday, September 26, and Friday, October 17. Find the schedule here.
In a Halloween-Christmas mashup, from September 16 to January 12, 2026, Tokyo Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion will transform into the Haunted Mansion Holiday Nightmare, featuring an overlay inspired by The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Over at Tokyo DisneySea, from September 17 to November 2, guests can enjoy Lazos de la Familia at the Lost River Delta. Inspired by Pixar’s Coco, the event features mariachi music, dance and decorations, including traditional Mexican elements, in a celebration of the Día de los Muertos tradition.
Universal Studios Japan TM & © Universal Studios. All rights reserved.
Universal Studios Japan
Until November 3
Universal Studios Japan is famous for bringing terror of an epic scale with its Halloween Horror Nights event. With both hair-raising tricks and kid-friendly treats, Universal Studios will be jam-packed with updated attractions, character performances, scare zones, haunted houses, special menus and new merchandise.
Costume Policy
Children and adults are allowed to wear costumes but must abide by park rules for attire, makeup and accessories. You may not enter Universal Wonderland, Minion Park or neighboring vicinities wearing costumes or makeup that may frighten children.
Universal Studios Japan TM & © Universal Studios. All rights reserved.
Kid-Friendly Events
Universal’s kid-friendly offerings are mostly reserved for the daytime, with the Hahaha! Halloween Party providing exciting attractions featuring Pokémon, the Minions and other characters.
Drop by the Pokémon Unstoppable Halloween Party at Gramercy Park, where DJ Gengar and DJ Pikachu are offering up a lively lineup of tracks to groove to, and Minion Park, where you’ll be greeted by monster costume-clad Minions.
For tasty treats, seek out staff carrying candy pouches and say “trick or treat.” Staff can be found in most areas of the park between opening and 5 p.m.
For a full list of showtimes, please refer to the schedule here.
Shows and Attractions
Once the sun sets, the true horror begins. While geared more toward older audiences, kids are allowed to experience the bone-chilling fun, too — some of it, at least. The takeaway: Be sure to check each event for age guidelines before purchasing tickets, as some require adult accompaniment for children under a certain age, while others are closed completely to younger kids.
And for good reason: A gruesome scene is guaranteed after 6:00 p.m., when street zombies begin to roam. More horrendous zombie hordes step out of the shadows at 6:25 p.m. in the park’s seven scare zones scattered throughout the park. As if that weren’t frightening enough, from 6:00 p.m., Death Eaters overrun the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, bringing with them Dementors and Acromantula spiders. Elsewhere, Megan, the titular murderous robot from the movie M3GAN, will be wandering around.
For haunted houses, four mazes provide a chillingly immersive experience. Witches of House 18: Bewitching Mansion of Emotion, presented by the Japanese makeup brand Kate, will take to Stage 18 from 9 a.m., while Resident Evil: Night of Heroes, a 360-degree live attraction based on the video game series, will operate at the back of Louie’s N.Y. Pizza Parlor from 6 p.m. Both Japanese and English audio versions of this event’s Attraction Timed Entry Ticket are available; be sure to choose the right one. And note that without an Attraction Timed Entry Ticket, you likely will not be able to gain entrance.
Factory of Fear: Zombie Tour, at Studio 22 starting at 10 a.m., and Chucky’s Carnival of Chaos, inspired by the famous killer doll and operating at Stage 18 from 10 a.m., round out the haunted house offerings.
Other horrifyingly entertaining attractions to catch include the all-new Sweet Scream Party, hosted by HamiKuma, the undead teddy bear mascot of Halloween Horror Nights, and Chainsaw Man: The Chaos 4-D, featuring characters from Tatsuki Fujimoto’s popular manga and anime series. Find the Sweet Scream Party at Gramercy Park, where there will be three shows per day, and Chainsaw Man at the Cinema 4-D Theater.
© 2025 SANRIO CO., LTD. TOKYO, JAPAN Copyright Sanrio Co., Ltd.
Sanrio Puroland
Until November 4
Kawaii style overflows at Sanrio’s fully indoor Tokyo theme park, where Hello Kitty and friends are celebrating Purohalloween with shows, photo ops and seasonal merchandise. The theme? Witches and wizards. But Sanrio’s Halloween event is the polar opposite of ghoulish and ghastly; the park matches its amiable atmosphere with a gentle approach to Halloween.
Costume Policy
There is currently no official statement regarding costumes at Sanrio Puroland. Guests are always welcome to dress up with the park’s character headbands and accessories.
Shows and Attractions
Hello Kitty and Youri, one of Japan’s top professional magicians, will take to the Wisdom Tree Stage on weekends and holidays (with the exception of November 2), as well as October 31 and November 4, to perform in an all-new illusion show. Supporting Youri is his talented assistant, Sumika.
On weekdays, the Wisdom Tree Stage is the site of Purohalloween photo sessions, where a variety of characters appear in their Halloween outfits to take photos with guests. The featured characters change daily, so be sure to check the performance schedule to see which character is available.
For guests looking to have more interaction with the characters, the Purohalloween Special Greeting, held in the first-floor event corner, offers private sessions. This premium activity requires a participation ticket, with one ticket good for four people. The ¥3,000 fee will get you an original sticker set and time with one of the featured characters. Tickets can be purchased online.
Finally, J-pop idol group Cho Tokimeki Sendenbu will take to the stage for two performances on November 2, exclusively for members of the group’s fan club. Tickets are available online.
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