BUSINESS

Retailers far from spooked as Japan's interest in Halloween grows

Pedestrians pass a store packed with Halloween costumes on trendy Takeshita-dori in Tokyo's Harajuku district on Friday. Businesses have been increasingly importing the commercial version of an ancient spiritual and religious festival. | YOSHIAKI MIURA

By Atsushi Kodera
Staff Writer

Oct 30, 2015

With Halloween conveniently falling on a Saturday this year, retailers are hoping to further capitalize on an event that by one estimate will generate ¥122 billion in Japan.

Like Christmas and Valentine's Day, the annual celebration is a cultural import from the West that has become a major seasonal event in Japan.

But as the phenomenon gains currency, families are decorating homes with jack-o'-lanterns and preparing costumes for parades nationwide.

Retailers far from spooked as Japan's interest in Halloween grows

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