A few weeks ago, my daughter’s teacher reminded me of her class ハロウィーン (harowīn, Halloween) parade and suggested her 衣装 (ishō, costume) should be やりすぎなくらいで丁度いい (yarisugina kurai de chōdo ii), meaning going overboard would be preferable to playing it safe.
I began to stress. I’d already prepared her costume, and it was quite the opposite of やりすぎ (yarisugi, too much/overdoing). I rushed to some shops to find anything that could make her costume a little more 派手 (hade, flashy).
派手 is a general adjective that can convey both a positive or negative nuance. If you want to praise a friend’s costume, for example, you can’t go wrong with words like 豪華 (gōka, extravagant), 華やか (hanayaka, showy) and the always dependable すごい (sugoi, great).
A costume can also be 目を引く (me o hiku, eye-catching), but you don’t want to confuse that with the similar 目立つ (medatsu, conspicuous/to stand out). The latter can be a bit cynical depending on the context. For example, the casual phrase 目立ってるね (medatteru ne, [you’re] standing out) can be a bit direct, though it isn’t offensive between friends. For 目立ちたがり屋 (medachi tagari ya, attention seekers), the term can even be a compliment, much like Instagrammers use 映える (haeru/baeru, to look nice/to be set apart) when saying 映えてるね (baeteru ne, [it’s] Instagrammable).
For my daughter’s costume, though, I initially went in an opposite direction from all those Halloween パリピ (paripi, party people) who tend to sport 煌びやかな仮装 (kirabiyakana kasō, glitzy costumes). In fact, Japan has developed a pretty unique Halloween culture known as 地味ハロウィン (jimi harowin, bland/mundane Halloween). (As you may have noticed, both ハロウィーン and ハロウィン are common in Japanese writing, though the Japanese media tend to opt for the ハロウィーン spelling.)
地味 (Jimi, Plain/reserved) is the opposite of 派手, and the idea behind this newer trend is ハロウィーンを控えめに楽しむ事 (harowīn o hikaeme ni tanoshimu koto, to enjoy Halloween in a low-key manner).
The event has been organized by web media Daily Portal Z since 2014.
地味ハロウィンの参加者は通常コスプレの対象ではない衣装を着ます (Jimi harowin no sanka-sha wa tsūjō kosupure no taishō dewa nai ishō o kimasu, Participants of “bland Halloween” wear costumes that are not typically associated with cosplay). Instead, they opt for 身近な人やシチュエーションの仮装 (mijikana hito ya shichuēshon no kasō, costumes [depicting] people or situations from their everyday lives), often dressing in 普段着 (fudan-gi, casual wear). It’s usually hard to pinpoint their intentions at first glance, so the best part of the event is テーマを聞いた瞬間に「ああ！」と分かる爽快感 (tēma o kiita shunkan ni “aa!” to wakaru sōkaikan, that satisfying “aha!” moment when [you] hear the theme and understand it in a flash).
During this time of the year, you should be able to find social media posts with the tag #地味ハロウィン. My favorite 仮装 (kasō, costume/disguise) from last year was 暗証番号を見ない配 慮を示してくるショップ店員 (anshō-bangō o minai hairyo o shimeshite kuru shoppu tenin, a shop staffer who shows [you] the consideration of not looking at [your] PIN). The viral photo on X (formerly Twitter) shows a woman holding a card reader, looking away with her eyes closed. Her long, black T-shirt and beige mask seem far from what you’d imagine as the typical Halloween costume, but it exactly captures a person we’ve likely all encountered in our lives.
If you’re looking for some synonyms for 地味, you can go with 質素 (shisso) and 素朴 (soboku) when something is simple and plain. However, note that 質素 emphasizes a lack of embellishment, while 素朴 implies something natural and authentic. Both are interchangeable with 飾り気がない (kazari-ke ga nai, unadorned), but 質素な食事 (shissona shokuji, a simple meal) won’t be received as a compliment, while 素朴な味 (sobokuna aji, a simple taste) can describe your favorite comfort food with a positive tone.
慎ましい (Tsutsumashii, Modest) is also synonymous with 地味, but it typically suggests a humble attitude. It’s sometimes used in the set phrase 慎ましい生活 (tsutsumashii seikatsu, a modest life), but it’s important to note that つましい生活 (tsumashii seikatsu) is more accurate if you are referring to a frugal lifestyle. The terms 倹しい and 約しい both read as tsumashii, meaning thrifty.
The idea of 地味ハロウィン is particularly interesting this year as it stands apart from the クレイジーハロウィン (kureijī harowin, crazy Halloween) that tends to take place outside 渋谷駅 (Shibuya eki, Shibuya Station).
With the number of tourists increasing, the mayor of 渋谷区 (Shibuya-ku, Shibuya Ward) has issued a statement that 渋谷はハロウィーンイベントの 会場ではありません (Shibuya wa harowīn ibento no kaijō dewa arimasen): “No events for Halloween on Shibuya streets.” The notice alerts potential risks of 雑踏事故 (zattō jiko, overcrowding accidents) and a トラブルの急増 (toraburu no kyūzō, proliferation of troubles) if appropriate measures aren’t taken.
Last month, the ward also announced 迷惑路上飲酒ゼロ宣言 (meiwaku rojō inshu zero sengen, Zero Nuisance Declaration on Street Drinking) to address issues such as the impeding of traffic, littering and excessive noise, especially in the vicinity of 渋谷駅. From Oct. 27 to Oct. 31, the ward’s 条例 (jōrei, regulations) restrict 路上飲酒 (rojō inshu, street drinking) around 渋谷駅. Whether you opt for a 派手 or 地味 Halloween, 安全に楽しんでね (anzen ni tanoshinde ne, stay safe and have fun).
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