As with any good Halloween event, the massive one in Kawasaki on Sunday conjured up the stuff of nightmares and fantasies, but also celebrated creativity and ingenuity.

In the 22nd incarnation of this hallowed tradition, around 2,200 people paraded on the streets of Kawasaki, many in handmade costumes, to the delight of an estimated 120,000 spectators.

The winners of the phantasmagoric  extravaganza, which must be tough to choose, will be announced on Oct. 31. (Mark Thompson photos).