~Halloween Events in Kansai~

So excited to be in the midst of the zombie horde.

Universal Studios Japan Halloween Horror Night

This is the best place for concentrated Halloween fun. You can spend the entire day in costume, running around to various for photos, and after 6pm, enjoy frolicking with the park staff dressed as zombies (only in a specific area of the park). Most of the park stuff are really into the Halloween spirit and will help you take photos (the non-Japanese staff seem more uptight). Unfortunately, this is a rather popular season for USJ, so there are will be a lot of people until most of the events end (November 6th).

Here's a quick summary of the events available (website here):

Horror Area ~Street Zombies~
USJ staff dressed as zombies wander through this area of the park, trying to scare you. Most attempts are for naught as you can hear other park attendees screaming from a mile away, but it's fun to hang out. You might get a nice photo op with the right timing.

J-Horror Area -Tatari - (Horror Maze)
I don't know what this is as the wait times for Tatari are almost always over 2 hours, but it is open all day (though probably not as scary mid-afternoon). The way they describe it on the site is "a pure, home-grown brand of horror. at the end of countless torii is a strange village. in the depths of this village, a doll funeral is being held and a shrine where terrible incident occurred. You fine yourself lost in this village, isolated from the real world, and left to endure a fear unlike any before."

Horror Mazes
These are a collection of 5 minute mazes based on popular horror IP's. This year features Chucky, Friday the 13th, The Exorcists, Trauma 2 (paid attraction).

3-D Attractions
These attractions take place in the 3-D/4-D theaters in USJ. No separate fee but the queue is ghastly. Express tickets are available. The only famous IP is Sadako (The Ring). The other attraction, Schoolyard Ghost Story, looks like an original, mostly aimed toward younger kids (elementary school-ish).

Death Eater Attack
This event will only take place in Harry Potter Land (obvs) every 30 minutes or so. Based on the description on the site, it sounds like a small street performance with some water effects. I'd like to see it, but the problem with HP Land is that if you get the entry-ticket to go in at 1PM, there is absolutely no reason to stay in that area until 6PM.

Tennoji Zoo - Halloween Night Zoo -

The zoo will open in the evening for special exhibits featuring pumpkins and lectures (?? I guess, the only special thing seems to be lights and feeding animals pumpkin). There will also be live music (is that good for animals?? esp. nocturnal ones?) on the 29th and 30th. You can view additional information in Japanese here, or English information here.

BLACK VEIL - Halloween Party @ CLUB NEO

A famous event for more gothic circles in Japan, they throw a Halloween party (and NYE party) every year. Most of their events take place in Tokyo, but the Halloween event is in Amemura in South Osaka. They charge a pretty high premium (4,000 yen at the door, 3,500 in advance), but this could be an instance where you get what you pay for? Official site and information can be found here in Japanese. If you have any questions (or need a translation), feel free to ask!

Club Halloween Events

There are a LOT of clubs in Kansai, and some are open on weekdays, which means you can get even better deals on entry and drinks. Sadly, I don't have all the time in the world to translate all of the information. I do, however, have a link and a word list to help you translate the bare minimum. Feel free to ask questions, but also remember that I may not get back to you in time for the event. You best bet might be rikaichan.

Club Event List (mostly JP events)

Key Words
街コン - It's like speed dating. You'll probably have to be pretty fluent to participate as most people attending these events are looking for life partners (heavy, right?). Not the best place to find a fling or friend. Also, very pricey in almost every case. Especially for guys.

交流会 - A mixer, usually for making friends or dates. These tend to be on the pricier side, and may be rife with gaijin-hunters. Some require you to get your buy your ticket in advance, while some are walk-in friendly.

予約必要 - Reservation needed. You can probably use the site linked above to register, or head to the shop itself and buy a ticket beforehand.

残り２０人 - 20 Spots left. These events are limited to a certain number of people. This phrase tells you how many spots/tickets are left.

婚活 - Marriage Party. People looking to get married. Bring you income receipts because it's that serious. Check the event page and it will probably tell you whether or not you make enough to go.

クーポンあり - Coupons are available through this site.

HALLOWEEN RAMPAGE #9 ROOFTOP OO

October 29th 20:00 ~ 05:00
This is a pretty well-known event in Osaka. I attended #7 with a few friends and it was a good time; a nice change of pace from the full-on club events (it's easier to have a conversation, plus there is re-entry). It's a nice back-up plan if you're looking for a Halloween party with a western flavor (i.e., I think the best/most creative costumes show up here). Click here for the English iflyer event page. There should be a Facebook Event page somewhere too.

RIVERSIDE HALLOWEEN NAKANOSHIMA FES VOL. 2

October 29th 18:00 ~
This is an event I've not heard of before, but looks pretty interesting. It's free to enter and there will be food and drink stall.s To be honest, it sounds like your average street festival, just with the added topping of 'costume'. Click here for the English iflyer event page.