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Costume-loving Japan warms up for Halloween bash



By Sophie Hardach
29 October 2007 @ 10:15 am IST

Tokyo - A handful of giggling Japanese women wearing devil's horns and cat costumes gather under a giant neon-orange pumpkin outside a Tokyo shopping mall.


Participants pose during a Halloween parade in Kawasaki, south of Tokyo, October 28, 2007
Participants pose during a Halloween parade in Kawasaki, south of Tokyo, October 28, 2007. About three thousand people dressed in costumes take part in the ceremony to celebrate Halloween. (Photo: Reuters)
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A Halloween street party?

"Ah, no, this is cosplay," says 20-year-old Saori, referring to costume role-play, or the Japanese past-time of dressing up as their favorite animation movie character.

"Halloween is different," Saori says, giggling as she tugs at her hooded cape with cat ears.

The cult around fancy dress, and Japan's love of quirky festivals and eccentric trends in general, may go towards explaining why Halloween has turned from an obscure foreign celebration into a popular cultural event here.

"Japanese wear suits every day, so at the weekend they like to be different," says Saori's friend Akiko.

This article is copyrighted by Reuters.

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