Halloween Fever Takes Over Japan

TOKYO— -- Japan has its own spooky traditions, but Halloween has taken root in the country in a big way.

For the last decade or so, Halloween’s popularity has grown exponentially. In the land where “CosPlay” and “Manga” were born, revelers flock to the streets every October 31st in droves.

This year’s festivities fell on a Saturday and the party was possibly the biggest Halloween gathering in Tokyo to date.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department reportedly dispatched 800 officers to keep partying ghosts and ghouls in line.

The kinetic scene came from the area around Tokyo’s Shibuya Crossing, one of the world’s most heavily traversed zones.

For the usually shy and reserved Japanese, Halloween has become the perfect excuse to cut loose in wild costumes.