This is just a short post to highlight something truly awesome from a Tokyo Disneyland fansite. Apparently Halloween is such a big deal at Tokyo, Disney has to issue rules about what costumes people can wear. They are usually limited to Disney animated characters, or characters from the parks.
This site has several pictures of costumes from last year, I believe:
http://uranezu.com/amazing.html
I love two things about them:
- How creative they are at expressing the essence of a character without being a full-on character costume. This is especially noteworthy in costumes for Lady and the Tramp, various Country Bears, Robin Hood characters, and Brer Fox and Brer Rabbit.
- How truly obscure many of the characters are. You have a trio dressed as the Babettes from Beauty and the Beast. You have another trio dressed as Bunny, Bubbles, and Beaulah. The Walrus and the Carpenter from Alice in Wonderland. Somebody even dressed as Tokyo DisneySea’s lighthouse.
I have to say, the bar has been raised for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. I don’t want to see any more Snow Whites or Jack Sparrows this year, got it? I myself will be going as Marahute the Golden Eagle.
Oh, my favorites from the Tokyo pictures? I really like the Horned King, the vampires from Nightmare Before Christmas, and the Walrus and the Carpenter. But that kid as Judge Frollo is super cute.
yup, the Japanese are really into cosplay
Neon, I know I keep saying this, but I been working on that one just for you! The problem, of course, is that the door is well-guarded.
This right here is the kind of post that makes me read this blog. Well this and the ever increasingly vain hope you guys will someday get back to that mystery animal kingdom door
Store-bought… that is, if they don’t run out. Last year Muir was the most popular costume, with Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony coming in close behind.
A homemade famed naturalist John Muir costume, or a storebought one?
Nice Stephen… Famed Naturalist John Muir does not get enough Halloween costume sales and it is nice to see some due respect be given.
Me? This year, at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, I’m going as Parkeology mascot, John Muir. “Beautiful! Bully Beautiful!”
One of the oddest / most fun things about Tokyo in general is the (to us) incredibly strange facination the Japanese have with costumes. You see young people walking down the streets (especially in specific neighborhoods) in elaborate costumes DAILY. It is just what they do to express themselves.
Now combine that with a love for Disney and a deeply engrained commitment to quality (which is just a genral Japanese thing) and throw in Halloween and you have a perfect storm for this kind of thing.
It is amazing to visit the Japanese parks and peopel watch… it is seriously half the fun.
YAY! I’ve done TDL Halloween and it is awesome! About a third of the guests were dressed up and pretty much all costumes were fabulous! Plus they have great park theming and all special food and gifts. Thanks for this link!