Strange, delightful—and unmistakably Japan.
The monsters are out tonight. From Ikebukuro cosplay and Shibuya’s changing streets to science labs and sports arenas, Japan’s Halloween edition explores the strange, the joyful and the consequential.
The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons
From medieval tales to painted scrolls, Japan’s supernatural procession became an enduring art form.
Read the lead story →Saturday, October 31, 2026 · Japan.co.jp
Four Stories to Start With
Folklore · Cosplay · Cities · Horror
Nine News Briefs
Nine concise, sourced developments beyond today’s fifteen feature stories.
Read the briefs →Business & Economy
Saturday, October 31, 2026
Halloween Goes Indoors: How Tokyo’s Rules Are Reshaping the Business of Fear
As cities manage street crowds, ticketed clubs, hotels and attractions are reshaping the Halloween economy.
One Square Millimeter, Five Meters of Vision: Sony’s New Sensor
Sony’s miniature CMOS sensor promises new design possibilities for endoscopes, although clinical adoption remains ahead.
How Gyaru Became Halloween Fashion: Tika’s Seven New Costumes
Seven new costumes open a window onto the commercial reinvention of Japan’s gyaru culture.
Science & Technology
Saturday, October 31, 2026
The Poisonous Toad at Iriomote’s Door: What the Genes Reveal
Genetic screening probes which island animals might be vulnerable to cane-toad toxins—and what remains unknown.
Inside the Bacterial Wall Factory: Hokkaido’s Enzyme Discovery
New details of two coordinated enzymes reveal a possible avenue for future antibacterial research.
The Lab AI That Knows When Not to Answer
A video-grounded AI assistant aims to preserve laboratory know-how without inventing unsafe instructions.
Communities
Saturday, October 31, 2026
When Tokyo Becomes the Costume: Ikebukuro’s Halloween Festival
The three-day cosplay festival transforms Ikebukuro with a scheduled parade and elaborate fan participation.
Shibuya Halloween Isn’t Canceled: Rules, Crowds and Parties
Shibuya manages public space while private celebrations continue. What changed, and what did not?
When Discarded Objects Become Monsters
A Hiroshima museum explores the haunted lives of everyday objects and the ethics of keeping things.
Sports
Saturday, October 31, 2026
No Halloween Game: How SoftBank Swept DeNA
The Japan Series ended in a four-game SoftBank sweep, canceling the scheduled October 31 matchup.
Kobe’s Halloween Test Against Nagoya Grampus
A 3 p.m. J1 fixture in Kobe brings contrasting club ambitions and tactical questions.
Why a 3–0 Pitch Looks Different to an Umpire
A study of more than 450,000 pitches examines how expectations can affect called strikes.
Culture
Saturday, October 31, 2026The Night Parade of One Hundred Demons
From medieval tales to painted scrolls, Japan’s supernatural procession became an enduring art form.
Inside Osaka’s Engineered Nightmares at USJ
USJ blends live monsters, technical effects and familiar horror traditions into a major autumn attraction.
Tokyo Halloween After Dark: Where to Party
An October 31 guide to Shibuya, Nakameguro and other parties, with practical rules and travel details.
Art Choice · Kawanabe Kyōsai
1831–1889 · The Demon of Painting
The Demon of Painting: Kawanabe Kyōsai
Dancing skeletons, unruly demons and sharp satire: the nineteenth-century artist who supplies this edition’s visual imagination.
Read Art Choice →Original AI editorial illustration inspired by Kawanabe Kyōsai; not an original historical painting.
Six More Stories from October 30
Previously published · Not presented as new reporting
Japan’s Sovereign AI Cloud: Sakura Internet’s Investment Test
How Sakura Internet is balancing AI infrastructure investment and commercial returns.
An iPS Heart Model Reveals Progeria’s Damage
Lab-grown heart tissue offers new clues to a rare aging disorder.
More Than 1,000 Women Farmers: Rethinking Rural Enterprise
Women entrepreneurs are reshaping Japan’s agricultural workforce.
Masatora Kawano’s Breakthrough Marathon Race Walk
A remarkable 42.195-kilometer race-walk performance in Takahata.
Poetry in Pictures: The Gotoh Museum’s Medieval Japan
Medieval manuscripts and screens reveal a culture of collaborative verse.
Is Washoku Healthy? Tradition Meets Nutrition Science
Separating the cultural value of Japanese cuisine from health claims.
Today’s news illustrations are AI-generated editorial interpretations inspired by Kawanabe Kyōsai, not documentary photographs. Carryover images retain the October 30 edition’s artwork.
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