Words and photos will do very little to explain the madness that is Halloween in Tokyo.  I had read about it, I watched videos, I looked at photos…they all made me excited to see it with my own eyes, but did nothing to prepare me for the experience.

There are some videos out there that help a little, but nothing you watch, read or see can prepare you for the insanity and fun that is Halloween in Tokyo, Shibya Crossing specifically.

This year Halloween fell on a Monday, which in the end, didn’t really mean anything. Friday night, Saturday night, Sunday night, Monday night were all insanely fun. I left Tuesday afternoon, but my guess is that there were a few that weren’t quite ready to let go of Halloween. BTW – Don’t ever let my words like madness or insanity be misread as anything but fun, I loved every over-crowded, over-stimulated minute.

A few tips:

1. As long as you arrive in Shibuya anytime after 3 or 4PM you’ll begin to see the madness.
2. When leaving Shibuya station follow the signs for the Hachiko exit. From there, there’s really nothing more that needs to be explained, you’ll see where you’ll need to go from there.
3. Trains stop running at midnight, so if you plan on staying past midnight, and I suggest you do, plan on taking a taxi home.
4. Getting a taxi can be very difficult. At 3:30AM I had to walk quite a distance to find a taxi, at 3:30AM!
5. Be ready for crowds, massive crowds, crowds like you’ve never seen before. Crossing the already busiest intersection in the world is an experience in itself.
6. Be ready to get separated from your friends. Have a rendezvous point in mind because you will be separated from your friends at some point.

Shibuya seems to be the epicenter of Halloween celebrations in Tokyo, but I’ve heard there are several other great spots around the city with large gatherings. Shibuya seems to be the most popular