In 2014, a subculture emerged in Japan called jimi halloween (地味ハロウィン), or “mundane Halloween.” It was started by a group of adults at Daily Portal Z who “kind of wanted to participate in the festivities of Halloween, but were too embarrassed to go all out in witch or zombie costumes.” So instead of the flashy and flamboyant costumes they had been seeing gain popularity in Japan, they decided to dress up in mundane, everyday costumes. The type of costumes that you have to explain to people and then they say, ooooh I get it.
guy at hotel breakfast buffet (photo by @rerenrock82)
Here are some of our favorites from this year’s 2018 festivities. You can see more by searching the hashtag 地味ハロウィン on twitter.
guy at the office whose turn it is to empty the shredder (photo by @rerenrock82)
a gaijin who is upset because he accidentally bought doggy snacks instead of human snacks (photo by @masarataun3104)
a girl who just gave blood and now can’t do anything for a few minutes (photo by @uni_iga_iga)
a guy counting traffic (photo by @ochagakari)
youtubers who are apologizing after backlash to one of their previous videos (photo by @vtIhsTfelAzmrDz)
someone who has spilled coffee all over himself (photo by @hageshimizuhage)
some kind of Asian staff at an American sushi shop (photo by @mikotosoup)
a rink-side figure skating coach (photo by @dailyportalz)
November 3, 2018 at 1:37 pm
Goodness that’s dumb and as far away from the spirit of Halloween as is dressing up as a cowboy or super hero.
November 4, 2018 at 6:44 pm
wow you’re really close-minded. i personally really enjoy this cultural spin on “the [traditional] spirit of halloween”
November 5, 2018 at 12:35 pm
Many of these are actually just lazy. 50% of these are personalities, not looks, and a costume is something you can easily see.
Wearing Beats headphones and boxing gloves = Beats Boxer
Putting Whiskers on with an X-ray taped on = Cat Scan
Wear Yellow/Black Stripes carrying a question mark = Bee Where?
But carrying a map doesn’t make you a lost tourist, like sitting on a chair holding a pencil doesn’t make you a pencil sharpener. A guy is literally holding dog food…
November 5, 2018 at 3:50 pm
Next year I’m going to dress up as a Jeffrey: a person who not only doesn’t understand things, but has no understanding of how he doesn’t understand things.
November 4, 2018 at 10:31 am
That’s beautiful and oh so Japanese. How I love the benevolent wackiness of these people.
November 5, 2018 at 12:07 pm
This is awesome…Going to try to have a Halloween themed party like this next year
November 28, 2018 at 1:20 am
love to see your ‘Jeffrey’ costume next year!!! Go Jeffrey!!