In the land that birthed the word cosplay,Halloween in Japan is less about trick or treating and all about embracing the fun of costumes. While you won’t have to worry about cavities, beware of the evil hangover the nights can curse you with—Japanese locals party hardcore on and around October 31.
But while Halloween is now what we’d consider big in Japan, not everyone gets in the mood to dress up in crazy outfits.
In 2014, emerging from the shadow of Shibuya’s Halloween madness, the ハロウィン (Jimi Halloween)AKA “Mundane” Halloween event was launched. In Japanese,地味stands for plain, sober, modest or even subdued.
It’s organized by Daily Portal Z,a website sharing funny and very useless news whose motto is “なになりますが、につことはありません =“It feels good but doesn’t help.”
Originally DPZ members wanted to take part in the Halloween fun in their own irreverent way by dressing up in “everyday life costumes” and thereby drawing attention to the profound mundanity of our daily existence. Since then, in a case of boring dystopian irony, the event has become just as much of a costume contest as the Shibuya street party.
These “Mundane Halloween” costumes are brilliant
Every October, 地味costumes go viral on Twitter with the hashtags #地味ハロウィンand #DBZ. Here are some of our favorites from 2019.
#1
ったに#地味ハロウィン#DPZ= Guy who bought an umbrella just as it stopped raining
This is so real. We can feel the pain of having bought yet another umbrella for NOTHING.
#2
#地味ハロウィンレンタルとちわせしてるひと = Guy who’s waiting for the girlfriend he rented
Is he sweating?
#3
のマクドナルドのさんとウーバーイーツさんののコラボ#地味ハロウィン = 80’s McDonald’s clerk and Uber Eats miracle collaboration
Oh so retro! We lovin’ it.
#4
の#地味ハロウィンは「ゴミをしそびれた」。ポイントはの、どうでもいいにいでいたつっかけ、からってきたのゴミ
= This year for Mundane Halloween I’ll be the woman who missed trash day. Features are: wearing loungewear, whatever socks you rushed to put on and bringing real garbage from home.
Why do they have to pick up trash so early in the morning!?
#5
でがんでる#地味ハロウィン#DPZ = Woman whose’s heart is dying having to commute to work on a holiday
Like a real-life Aggrestuko.
#6
Raise your hand if you feel personally attacked by this one.
How to express “split-second” in Japanese
In a horror movie, we know the fun is about to start the split-second someone decides to investigate that dark basement all alone without a flashlight. To express that split second when something happens triggering a feeling, impression or action, you’ll use JLPT N1 phrase 瞬間に.
The word瞬間translates to “moment, second, instant.” にhelps you emphasize the fleetingness of the moment.
- Verb-casual, past + 瞬間 (に)
- Noun + の瞬間 (に)
あなたを見た瞬間、にちました。= I fell in love with you the moment I saw you.
Vocabulary
地味 jimi plain, mundane, subdued ハロウィン harouin Halloween 傘 kasa umbrella 買う kau buy 瞬間に shunkan ni the minute, the instant… 雨 ame rain 止む yamu stop (rain) 人 hito person レンタル彼女 rentaru kanojyo rental girlfriend 待ち合わせする machiawase suru meet up 80年代 hachijuu nendai 80’s マクドナルド makudonarudo McDonald’s 店員さん tenin san Clerk (polite) ウーバーイーツさん uubaaiitsu san Uber Eats (driver) (polite) 奇跡 kiseki miracle コラボ korabo collaboration 今年 kotoshi this year ゴミ gomi garbage 出しそびれる dashisobireru fail to put out ポイント pointo point 本物 honmon real thing 部屋着 heyagi lounging gown どうでもいい dou demo ii indifferent, without care, no bothering about 靴下 kutsu shita socks 急いで isoide in a hurry 履く haku wear (shoes) 自宅 jitaku home 持ってくる motte kuru bring 休日出勤 kyuu jitsu shyukkin holiday work shift 心 kokoro heart 死ぬ shinu die 一目 ichimoku one look 恋に落ちる koi ni ochiru fall in love あなた anata you
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