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Top 10 2019’s “Jimi” or Mundane Halloween Costumes: The anti-cosplay cosplay phenomena in Japan

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Halloween in Japan is different from anywhere else. Unlike in the western countries, majority of people in Japan don’t do ‘trick or treating’ (because that’ll cause meiwaku to your neighbors and that is the last thing Japanese people want to do), but within the last decade, Japan as a whole has shown a gradual increase of interest in this Western custom. Every year, increasing number of people are taking full advantage of this opportunity to put a lot of creative energy on their flamboyant costumes.

In the past few years, the scramble crossing in Shibuya became the place to party with over 70,000 drunk people crowding its streets. Unfortunately for them, last year, after a truck was overturned amongst the chaos, public drinking became banned in Shibuya during the Halloween season.

That being said, you get the idea that Halloween in Japan is a pretty big deal. But have you heard of a subculture that emerged in Japan in 2014, called jimi halloween (地味ハロウィン), which roughly translates to“mundane Halloween”?

This oddly specific cosplay phenomena 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 expensive cosplays they had been seeing gain popularity in Japan amongt paripi (party people), these adults decided to dress up in mundane, everyday costumes. The kind of costumes that you have to explain to people and then they say, “oh…I get it.”

Here are some of our top picks of this year’s jimi halloween costumes.

Neighborhood Association President (79 years old) Who Wants to Enliven the Local Shopping Streets Through Shogi

Person Who Spotted Cockroach Just Before Going to Bed, Immediately Searched for Improvised Weapon and Cockroach Escaped in the Meanwhile

Person Who Forgot to Take Out Trash, Rushes Outside in PJs to Beat the Pickup


Person Who Did a Face-Swap with a Starbucks Cup

A Banned “Home” Button of an iPhone

Person Being Interviewed on News Program, Whose Face Has Been Pixelated for Privacy

Unhelpful Person Who Shows Up at a Barbecue to Partake, But Offers No Assistance

An Asian-American Person Working at a Sushi-Bar in the U.S.

Person Seated Far Down the Counter (7th Position) Signaling for Waitstaff

Hiking Equipment Store Mannequin

Did any of these understated costumes inspire you?