Halloween Treats in Japan

Image taken from history.com

Even though Halloween hasn’t ever really taken off in Australia, it’s become quite the event in Japan. The first time I went to Japan was in October, and trust me when I say they take it pretty seriously over there! Even Disneyland gets in on the action. Particularly famous are the costume parades all over Tokyo. Watch the video below to see the highlights of the Kawasaki Parade, with over 2,500 participants in costume!

This isn’t the only thing that gets the Japanese riled up over Halloween though. Every year, limited edition packaging is released with Halloween themes. This year, one product has really caught our eye. Nissin have released four special edition Halloween instant foods, with some really crazy flavours. Cup noodles, risotto, udon, and yakisoba have been packaged in dark colours with Halloween mascots including a pumpkin, a witch, and Count Dracula.

The instant ramen and risotto dishes are titled “potage”, and they’re flavoured with pumpkin, cheese, carrots, and cabbage. Sounds weird right!? But since it comes from Japan, you really wonder if they managed to pull it off…. If you’re interested in purchasing  the ramen, you can buy it from Candysan, a Japanese candy and novelty food website which ships from Tokyo. The prices are really cheap!

The other two products are U.F.O. squid ink yakisoba and Donbei black curry udon. Since it’s still curry month you should definitely try the udon!

Images taken from the Nissin website

What are you doing for Halloween this year? If you’re still making last minute plans, here’s a list of Halloween events happening around Sydney this Saturday!

1. Sydney Zombie Walk in Hyde Park – dress up, shuffle around like a zombie, then head over to Dera Uma for a cheap but filling meal! Show your Washoku Lovers card for free tea to get your hydration levels back up after all that zombie walking.
2. Halloween Disco Roller Skating at UNSW’s Roundhouse – more of a night owl? Why not get your costume AND your skates on and have some fun at a disco, all at the same time! Just down Anzac Parade is Manpuku Ramen, but you’ll also pass Komachi  on the way to the Roundhouse (maybe raw fish is more in the Halloween spirit?)
3. David Lynch Horror films at the Golden Age Cinema – Got a first date? What’s better than some good old fashion horror! No need for a cuddle excuse either, it’s smooth sailing with old school flicks at one of the coolest cinemas in Sydney. For the full date experience, it’s worth calling Raita Noda to see if he has any empty seats this Halloween!
4. Halloween Party at Jurassic Lounge – Saturday fully booked? Well there’s always something going on on a Friday as well! Head to the Australian Museum for a BUNCH of Halloween themed activities this Friday. Considering it’s called Jurassic Lounge, keep up with the dino motif and have dinner at Suminoya, you just can’t go wrong with charcoal BBQ!