Scream in terror with these spooky summertime activities in Japan!
- Published on : 04/08/2025
- by : Ph.L
- Youtube
Youkai manga from the Edo period
wikipedia
More effective than ice cream or kakigori, horror thrills are an excellent way to cool off. Stemming from old traditions, ghost stories are still very popular in Japan when summer arrives. Don't get too scared, though! Japan Experience presents a few themed events to have all the thrills going all summer long throughout the archipelago.
Summer: a season of fright and delight!
In addition to the Obon festival (August), which marks the visit of spirits to the world of the living, Japanese summer has a special relationship with ghost stories.
It was during the Edo period (1603-1868) that the tradition of the Hyaku Monogatari was born, an event where people gathered around 100 candles to tell each other horror stories. Each candle was extinguished after a story, gradually plunging the room into darkness... much to the delight of fans of the genre.
Since then, it's been said that the chills of fear help to cool you down during the scorching summer. That's why so many horror events are held in Japan at this time of year.
Travel around Japan with a JR pass!
Take advantage of the JR Pass and discover the archipelago by train!
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Hectic Haunted Houses! (Tokyo)
They frighten passers-by on their shopping spree. Installed at the entrances to shopping malls or amusement parks, haunted houses (known as Obakeyashiki) are more fun than scary. Built around a specific theme, they offer a challenge or a story to follow in order to find your way out. Whether you have to make your way through all the rooms, encountering bizarre characters, or solve an escape-game riddle to put an end to the horror, these houses are sure to send shivers down your spine.
Our recommendation:
- ONRYOU ZASHIKI THE FINAL HAUNTED HOUSE in Laqua (Korakuen)
This summer, face the vengeful spirit of Yoriko, a woman betrayed and left for dead by her unfaithful husband. Can you get out of this house alive?
ODAIBA LOCATION ADDRESS: 1-1-10, Aomi, Koto-Ku, Tokyo
ACCESS: 5-minute walk from Daiba station (Yurikamome Line)
DATE AND HOURS: July 9 to September 16, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
WEBSITE: https://www.at-raku.com/attractions/laqua/onryouzashiki/
- Tyffonium Odaiba and Tyffonium Shinjuku
This game center offers virtual reality activities, including a game called “The Corridor,” which takes you on an encounter with a malevolent spirit!
MORE INFORMATION
ODAIBA LOCATION ADDRESS: DiverCity Tokyo Plaza, 1-1-10, Aomi, Koto-Ku, Tokyo
ACCESS: 5-minute walk from Daiba station (Yurikamome line)
DATE AND HOURS: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekends
WEBSITE: https://tyffonium.com/tokyo/en/
SHINJUKU LOCATION ADDRESS: Keio Plaza Hotel Tokyo South Tower, 2-2-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
ACCESS: 8-minute walk from Shinjuku station (Yamanote, Chuo, Marunouchi lines)
DATE AND HOURS: daily, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
WEBSITE: https://tyffonium.com/tokyo/en/
L'horreur en VR
@unsplash
- Daiba Mysterious School (Odaiba)
A school-themed haunted house that will traumatize you from the classroom.
MORE INFORMATION
ADDRESS: 〒135-0091 Tokyo, Daiba, 1 Chome-6-1 Daiba, Minato City デックス東京ビーチ4階
ACCESS: 3-minute walk from Odaiba-kaihinkōen station (Yurikamome Line)
DATE AND HOURS: Daily 11am-7:45pm
WEBSITE: https://obakeland.net/
- The Super Scary Labyrinth of Fear at Fuji-Q Highland (Yamanashi)
Located in Fuji-Q Highland Park, at the foot of Mount Fuji, the former Jikyu General Hospital now serves as the backdrop for this titanic haunted house. Just 1 hour from Tokyo, plunge into a 900 m-long labyrinth populated by horrific creatures. A good thing to know: there are emergency exits along the way for those who are too chicken to make it all the way through!
MORE INFORMATION:
ADDRESS: Fuji Q Highland, 5 Chome-6-1 Shinnishihara, Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi 403-0017
ACCESS: 1h40 by bus from Shinjuku station (Yamanote, Chuo, Marunouchi lines)
DATE AND HOURS: Weekdays 10am to 5pm, weekends 9am to 6pm, closed Thursdays
WEBSITE: https://staging.fujiq.jp/en/attraction/senritsu.html
Fuji Q Highland
©Autopilot on Wikimedia CC BY-SA 3.0
Take a look at our accommodation homes in Tokyo. Don't worry! No ghosts included!
For a stay totally immersed in Japanese daily life, book one of our Tokyo vacation rentals and discover the capital at your own pace.
The Wanoakari x Hyakudan 2025 exhibition at Hotel Gajoen (Tokyo)
Every year, the Hotel Gajoen in Meguro hosts the Hyakudan Kaidan, an annual folk-themed exhibition showcasing Japanese craftsmanship. This summer, the focus is on oni (demons from Japanese mythology and folklore).
Inspired by the horrific “hundred tales” that used to be told in summer under Edo, the exhibition takes place along a 99-step staircase, designated as a tangible cultural asset in Tokyo. A picturesque setting, sublimated by the works on display.
MORE INFORMATION
ADDRESS: Hotel Gajoen Tokyo Tokyo, 1 Chome-8-1 Shimomeguro, Meguro City, Tokyo 153-0064
ACCESS: 10-minute walk from Meguro station (Yamanote, Namboku, Mita Lines)
Dates and times: from July 04 to September 23, 2025, daily from 11am to 6pm
WEBSITE: https://en.hotelgajoen-tokyo.com/exhibition/wanoakari-x-hyakudan-kaidan…
Nebuta from the Hyakudan Kaidan 2025 exhibition (Gajoen)
@japan experience
The “Yokai” Immersive Exhibition (Nagoya)
Under the aegis of digital studio Hitohata Inc., the Yokai exhibition is Japan's first immersive exhibition on the theme of Japanese folklore. Over 300 yokai (folk spirits) from Edo and Meiji period paintings and prints are brought to life using new 3D technologies. As some of the works come from old collections (Nishio Iwase Bunko, Shodoshima Museum), the exhibition is a good way of discovering a part of Japanese culture that is little known to the general public.
MORE INFORMATION
ADDRESS: Kanayama Minami Building, 1 Chome-1-1 Kanayamacho, Naka Ward, Nagoya, Aichi 460-0023
ACCESS: 5-minute walk from Kanayama station (Meitetsu Nagoya, Chuo, Tokaido Lines)
Dates and times: July 19 to September 23, 2025, daily, 9:30 am to 8 pm
WEBSITE: https://www.yokaiimmersive.com/en
Tengu (Yokai)
@Nikita on Flickr, CC BY 2.0
Yokai Festival (Kyoto)
The Yokai Festival, also known as the Kai-Kai Yokai Festival, is an annual event held by the Toei Kyoto Studio theme park that's sure to delight young and old alike.
With stamp rallies, haunted houses, costume contests and scary stories, discover Japanese folklore in a fun and interactive way.
But it's the costume parades that make the festival so popular. Once a month, a nocturnal parade features over 100 yokai! A moment out of time, when legends come to life.
MORE INFORMATION
ADDRESS: Toei Kyoto Studio Park, 10 Uzumasa Higashihachiokacho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, 616-8586
ACCESS: 15-minute walk from Hanazono station (Sagano Line)
Dates and times: September 13 to November 30; times available in August
WEBSITE: https://www.toei-eigamura.com/yokai/
Kabuki Horror
Boo! In summer, many kabuki theaters adapt horrific plays to the delight of fans of the genre. Called Suzumi Shibai (literally “plays to cool off”), these performances are inspired by traditional folklore. Among the most famous is Yotsuya Kaidan, a ghost story set against a backdrop of marital betrayal (yes, another one!), said to have taken place in Tokyo's modest Yotsuya district.
Take a look at our other Kabuki activities!
A blend of codification and extravagance, Kabuki theater is one of Japan's favorite cultural activities. Visit the Kabuki-za in Ginza for a colorful show.
@cottonbro studio on Pexels, Free to Use License
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