Halloween in Japantown 2025

Friday, October 31st, 4:00-7:00PM

Halloween in Japantown has taken place every year on Halloween (October 31) since 2003, including virtual Halloween at the height of COVID. It will continue to be held on this date unless otherwise announced by San Jose Taiko.

Activities to check out between 4:00 - 7:00PM

  • Treats from Japantown businesses, organizations, and partners! Safety note: ALL candy distributors must be approved before this event. Anyone handing out candy that was not pre-approved will be asked to desist for the safety of the attendees. If you are interested in distributing candy, please contact us via email (info@taiko.org).

  • More updates to come!

4:15PM Taiko performances on 5th Street near Wesley United Methodist Church and Issei Memorial Building.

5:15PM Roving taiko drummers throughout Japantown. Short jam sessions to scare the demons away!

Event History:

Halloween in Japantown was created by Franco Imperial of San Jose Taiko and Kathy Sakamoto (at that time President of the Japantown Business Association) in 2003 as a safety-conscious event for the community. Rich Saito of the SJPD volunteered his time to give a safety talk to kids before the trick-or-treating ensued. In its first year, there were fewer than 8 Japantown businesses or organizations involved - Heidi Shigematsu of Shigematsu Insurance handed out balloons and a handful of others joined in on the fun. After San Jose Taiko moved out of its rehearsal space at Okida Hall on 6th Street, Wesley United Methodist Church kindly housed San Jose Taiko’s opening performance and safety skit in their Fellowship Hall. As the popularity of the event grew, the Fellowship Hall and the sidewalks along Jackson street became overcrowded and posed safety concerns. In 2017, with the help of our friends at the Knight Foundation, we piloted street closures to give our community the freedom to move about on the street and allow for our beloved Japantown businesses and organizations to activate their spaces in their own unique ways. In 2024 in honor of Lt. Rich Saito we asked Japantown Prepared to assist with safety monitoring for the event.

We’re so happy Halloween in Japantown has become a community tradition.