A Uniquely "Jimi" Tradition Entertains Japanese at Halloween
The Japanese have long been known for their impressive costuming skills (and giving us the word “cosplay”) when it comes to anime and game characters but in recent years a new kind of understated but hilarious cosplay has become a welcome tradition every Halloween. “Jimi” (地味) or mundane Halloween cosplay has gained popularity in recent years and this year was covered by several prominent English websites on Japanese pop culture (check out Spoon and Tamago or SoraNews 24 for starters). According to Spoon and Tamago, the tradition started in 2014 when some adults at a website called DailyPortalZ wanted to participate in Halloween but felt too embarrassed to go the Zombie/Vampire route. The “costumes” are really a play on everyday situations that people can identify with. This year, many of the most popular ones had their explanations (which are usually necessary to understand the joke of the costume) translated into English online. In addition to taking a look at the two sites that I have linked to in this article, check out some of my favorites below. You can also search Twitter yourself with the hashtag #地味ハロウィン. Happy hunting!
A person who just planned on buying skin lotion
The neighbor of a suspect on a murder mystery program, “The person next-door hasn’t been around for three days.”
The maid cafe fan who catches the maid during their break and feels bad about it while also thinking what they’re doing isn’t too bad.
(Parodying the temperature monitors that many Japanese encounter when entering buildings in the age of COVID-19) Always with a normal temperature, no problem entering Hikarie (a large shopping center in Shibuya) either.
(Featured at the top of this article) Old Karaoke video footage that has nothing to do with the lyrics. (The lyrics say: I can’t stand this anymore. I’m tired.)
A person mistaking a plastic bag for a cat.
And finally, one I can I identify as of a parent of a first grader in Japan:
Parent discovers a letter in their child’s backpack with a deadline that has already passed.
