A personified yak Japanese teacher that is pointing at Halloween words in Japanese on a glowing chalkboard with pumpkins, a ghost, and candy.

Halloween Words In Japanese

Fun, useful spooky vocabulary with real examples — ハロウィンの言葉 (Harowin no kotoba)

One October, I walked into a shop expecting a normal snack run and got ambushed by pumpkin cookies, purple bat stickers, and a black-cat donut with the emotional energy of a tiny tax auditor. Halloween in Japanese has that same charm: half spooky, half weirdly adorable, and somehow very hard to resist.

So this is not one of those thin little lists that teaches only “ghost,” “witch,” and “pumpkin,” then leaves you to mime the rest like a confused zombie. You are getting the useful stuff: costume words, creepy atmosphere words, decoration words, and real phrases you can actually say without sounding like you learned Japanese from a haunted refrigerator magnet.

Start With These High-Utility Words

These are the words you will bump into first on decorations, menus, costume ads, party posts, and spooky small talk.

ハロウィン

harowin

Halloween

仮装

kasou

costume, disguise

お化け

obake

ghost, spooky creature

幽霊

yuurei

ghost, spirit

魔女

majo

witch

吸血鬼

kyuuketsuki

vampire

お化け屋敷

obake yashiki

haunted house

怖い

kowai

scary

Useful Phrases And Real-Life Sentences

These are the lines that make you sound like a person at a Halloween event, not a dictionary that got cursed.

  • ハッピーハロウィン!
    Happii harowin!
    Happy Halloween!
    In use: 入口でスタッフが「ハッピーハロウィン!」と迎えてくれました。
    Iriguchi de sutaffu ga “happii harowin!” to mukaete kuremashita.
    The staff welcomed us at the entrance with “Happy Halloween!”
  • トリック・オア・トリート!
    Torikku oa toriito!
    Trick or treat!
    In use: みんなで「トリック・オア・トリート!」と言って写真を撮りました。
    Minna de “torikku oa toriito!” to itte shashin o torimashita.
    We said “Trick or treat!” together and took a photo.
  • 今日は何に仮装するの?
    Kyou wa nani ni kasou suru no?
    What are you dressing up as today?
    In use: 友だちに「今日は何に仮装するの?」と聞きました。
    Tomodachi ni “kyou wa nani ni kasou suru no?” to kikimashita.
    I asked my friend what they were dressing up as.
  • 私は魔女に仮装します。
    Watashi wa majo ni kasou shimasu.
    I’m dressing up as a witch.
    In use: 今年は私は魔女に仮装します。
    Kotoshi wa watashi wa majo ni kasou shimasu.
    This year I’m dressing up as a witch.
  • その仮装、すごく似合ってる。
    Sono kasou, sugoku niatteru.
    That costume really suits you.
    In use: 彼に「その仮装、すごく似合ってる」と言いました。
    Kare ni “sono kasou, sugoku niatteru” to iimashita.
    I told him that costume really suited him.
  • 写真を撮ってもいいですか。
    Shashin o totte mo ii desu ka?
    May I take a photo?
    In use: すてきな仮装の人に写真を撮ってもいいですかと聞きました。
    Suteki na kasou no hito ni shashin o totte mo ii desu ka to kikimashita.
    I asked someone in a great costume if I could take a photo.
  • メイクがすごいですね。
    Meiku ga sugoi desu ne.
    Your makeup is amazing.
    In use: ゾンビの人に「メイクがすごいですね」と言いました。
    Zonbi no hito ni “meiku ga sugoi desu ne” to iimashita.
    I said, “Your makeup is amazing,” to the person dressed as a zombie.
  • このお化け屋敷、めっちゃ怖い。
    Kono obake yashiki, meccha kowai.
    This haunted house is super scary.
    In use: 入った瞬間に「このお化け屋敷、めっちゃ怖い」と思いました。
    Haitta shunkan ni “kono obake yashiki, meccha kowai” to omoimashita.
    The moment I walked in, I thought, “This haunted house is super scary.”
  • かぼちゃ味のお菓子が好きです。
    Kabocha aji no okashi ga suki desu.
    I like pumpkin-flavored sweets.
    In use: 秋になると、かぼちゃ味のお菓子が好きです。
    Aki ni naru to, kabocha aji no okashi ga suki desu.
    When autumn comes, I like pumpkin-flavored sweets.
  • その飾り、不気味でいいね。
    Sono kazari, bukimi de ii ne.
    That decoration is nicely creepy.
    In use: 玄関の飾りを見て「その飾り、不気味でいいね」と言いました。
    Genkan no kazari o mite “sono kazari, bukimi de ii ne” to iimashita.
    I looked at the front-door decoration and said it was nicely creepy.
  • 幽霊よりゾンビのほうが怖い。
    Yuurei yori zonbi no hou ga kowai.
    Zombies are scarier than ghosts.
    In use: 私は幽霊よりゾンビのほうが怖いです。
    Watashi wa yuurei yori zonbi no hou ga kowai desu.
    To me, zombies are scarier than ghosts.
  • パーティーは何時からですか。
    Paatii wa nanji kara desu ka?
    What time does the party start?
    In use: メッセージでパーティーは何時からですかと確認しました。
    Messeeji de paatii wa nanji kara desu ka to kakunin shimashita.
    I checked by message what time the party started.
  • 飴を配っています。
    Ame o kubatte imasu.
    They’re handing out candy.
    In use: 店の前でスタッフが飴を配っています。
    Mise no mae de sutaffu ga ame o kubatte imasu.
    The staff are handing out candy in front of the shop.
  • びっくりした!
    Bikkuri shita!
    You startled me! / That scared me!
    In use: 後ろから急に声がして、思わず「びっくりした!」と言いました。
    Ushiro kara kyuu ni koe ga shite, omowazu “bikkuri shita!” to iimashita.
    Someone suddenly spoke from behind me, and I blurted out, “You startled me!”

Quick Notes That Save You From Tiny Halloween Mistakes

お化け (obake) is a broad spooky word for ghosts or creepy creatures. 幽霊 (yuurei) is more like the spirit of a dead person. 妖怪 (youkai) points to folklore creatures and supernatural beings. They overlap, but they are not clones.

仮装 (kasou) means dressing up or wearing a costume for the occasion. コスプレ (kosupure) is cosplay, which often feels more character-focused. Similar neighborhood, different mailbox.

お菓子 (okashi) means sweets or snacks in general. 飴 (ame) is candy, especially hard candy. So if you want the broad category, use お菓子. If you want the sugary little bullets of dentist concern, use .

ハロウィン (harowin) and ハロウィーン (harowiin) both mean Halloween. The shorter spelling is the one you will usually notice first, so learn that one and move on with your life.

Tables Of Words

These grouped tables give you more than the usual thin list. Every item has Japanese, rōmaji, meaning, and a real example sentence.

Core Halloween Words

JapaneseRōmajiMeaningExample (JP)Example (Rōmaji)Translation (EN)
ハロウィンharowinHalloween今日はハロウィンです。Kyou wa harowin desu.Today is Halloween.
ハッピーハロウィンhappii harowinHappy Halloweenみんなに「ハッピーハロウィン!」と言いました。Minna ni “happii harowin!” to iimashita.I said “Happy Halloween!” to everyone.
かぼちゃkabochapumpkinかぼちゃのスープを飲みました。Kabocha no suupu o nomimashita.I drank pumpkin soup.
ジャック・オ・ランタンjakku o rantanjack-o’-lantern玄関にジャック・オ・ランタンを飾りました。Genkan ni jakku o rantan o kazarimashita.I put a jack-o’-lantern at the entrance.
お菓子okashisweets, snacksパーティーでお菓子を配りました。Paatii de okashi o kubarimashita.I handed out sweets at the party.
amecandyこの店はハロウィンの飴が多いです。Kono mise wa harowin no ame ga ooi desu.This shop has a lot of Halloween candy.
仮装kasoucostume, disguise彼の仮装はとても上手でした。Kare no kasou wa totemo jouzu deshita.His costume was very well done.
仮装するkasou suruto dress up友だちと一緒に仮装します。Tomodachi to issho ni kasou shimasu.I’m dressing up with my friends.
コスプレkosupurecosplayイベントでアニメのコスプレを見ました。Ibento de anime no kosupure o mimashita.I saw anime cosplay at the event.

Monsters And Costume Characters

JapaneseRōmajiMeaningExample (JP)Example (Rōmaji)Translation (EN)
お化けobakeghost, spooky creatureあの白い飾りはお化けみたいです。Ano shiroi kazari wa obake mitai desu.That white decoration looks like a ghost.
幽霊yuureighost, spiritこの映画には白い着物の幽霊が出ます。Kono eiga ni wa shiroi kimono no yuurei ga demasu.A ghost in a white kimono appears in this movie.
妖怪youkaiyokai, supernatural creature日本の妖怪の仮装も人気です。Nihon no youkai no kasou mo ninki desu.Japanese yokai costumes are popular too.
oniogre, demon赤い鬼の面を買いました。Akai oni no men o kaimashita.I bought a red ogre mask.
悪魔akumadevil, demon悪魔の衣装はかなり派手です。Akuma no ishou wa kanari hade desu.The devil costume is pretty flashy.
魔女majowitch妹は魔女の帽子をかぶりました。Imouto wa majo no boushi o kaburimashita.My younger sister put on a witch hat.
吸血鬼kyuuketsukivampire彼は吸血鬼の牙をつけています。Kare wa kyuuketsuki no kiba o tsukete imasu.He is wearing vampire fangs.
ゾンビzonbizombieゾンビのメイクは時間がかかります。Zonbi no meiku wa jikan ga kakarimasu.Zombie makeup takes time.
ミイラmiiramummyミイラの包帯がほどけました。Miira no houtai ga hodokemashita.The mummy bandages came loose.
狼男ookami otokowerewolf満月なので狼男の仮装にしました。Mangetsu na node ookami otoko no kasou ni shimashita.Since it’s a full moon, I chose a werewolf costume.

Spooky Places, Animals, And Decorations

JapaneseRōmajiMeaningExample (JP)Example (Rōmaji)Translation (EN)
黒猫kuronekoblack cat黒猫のクッキーを買いました。Kuroneko no kukkii o kaimashita.I bought black-cat cookies.
こうもりkoumoribat壁にこうもりのシールを貼りました。Kabe ni koumori no shiiru o harimashita.I stuck bat stickers on the wall.
蜘蛛kumospider大きな蜘蛛のおもちゃを置きました。Ookina kumo no omocha o okimashita.I placed a big toy spider.
くもの巣kumo no suspiderwebドアにくもの巣の飾りがあります。Doa ni kumo no su no kazari ga arimasu.There is a spiderweb decoration on the door.
骸骨gaikotsuskeleton机の上に小さい骸骨があります。Tsukue no ue ni chiisai gaikotsu ga arimasu.There is a small skeleton on the desk.
hakagrave庭に墓の飾りを立てました。Niwa ni haka no kazari o tatemashita.I set up a grave decoration in the yard.
hitsugicoffinその飾りは棺の形です。Sono kazari wa hitsugi no katachi desu.That decoration is shaped like a coffin.
ろうそくrousokucandleろうそくの光が雰囲気を作ります。Rousoku no hikari ga funiki o tsukurimasu.Candlelight creates the atmosphere.
お化け屋敷obake yashikihaunted house週末にお化け屋敷へ行きます。Shuumatsu ni obake yashiki e ikimasu.I’m going to a haunted house this weekend.
ホラー映画horaa eigahorror movie友だちとホラー映画を見ました。Tomodachi to horaa eiga o mimashita.I watched a horror movie with a friend.

Scary Feelings And Actions

JapaneseRōmajiMeaningExample (JP)Example (Rōmaji)Translation (EN)
怖いkowaiscaryこのメイク、かなり怖いです。Kono meiku, kanari kowai desu.This makeup is pretty scary.
不気味bukimicreepy, eerie静かな廊下が不気味でした。Shizuka na rouka ga bukimi deshita.The quiet hallway felt eerie.
ぞっとするzotto suruto get chillsその笑い声を聞いてぞっとしました。Sono waraigoe o kiite zotto shimashita.I got chills when I heard that laugh.
びっくりするbikkuri suruto be startled急に音がしてびっくりしました。Kyuu ni oto ga shite bikkuri shimashita.A sudden noise startled me.
叫ぶsakebuto screamみんなお化け屋敷で叫びました。Minna obake yashiki de sakebimashita.Everyone screamed in the haunted house.
逃げるnigeruto run away彼は偽物の蜘蛛を見て逃げました。Kare wa nisemono no kumo o mite nigemashita.He saw the fake spider and ran away.
脅かすodokasuto scare, to startle友だちを後ろから脅かしました。Tomodachi o ushiro kara odokashimashita.I startled my friend from behind.
呪いnoroicurseその人形には呪いがありそうです。Sono ningyou ni wa noroi ga arisou desu.That doll looks like it has a curse on it.
魔法mahoumagic魔法の杖を持っています。Mahou no tsue o motte imasu.I’m holding a magic wand.
変身するhenshin suruto transformメイクで一晩だけ別人に変身しました。Meiku de hitoban dake betsujin ni henshin shimashita.With makeup, I transformed into someone else for one night.

Useful Variants At A Glance

Word PairRōmajiMain DifferenceQuick Note
ハロウィン / ハロウィーンharowin / harowiinsame meaningBoth mean Halloween; the shorter one is the easier default.
仮装 / コスプレkasou / kosupurecostume vs cosplayUse 仮装 for dressing up generally; コスプレ feels more character-based.
お化け / 幽霊 / 妖怪obake / yuurei / youkaibroad ghost / spirit / folklore creatureThese overlap, but they are not perfect substitutes.
お菓子 / 飴okashi / amesweets broadly vs candy specificallyUse お菓子 for the general bucket, 飴 for candy itself.

Yak’s Last Spooky Tip

Do not try to memorize all 53 items in one noble, pumpkin-scented sitting. Learn the first 8 cards, steal 3 phrases you actually like, then use them in a caption, a message, or a pretend haunted-house review. Tiny repetition beats one giant panic cram every time.