TOPIC OF THE WEEK OCTOBER 09. 2026~

Kagurazaka Bakeneko Festival

For one gloriously silly day each October, the charming hillside neighborhood of Kagurazaka is overrun by cats. Not real ones, but hundreds of humans transformed, through face paint, whiskers, and ears, into bakeneko, the shape-shifting "ghost cats" of Japanese folklore. The Kagurazaka Bakeneko Festival is Tokyo's most delightfully offbeat Halloween celebration, and in 2026 it falls on Sunday, October 11.
Held since 2010, the festival turns Kagurazaka's atmospheric stone alleys and sloping main street into what organizers cheerfully call a "Kingdom of Cats." The one rule is wonderfully simple: to join the parade, you must come as a cat. General Halloween costumes like ghosts or zombies are politely turned away, but anyone with cat ears, a painted nose, or simply "the heart of a cat" is warmly welcomed.
The day builds through several themed parades down the main street, each lasting around twenty minutes and set to different music, from a brass band to samba to early European instruments, before a grand finale in the late afternoon. In between, there is a cat-themed twist on traditional Awa Odori folk dancing that anyone can join, demon sword dancing from Iwate, a free stamp rally around the neighborhood, street performers, and a market selling cat-shaped bread and costume odds and ends.
For those who want the full transformation, professional cat makeup services are available for a small fee, though they operate first-come, first-served and fill up fast, so arrive early. Even if you would rather just watch, the sight of hundreds of cheerfully costumed felines of all ages parading past centuries-old shops is pure, infectious joy, and endlessly photogenic.
Kagurazaka itself, with its geisha history, French bistros, and hidden lanes, is one of Tokyo's most romantic districts, so it is worth lingering after the parades to explore. The wider Machi Tobi Festa runs for weeks around the event, filling the area with workshops and local happenings.
Free, friendly, and utterly unique, the Bakeneko Festival is a fantastic way to experience Tokyo's playful side. So paint on some whiskers, practice your very best meow, and join the Kingdom of Cats for a day.

October 11th (Sun), 2026 10:00am - 5:00pm
Tokyo, Kagurazaka ― Kagurazaka Main Street & Shirogane Park

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