Halloween at dunes

People clad in costumes paraded across sand dunes in western Japan ahead of Halloween. Tottori Prefecture hosted the event on Sunday, which aims to have participants make use of the vast Tottori Sand Dunes, amid concerns of potential accidents and troubles caused by crowds that flood Japanese cities during the Halloween period.

The parade took place for the first time last year. About 2,800 people attended this year’s edition, about eight times the number of participants from the year before. Some dressed as Myaku-Myaku, the official mascot of the 2025 World Expo in Osaka, which closed earlier this month. Participants who were greeted by the character after completing their procession gave whoops of joy, and were seen taking photos.