Modern Halloween is all about trick-or-treating, dressing up in costumes, and for some in Singapore, visiting the annual Halloween Horror Nights as a test of courage.

In Japan, while some young people participate in Halloween festivities, many also partake in another annual local festival, called Hyakki Yagyo, the "Night Parade of 100 demons".

我が地元で年に一度開催される妖怪パレード。かつての百鬼夜行の舞台とされる通りだけあって、妖怪ウォッチなんて甘いものではなく本物志向。大人の方が楽しめるかも知れない。泣き叫ぶ子供もおります…笑#一条百鬼夜行 #モノノケ市 #大将軍商店街 #京都 pic.twitter.com/xXqcuD9sgl

— Keiichiro Yasugi / 矢杉佳一郎 (@KeiichiroYASUGI) October 19, 2019

Demon parade

For passersby who don't know about the event, it may seem almost like they've entered another dimension.

Many festival-goers dress up as traditional demons and spirits as part of the festivities, and it looks pretty real.

百鬼夜行が想像以上に怖すぎた(°Д°)(°Д°)(°Д°)
クオリティ高すぎぃ！(*´Д`)#一条百鬼夜行 pic.twitter.com/MjsqyoJSyU

— ありさ丸 (@kahiya) October 19, 2019

"Night of 100 Demons was scarier than I expected (°Д°)(°Д°)(°Д°) Quality too high! (*´Д`)"

妖怪だって雨宿りするんだ#一条百鬼夜行 #モノノケ市 pic.twitter.com/Zg5sa6qMFk

— ならさん/悪役連合📷️沙界妖怪芸術祭公式📷️/被写体募集中 (@NkzyRnrmtC) October 19, 2019

"Even Yokai (demons) take shelter from the rain."

百鬼夜行お疲れ様でした´ㅂ`
雨が止んでよかったよー
きりえさん、らびの3人で参加してきました✨#一条百鬼夜行 #モノノケ市#女魔 pic.twitter.com/G1u2beStdQ

— 柳楽-8月インテ- (@kikirara6969) October 19, 2019

超絶カッコいい！！！！！#一条百鬼夜行 pic.twitter.com/YBjpq3IyxS

— 残骸古王 (@adarapata304) October 20, 2019

You can really tell the amount of effort that festival-goers put in for their costumes.

According to Soranews, many spectators at the event commented that the costumes looked so real that children could be seen crying at the festival area.

Some kids were brave enough to take a photo with some of the demon cosplayers though.

https://twitter.com/RYOTA_123photo/status/1185513048980647937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1185513048980647937&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fsoranews24.com%2F2019%2F10%2F24%2Fhyakki-yagyo-night-parade-of-100-demons-scares-tourists-in-kyoto%25e3%2580%2590videos%25e3%2580%2591%2F

Hyakki Yagyo: Night Parade of 100 demons

The festival takes place every year in Northern Kyoto at the Taishogun Shopping Street, or also known as the "Ichijo Yokai Street".

Yokai, a Japanese word describing the supernatural, spirits, and demons, are a major part of Japanese culture and folklore, with many tales and legends surrounding them.

The festival takes place on the third Saturday of every October, so if horror and the supernatural is what you dig, next year's event will take place on Oct. 17, 2020.

Event details

Festival name: Hyakki Yagyo / 百鬼夜行

Address: Kyoto-fu, Kyoto-shi, Kamigyo-ku, Ichijo Street

Times: Annually on the third Saturday of October, from 6-7 p.m.

Check out more about the event here.

Top image via @keiichiroYASUGI/Twitter, @ori_cos718/Twitter