All aboard the Gaijin Train

I headed to the station filled with trepidation; armed only with a piece of paper on which the following was written:

The Yamanote Halloween Party of legend is back for 2006. Saturday, October 28th JR Shinjuku station, platform 13 (Yamanote bound for Ikebukuro). Meet where the car 10 stops, in front of the escalator from South exit. Everyone board the 21:07 train and loops around clockwise. BYOB.

For those of you not familiar with the Tokyo transit system, the Yamanote line is one of the busiest lines in Tokyo. It runs in a circle connecting most of Tokyo's major stations. When I first moved to Tokyo, Peter, a colleague of mine, told me that riding the Yamanote loop is one of the best ways to familiarize yourself with Tokyo. Each time I hop on a Yamanote line train, I remember Peter's advice and think, 'I really should do that one day'. Well, after 3 years I can finally say I've done it. I've done the Yamanote loop. And I can say without a shadow of a doubt that it was one of the wildest times I've had in Tokyo.

My friend Miki is the one who told me about the infamous Yamanote Halloween party. She read about it on Gaijin Pot, a website geared to foreigners living in Japan. When I mentioned the Yamanote Halloween Party to a couple of people at work, they said that they had heard about it but weren't sure that it actually still happened. An urban myth of sorts. I decided to join Miki and a few of her friends on platform 13 to see what I could see.

I arrived early. As usual. I waited and I watched. And the gaijin came. In twos and threes they appeared. Some in full costume, some in masks and some only with a plastic kobini (convenience store) bag full of canned beer. I couldn't wipe the expression of amusement of my face as I watched more and more people gather to board the 19:07 train. Japenese girls in bright afro wigs; an American man with fake chest hair popping out the top of shirt; all the power rangers sporting plastic guns; Batman and even Captain Jack Sparrow were there to take over the Yamanote line. Incredible.

When the 19:07 train pulled into the station people started cheering. The party was about to start. The train stopped, the doors opened and in flooded the costumed gaijin (and quite a few Japanese in costume). The first car we were in was quite crowded and aside from laughter and conversation regarding the craziness of the situation we all found ourselves in, it was quite tame. After two stops we decided to fully experience the Yamanote Halloween Party experience. Car hopping. The door opens, you jump of the car you are on and run screeching to another one where you are welcomed by the cheers of those already partying in that car. Every station the train stopped at you would hear people screaming and laughing as they flew past to make it to another car before the doors of the train closed. At the last few stations, when the party was at its rowdiest people would start chanting the name of the approaching station.

And so that's how the party went. For one full hour, the time it takes for the Yamanote to make one complete loop around Tokyo, the gaijin took over the Japanese transit system. Regular train passengers were completely confounded by what was happening. They either joined in the chanting and partying or tried very hard to ignore what was going on around them. More than a few questioning looks were exchanged. I say once again: incredible. Imagine watching your regular train arrive at the station packed with strange people in costume chanting and banging on the windows as the train comes to a stop? Then imagine having to board the train. That would make for one strange train ride. What a story they will go home and tell their friends. What a story I can go home and tell my friends.

Note: For some unknown reason I can't post pictures to this entry. If you want to see pictures and some video of this event then check out Miki's blog.