On the third Saturday of every October, it's a semi-Halloween tradition for Kyoto's Ichijo-dori Street to host a giant procession that recreates the recreation of the Hyakki Yagyō (Night Parade of One Hundred Demons), a night in Japanese folklore where yokai (Japanese ghouls and demons) invade the human world. To celebrate, a "yokai parade" where many cosplayers in gruesome and terrifying costumes of famous Japanese demons hold a procession down the street in spectacular fashion.

Unfortunately, the wildly popular macabre procession has been put on ice for the past three years due to safety concerns and protocol during the pandemic. That changed last week, however, when to the delight of fans of all that goes bump in the dark, the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons was held for the first time in three years. Talented photographer Daiki Inada (@usalica) took some amazing shots of the parade, and it really shows off the terrifying quality of the costumes and the otherworldly atmosphere of the event!

Inada took the spooky shots around Kyoto's Taishogun Shopping Street (which has yokai-themed shops and ghostly decorations and statues to complete the mood), and while admiring the awesome costumes, says that amid the screaming children and lively procession, they're sure a few real yokai were mixed in.

You can see even more frightful footage from the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons in a video below, and if you're looking for an even more chilling yokai parade, check out Fukushima's procession of demons held during a snow festival...

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By - grape Japan editorial staff.