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# Art History Parades Around the Streets of Japan Ahead of Halloween
- URL: https://hyperallergic.com/art-history-parades-around-the-streets-of-japan-ahead-of-halloween/
- Published: 2018-10-30T16:57:14.000Z
- Updated: 2025-11-24T15:54:44.000Z
- Description: "Beast Jesus" is finally getting his due alongside works by Picasso, Vermeer, and Munch.
- Author: Zachary Small
- Tags: In Brief, Beast Jesus, Halloween, Japan, #wp, #wp-post, #image-position-hidden, #Import 2025-11-18 14:37 (2018)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2018/10/japan-halloween-1000.jpg)

A full lineup of the creative costumes (via @\_eillie\_/Twitter)

The annual Halloween parade in the city of Kawasaki, Japan usually includes thousands of human participants, but few living paintings. However, this year’s event included a cadre of possessed masterworks who miraculously stumbled into the streets of the Greater Tokyo Area wearing fishnet stockings and heels.

What ghoulish specters of art history’s past appeared in the Kanagawa Prefecture this weekend? A self-portrait of Vincent van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa,” Edvard Munch’s “The Scream,” and Johannes Vermeer’s “Girl with a Pearl Earring.”

> Fantastici. [pic.twitter.com/vhRSBvDtWc](https://t.co/vhRSBvDtWc?ref=hyperallergic.com)  
>  
> — Antonio (@blusewillis) [October 29, 2018](https://twitter.com/blusewillis/status/1056809497509982208?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=hyperallergic.com)

Joining the ranks of these canonical saints of art history is the messiah himself, Beast Jesus. Apart from his relationship to Jesus Christ, Beast Jesus is known for his own set of miracles. Among other things, the botched fresco painting has spurred [a comical opera](https://hyperallergic.com/317415/our-prayers-are-answered-as-beast-jesus-stars-in-a-comic-opera/), [saved a small Spanish town](https://hyperallergic.com/168990/how-beast-jesus-saved-a-spanish-town/), and [founded a small museum](https://hyperallergic.com/335354/worshipping-at-the-altar-of-beast-jesus/). And shockingly, this is not the first time that [a Beast Jesus costume](https://hyperallergic.com/58003/best-halloween-costume-ever-beast-jesus-comes-alive/) has made headlines. This may, however, be the first time we’ve seen the distorted image of Christ championed amongst some of Western art’s greatest hits. At least these possessed paintings didn’t have to [stay completely still](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MpDZUQPM40&ref=hyperallergic.com) through the entire parade.

> なちゅらるに電車移動してました?[#カワハロ](https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E3%82%AB%E3%83%AF%E3%83%8F%E3%83%AD?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=hyperallergic.com) [#川崎ハロウィン](https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E5%B7%9D%E5%B4%8E%E3%83%8F%E3%83%AD%E3%82%A6%E3%82%A3%E3%83%B3?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=hyperallergic.com) [pic.twitter.com/BKOiSNAzPv](https://t.co/BKOiSNAzPv?ref=hyperallergic.com)  
>  
> — おまり (@oooomrsn) [October 30, 2018](https://twitter.com/oooomrsn/status/1057159138059313152?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=hyperallergic.com)

> [#カワハロ](https://twitter.com/hashtag/%E3%82%AB%E3%83%AF%E3%83%8F%E3%83%AD?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=hyperallergic.com) アート展 技術力ヤバかったし、脚が綺麗で2度おいしかった [pic.twitter.com/lCOlv4DS8E](https://t.co/lCOlv4DS8E?ref=hyperallergic.com)  
>  
> — eillie/森川エリー☞インドネシア展示中 (@\_eillie\_) [October 28, 2018](https://twitter.com/%5Feillie%5F/status/1056503501373620225?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=hyperallergic.com)

> 学芸員さんもいる  
> あと修復済みのやつ [pic.twitter.com/nOShL9IkzH](https://t.co/nOShL9IkzH?ref=hyperallergic.com)  
>  
> — eillie/森川エリー☞インドネシア展示中 (@\_eillie\_) [October 29, 2018](https://twitter.com/%5Feillie%5F/status/1056727482932416512?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=hyperallergic.com)