Last week my Google alerts blew up with stories about a haunted drive-in launching in Tokyo, Japan, on July 4 and 5. (My favorite headline came from Autoblog.com: “‘Large number of dead people attack your car’ in Tokyo drive-in haunted house.”)
Kowagarasetai, a haunted attraction company in Japan, had to close its doors due to the novel coronavirus, but they found a way to still offer a scary, safe experience for both actors and customers –via a haunted drive-in.
The concept is pretty brilliant actually. Here are the details. Wonder if any U.S. haunted attractions will adopt a similar model to keep their haunts open this year?
The Legend of the Haunted Garage
Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary. Bloody Mary.
No, that’s not how you invoke the “large number of dead people” to attack your car, but the idea is similar.
However, instead of looking into a mirror, you pull into a garage and invoke the power of three. But instead of repeating a certain phrase, you honk three times. As legend has it, if you do something will happen.
Drive-In Upgrade
Do you remember the crap speakers drive-ins had? Well, scrap that. The haunted drive-in experience utilizes a car’s radio to convey story details and sounds. Costumed live actors and lighting effects add to the visual experience.
Don’t have a car? No worries. They can rent you one for the experience. It will be sanitized between customers to comply with COVID-19 guidelines.
However, if you choose to use your own car, they have a disclaimer about the blood: the actors will do their best to get most of it off, but it may not be possible to get all of it off. Hey, they are actors and not car wash attendants after all.
The experience costs 8,000 yen, which equates to about $75. That’s pretty steep considering the show only lasts about 20 minutes. However, it’s not quite so bad considering most people won’t be heading to the haunted drive-in alone. So splitting the cost makes it more reasonable. Except…that brings up a whole other question.
Social Distancing
Social distancing is the thing for 2020 (and perhaps beyond, depending on which comes first: herd immunity or a vaccine).
This haunted drive-in idea is smart because it does maintain social distancing between actors and patrons, but what about between the actors? In the photo obtained from Kowagarasetai’s site, they’re portrayed working side-by-side.
And here in America, we’re encouraged to stay six feet apart from those not in our immediate household. This haunted experience seems like a perfect date-night idea or adventure with friends, and there are many who would have no problem spending 20 minutes –or more– in a car with their friends.
But considering some states have recently reversed their decisions to let bars open, being in an even more confined space like a car might not be such a good idea right now.
Coming to America?
Recently Eastern State Penitentiary announced Terror Behind the Walls won’t happen for 2020, and Dark Horizon in Orlando canceled their season due to the coronavirus crisis. Those are just a couple examples so far of places deciding to pull out of Halloween this year.
However, will any American haunts try to adopt the haunted drive-in strategy to try and salvage the beloved seasonal pastime of going to haunted houses?
Some places have actually already done something similar in Halloween’s past, including
- The Haunted Drive in Houston, Texas
- The Tunnel of Terror in Daphne, Alabama
- A haunted car wash in Columbia, Tennessee
But, again, there wasn’t the threat of coronavirus to worry about. It sure is putting a damper on all sorts of things we previously took for granted, isn’t it?
Check-In
When was the last time you went to a drive-in?
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, as well as obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of healing, to learn how she channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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