Japan Serves Scares Through Country’s First Haunted House Drive-Thru

By Ameera Rosli  •  25 Jun 2020 in News

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A McChicken isn’t the only thing you can get at a drive-thru in Japan…

Recently, with strict SOPs in place to avoid the spread of coronavirus, haunted houses have seen a significant decrease in business due to the fact that their patrons cannot come into contact with the ghosts and ghouls who work there. This, of course, affects the scary element.

After getting fed-up by cancellations due to Covid-19 regulations, Kenta Iwana and his team Kowagarasetai (which translates to ‘a squad wanting to scare’), have devised a plan to sustain their terrifying business.

Enter the Haunted House Drive-In, where customers can drive into a seemingly ‘haunted’ garage and be bombarded with ghosts and fake blood, all within the comfort and safety of their car.

But don’t worry, after dousing their customers’ cars with fake blood, the staff is prepared to wash it right off when you’re done getting the scare of your life.

Iwana even said that the new format might lead to greater scares, stating,

“At the drive-in haunted house, guests are confined in a car so they can’t escape the horror until the end. It makes it even more scary for them.”

Prior to driving in, customers are given a tape for which they will play in the garage to enhance their spooky experience. The recording includes a back story that pays homage to many of our favourite horror classics. It goes: “This is a garage where a horrible incident occurred long ago. Now people say that if you park your car inside and honk your horn three times, something will happen.”

Once they’re in there, all hell breaks loose and the squad begins their routine. Since they’ve been wildly popular before, booking Halloween parties and events at amusement parks, the customers are getting a high-quality, well-crafted experience.

Check out their process below:

One of the members, Hanegawa, who plays a blood-soaked killer, said, “I can get very close to guests even though they’re behind the windscreens. It’s interesting to see their reactions so close up, while keeping social distance.”

Everything seems to be running smoothly for the haunted house team, for the tickets to their first performance are currently sold-out.

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