Trick or treat, says the geisha

It’s that time of year again. Even in Japan, the plastic Jack-o’-lanterns decorate store windows and candy is taking a more prominent position on shelves. My little one, the one who talks, is considering her costume options. At two, she was a kitty; at three, a princess. This year, she thinks, she will be a kitty princess. Or a princess kitty. Depends on the mood.

Scrolling around online for some tiara-wearing feline outfit, I am finding quite a number of so-called Japanese or Asian princesses. Unfamiliar with this particular line of royalty, I click and learn it’s something of a cross between a geisha and Suzie Wong. Am I right?

Which brings me to the disturbingly sexualized nature of Halloween costumes for little girls. If you’re not a princess or a kitty—and sometimes, even if you are—the outfits appear to be designed by some pedophiliac shut-in. It’s gross.

For a hilarious pictorial on weirdo costumes particular to Japan, check out this Cracked.com post.