Catching one on the street would be a little stroke of luck. MK Taxi Group, headquartered in Kyoto, will run a limited number of “Halloween Taxis” for 15 days, from Saturday, October 17 to Saturday, October 31, 2026. The 27 cars will operate in 8 cities across Japan, including Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe and Shiga.
A Halloween so subtle that nobody noticed
The Halloween Taxi debuted in 2023. It started from a simple idea: put a face on MK’s orange roof lamp and it becomes a jack-o’-lantern. At first the only decoration was a small pumpkin sticker on the side of the lamp, with the concept that “only those who notice, notice.”
Almost nobody did. When MK posted on its official X account, “What should we do… nobody has noticed the campaign…”, the post drew 1.7 million impressions and 15,000 likes, and some web magazines picked it up. From 2024, interior decorations were added and the taxis ran in 8 cities.
This year the exterior is mainly the pumpkin sticker on the roof lamp. According to the project’s planner, last year MK made car-body magnets so the decoration could be seen from outside, but this year they got absorbed in using AI, which they had just learned, to create local Halloween designs for each city — and ended up back with just the roof-lamp sticker. The interiors, however, have been decorated with care by staff in each city. “It may be hard to spot on the street,” the planner says, “but we hope those who happen to meet one will enjoy how rare it is.”
Ride and get a commemorative card and sweets
Passengers on a Halloween Taxi receive a commemorative ride card. Children also get candy with a Halloween illustration. In Kyoto only, children also receive an MK Taxi paper craft.
The decorations are a jack-o’-lantern pumpkin sticker on the roof lamp, headrest decorations, and interior decorations that differ by region. In a survey of drivers after last year’s run, responses included a passenger delighted to see the exterior on getting out and say “I really didn’t notice!”, a passenger who had kept last year’s card in their wallet, and foreign visitors who were pleased.
You cannot request a Halloween Taxi specifically, so whether you ride one is down to luck — part of the fun may be watching for one as you walk around. MK asks people who spot one to post it on social media with the hashtag #MKハロウィンタクシー.
Details
- Period: Saturday, October 17 – Saturday, October 31, 2026 (15 days)
- Number of cars: 27 nationwide (Kyoto 14, Nagoya 2, Sapporo 2, Shiga 2, Osaka 2, Kobe 2, Fukuoka 2, Okinawa 1)
- Decorations: jack-o’-lantern pumpkin sticker on the side of the roof lamp, headrest decorations, interior decorations that differ by region
- Gifts: commemorative ride card for all passengers; Halloween-illustrated candy for children; MK Taxi paper craft for children in Kyoto only
- Note: you cannot order a Halloween Taxi specifically
- Website (Japanese): https://www.mk-group.co.jp
