Residents of Tokyo had quite the frightful Halloween, as about 1,000 zombies swarmed a popular landmark in the Japanese capital to herald the new season of The Walking Dead.
According to The Associated Press, the undead horde was a group of beauty students and “fun-seekers,” organized by Fox International. The group gathered at Tokyo Tower, overtaking the grounds and catching unsuspecting citizens and tourists off-guard.
Stunt organizer and Fox International producer Dan Smith said scaring the general public too much was the company’s main worry.
“Our only concern is that somebody might see all these zombies and have a heart attack,” he told AP.
One of the members of the zombie crew was a well-known face in Japan, though maybe not under his bloody makeup. At 6-foot-8-inches, former sumo wrestler turned pro wrestler Akebono — whose real name is Chad Rowan — made for a frightful sight.
“It’s great to be doing this in Tokyo,” Rowan told AP. “It’s so unusual to be able to do something like this here.”
Visitors to Tokyo Tower were given fake axes or witches hats, according to DW.com.
“I think Halloween has taken root as a real seasonal event in Japan,” Tsuyoshi Sawada, a spokesman at the tower, told the website.
Season 4 of The Walking Dead premiered worldwide on Oct. 13.
