As if the world isn't terrifying enough at the moment, there's a new drive-in haunted house in Tokyo that looks like it'll absolutely scare the life out of you. But all while complying with social distancing regulations, of course.
Located in a covered parking garage in a building in downtown Tokyo, the concept was developed by Japanese haunted house and horror event production company Kowagarasetai - which translates roughly to 'Scare Squad' - and is, according to the company, the first of its kind in the world.
Speaking to CNN Travel, Kowagarasetai's founder Kenta Iwana said: "With the virus, I knew there would be no way we could have a traditional haunted house, with all that screaming in a small confined space. When I read that drive-through theaters were making a comeback, it was my 'aha' moment."
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He's right. Screaming in the days of Covid-19 is a surefire way of spreading the virus - but not if you're inside your car. And that's where you are for the duration of the experience, seeing what life - or near-death - would be like if you were stuck inside a vehicle during a zombie outbreak.
The 360-degree experience costs JPY8,000 (approximately £57), or JPY9,000 (approximately £64) if you don't have a car and need the company to provide one for you. No driver's license is required, because you don't actually drive anywhere. And presumably, after living through the experience, you won't want to ever again.
What happens is that once visitors are in place in their vehicle, the garage shutter closes, plunging the vehicle into total darkness. Through a set of Bluetooth speakers each vehicle receives, a voice starts talking.
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"Around these parts," says a voice, "there's a legend that the ghosts attack humans. Honk your horn three times if you want to hear more."
Then, for the next 17 minutes, your car will be surrounded and attacked by blood-spattered zombies who press up against the windows and rock the car, smearing it in (fake) blood. And if blood is your thing, there's even an extra-bloody package available for an additional JPY1,000 (approximately £7). But we warned - there's a disclaimer on the website that says: "We cannot remove every drop of blood. It will be clean enough to drive on the road."
As liberal as the experience is with blood, it's incredibly fastidious about safety precautions when it comes to Covid-19 to protect both its actors and the customers. Each car is wiped down at the end to clean the fake blood and potential viruses from the hands of the actors, and the rental cars are lined in plastic which is changed for every customer.
The drive-in haunted house experience started in July as a summer-only attraction. Tickets sold out the day they went on sale, and there's now a waiting list of 1,000 people for when the attraction returns when temperatures cool, as August is apparently too hot to run the haunted drive-in.
Featured Image Credit: KowagarasetaiTopics: Entertainment