I'm not crazy over Halloween, but I do like to make a jack-o-lantern for the holiday because the warm glow of a candle inside one of those big, round squashes is a thing of beauty. It's also simply an enjoyable seasonal craft. The last pumpkin that I carved in Japan was about 5 inches (12 cm) in size and was so small that a tea candle put inside of it burnt the cap within a minute of lighting the thing. You can pay $30-$60 for a large imported pumpkin at some specialty shops in a few areas of Tokyo far from your average residence, or you can buy an itty-bitty one and risk slicing your hand off trying to carve it.
I won't miss having to settle for tiny little pumpkins because I'm unwilling to break the bank for a reasonably sized jack-o-lantern.
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