Scare squad: Japanese try to forget COVID-19 by lying in coffins

A Japanese group is trying to take people's minds off COVID-19 by putting them in coffins surrounded by chainsaw-wielding zombies. Customers are finding it to be 'relaxing'.

Tokyo residents can lie in a 2-metre (6 1/2-foot) windowed box, listening to a horror story, watching actors perform and getting poked with fake hands and squirted with water.

The 15-minutes long show is being put up by a production company Kowagarasetai — "Scare Squad" — that usually performs at theme parks.

The group was struggling to find work during this pandemic, as majority theme parks have been shut and social gatherings face restrictions by the local government. So, Kenta Iwana, coordinator of production company, was excited to start the horror shows as the idea popped up.

The group chose to perform zombie shows with coffins due to the easy portability of the death wagons.

"We needed to have something that we could take anywhere, and coffins are easy to move. All you need to do is put them in a dark room," said Iwana. "It's good business for us and satisfying for our customers."

The show, that costs 800-yen ($7.60) has been a hit among the locals this weekend. "Lots of events have been cancelled because of the coronavirus, and I was looking for a way to get rid of my stress," said Kazushiro Hashiguchi, a visitor said. "I feel relaxed now."