Tokyo’s Shibuya district has introduced it would cancel its annual New Year’s Eve countdown occasion in entrance of Shibuya Station this 12 months and implement a public ingesting ban within the space as a consequence of considerations over crowd management and security.
The Shibuya Countdown Executive Committee determined to cancel the favored countdown occasion “in view of the increased number of visitors since the summer” and the issue of guaranteeing safety. Shibuya Ward may also ban public ingesting on the streets from 6 p.m. on December 31 to five a.m. on January 1 and request that native retailers chorus from promoting alcohol throughout this era. Similar restrictions had been additionally in place to curb the halloween ingesting crowd final month.
In addition, the large video screens surrounding the enduring Shibuya Scramble intersection will go darkish at 11 p.m. on New Year’s Eve relatively than the everyday midnight countdown.
The measures are geared toward stopping overcrowding and potential accidents after Shibuya noticed an inflow of Halloween revelers lately, a few of which resulted in violence and prison habits. The lethal crowd crush catastrophe in Seoul final October possible additionally factored into the choice.
So whereas Shibuya has been a well-liked spot for New Year’s Eve gatherings and countdown celebrations prior to now, permitting pedestrians to pack into the scramble crossing, this 12 months will see a a lot quieter and restricted celebration within the neighborhood.