TOKYO, Japan: Tokyo’s bustling Shibuya district is taking steps to regulate the crowds anticipated throughout this 12 months’s Halloween weekend.
Banners all through the world show messages prohibiting ingesting and Halloween occasions on the streets, and metropolis officers are enclosing the enduring statue of Hachi, a famously loyal canine, behind protecting obstacles.
Shibuya Mayor Ken Hasebe emphasised the necessity to keep order throughout Halloween festivities, stating, “Shibuya streets are not party venues for Halloween. Anyone thinking of visiting Shibuya for Halloween should be aware that this year will be different. Security will be tighter, and it may not be enjoyable.”
Hasebe, a local of Shibuya, defined that whereas the city values its popularity as an inclusive, revolutionary, and various place open to guests, there have to be a stability between public enjoyment and residents’ proper to a peaceable life. He urged folks to keep away from avenue ingesting, emphasizing the potential for hassle, and prompt reconsidering avenue events for Halloween.
Concerns have risen that a big inflow of partygoers and vacationers, each from Japan and around the globe, may result in a catastrophe just like final 12 months’s deadly crowd crush in Seoul, South Korea. Shibuya’s scramble crossing intersection close to the practice station has turn into a preferred Halloween vacation spot, drawing tens of 1000’s of costumed younger folks every year.
Halloween in Shibuya started as a peaceable occasion within the 2010s, with revelers dressing up and taking photographs. The metropolis supplied amenities for guests, and volunteers cleaned up the streets on the morning of November 1. However, as the group dimension grew, points with clogged streets, security issues, vandalism, littering, and noise emerged.
The scenario worsened through the COVID-19 pandemic when Japanese youth began ingesting alcohol on the streets. This conduct continued even after pandemic restrictions have been lifted, sending a troubling message to international vacationers. With the inflow of vacationers this 12 months, again streets close to Shibuya station have been in comparison with outside pubs.
In response to those challenges, the town has carried out safety measures, together with a ban on alcohol consumption within the district close to the station from October 27 to October 31. Shibuya has elevated the variety of safety personnel and officers to implement this ordinance. Many outlets and eateries will shut early throughout this era, and comfort shops are requested to limit nighttime alcohol gross sales. Traffic restrictions will even be imposed through the night time and early morning hours.
Despite the attraction of Halloween in Shibuya, some locals, like Natsuki Mori, have opted to keep away from the crowds. Mori, an 18-year-old pupil, expressed her issues, saying, “I do not feel safe to be here on Halloween. I think it is good that the mayor is saying, ‘Don’t come to Shibuya.'”