Japanese and tourists alike have been urged to stay away from Shibuya in Tokyo, Japan during the upcoming Halloween festival on Oct. 31.
"Please don't gather around Shibuya Station for Halloween purposes", said Shibuya Mayor Ken Hasebe as quoted by The Japan Times during a news conference on Sep. 12. "Shibuya isn't a venue for Halloween events."
"I don't want people to come to Shibuya if they're only coming for Halloween," he added, Kyodo News reported.
Don't repeat 2022 Itaewon crowd crush, says Hasebe
Shibuya's famous scramble crossing right outside the train station has become famous among younger generations of Japanese residents and tourists during Halloween in previous years leading up to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The city ward is also a popular shopping and entertainment district with a vibrant youth culture.
Before the pandemic, thousands of partygoers in costumes used to throng the crossing, making it almost impossible for anyone to move around.
In fact, over 300,000 young people, from those in their late teens to those in their 30s, gathered there in 2018 to celebrate Halloween.
This has sparked fears that the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush tragedy in Seoul, Korea, might be repeated in Shibuya this year, explained Hasebe.
Last year, 158 people died during the Itaewon crowd crush when a "massive group of people surged" into narrow alleyways.
Another reason Hasebe gave was to promote safety in Shibuya, due to past incidents like groping and theft. Partygoers who drank on the streets during past Halloween events have also posed safety risks of littering and creating fights.
One truck was even overturned by Halloween partygoers in 2018.
No alcohol consumption allowed from Oct. 27 to Nov. 1 around Shibuya Station
To prevent a repetition of the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush, public drinking in the streets will continue to be banned in areas around Shibuya Station from Oct. 27 (6pm Japan time) to Nov. 1 (5am Japan time). Stores around Shibuya Station will be requested to reduce alcohol sales on Oct. 28 and 31.
This alcohol consumption ban during Halloween and New Year's Day events has been in effect since 2019.
Since Sep. 1, 2023, Shibuya has also imposed a blanket zero-tolerance policy to prevent people from drinking alcohol on the streets and making trouble for others. For instance, patrols by government staff near Shibuya Station have been ramped up since late September.
About 100 security guards are expected to be deployed too on Oct. 28 and 31.
Asahi Shimbun also reported that signs will be put up in the area in Japanese and English that read, "No Halloween events on Shibuya streets.”
Top image from Pixabay.
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