The government of the Tokyo metropolitan area of Shibuya will NHK security in densely populated areas of Shibuya in the face of upcoming Halloween celebrations, NHK reported Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Shibuya district government has called on the public to “Celebrate Halloween online” in light of the chaos that has erupted during Halloween in recent years.
Police officers maintain order at a crowded intersection in Shibuya district on October 31,2022.
Halloween in Shibuya is a major cultural event in Tokyo. Halloween in Japan is said to have originated in the Harajuku region near Shibuya, NHK reported. Harajuku, a toy store with a history of more than 70 years, held Halloween events more than 40 years ago to cater to the cultural and commercial needs of US troops stationed in nearby Japan, records show.
The tradition of “Celebrating festivals in Shibuya” goes back to the 2002 FIFA World Cup. After the Japanese team made it to the quarter-finals, tens of thousands of fans gathered around Shibuya Station to celebrate, since then, Shibuya has also become the “Default” venue for Halloween, the countdown to the New Year and other events.
The Shibuya District government is reported to have predicted that the pre-halloween weekend and festival day would be the most crowded. Authorities are concerned that crowds could lead to stampedes or alcohol-fuelled disputes. In past Halloween activities, in addition to littering, loud noise, drunk, loud music and other acts, drunk Violence, sexual harassment, intentional destruction of public goods and other criminal acts also occur frequently. On October 28,2018, drunk youths overturned a truck on the streets of Shibuya, and in 2019, police arrested several people on assault and indecent assault charges. In addition, in previous years of activities, roadside cafes erected tents, roadside building windows, elevators inside the building will be damaged to varying degrees.
In response, the Shibuya government has taken a number of measures. On the 25th, the relevant departments have sent three times the usual number of patrols around the Shibuya station. The district government also ordered convenience stores and shops around Shibuya Station to stop selling alcoholic beverages between 1800 hours on the 26th and 500 hours on the 27th, and plans to do the same on the 31st. Meanwhile, to ease the chaos in Shibuya during the festival, the Shibuya District government also urged people to spend the holiday “Safely in virtual space”.