Tokyo's Shibuya Braces for Halloween: Hachiko Statue Fenced Off, 125 Wardens on Patrol, 62 Stores Asked to Halt Alcohol Sales
TOKYO — Shibuya Ward is bracing for Halloween night under the slogan "GOODBYE BAD HALLOWEEN." In measures announced on September 30, the ward fenced off the famous Hachiko statue outside Shibuya Station from 6 a.m. on October 30 until the morning of November 1, to keep crowds from gathering around the landmark.
About 60 ward security staff patrolled on October 30, rising to roughly 125 on the night of October 31, and 62 convenience stores and other shops near the station were asked to refrain from selling alcohol that evening. Street drinking near the station has been banned year-round between 6 p.m. and 5 a.m. since October 2024 — enforced by patrols rather than fines — and since June 1 this year, littering anywhere in the ward carries an on-the-spot fine of 2,000 yen.
Police began vehicle restrictions around Shibuya Station from about 4 p.m. on October 31. In neighboring Shinjuku Ward, street drinking around Kabukicho is restricted from 5 p.m. on October 31 to 5 a.m. on November 1. Shibuya Mayor Ken Hasebe has urged people not to come to Shibuya specifically for Halloween.
Shibuya's scramble crossing once drew huge costumed crowds and disorder on Halloween. After the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush in Seoul, Tokyo has tightened crowd precautions year by year. Meanwhile, Ikebukuro's cosplay festival runs as scheduled from October 30 to November 1, offering costume fans a planned alternative.
Source: GSM News (USA)
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：东京涩谷十字路口（资料图）。Wikimedia Commons，CC BY 2.0。 / Shibuya Scramble Crossing, Tokyo (file photo). Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
