Halloween crowd control tight in Tokyo's Shibuya, Shinjuku districts

Japan just know how to spoil the fun.

Dressed as the character Nami from Japanese manga series "One Piece," one reveler, who only wished to be known as Itsumi, said, "I also came last year. I come (for Halloween) because I can greet a lot of people."

People just do it for good time and simple social interaction, however in Japan, JGovt and Japan Inc only willing to let people have social interaction inside izakaya.

@sakurasuki,

Again you just put random comment without knowing the reason behind.

Celebrations in Shibuya were markedly toned down and few were seen wearing costumes, with police guiding people away from the area and a newly implemented year-round alcohol ban in full effect.

With the oppressive amounts of policing and private security in their marching band style uniforms it looked more like a huge cosplay event of a near future police state. Your tax yen at work.

No fun here thank you

@Albert

Again you just put random comment without knowing the reason behind.

What is the actual reason? Because many people area fear mongering about what happen in Korea will happen in Japan?

The radical right of the government trying to take control Japanese to make them real Japanese. The only way to fight back is stop going to areas and spending money there. Let them feel the financial pain. Shibuya is a dump anymore anyway. Hachoko last time I was there had some drugged cat propped up between its legs. it was amazingly sad. The amount of junky places and people there is amazing. It lost its luster. It looks like a cheap south east Asia city that only is missing. Clothes drying from the windows.

Shinjuku and Shibuya aside I hope everyone enjoyed the biggest day/night on the Japanese calendar. Everything was Halloween themed in Osaka yesterday!

My family had loads of candy for the local trick or treaters but strangely yet again for another year we didn't have any kids come by in costume.

Have they been banned too?

It says something that "dressing up", "greeting people" and "taking pictures" is now considered the height of "celebration". Live dangerously, everyone!

You gotta hand it to them. Once they’ve decided on something they don’t muck around. It was a bit overkill though, bit cringy.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to rally and energize the system so well into action to enable something positive, rather than to shut people down! it was a bit sad to witness those interviews. Surely an alternative venue could have been chosen? Ah well, hope the kids managed to have some fun somewhere.

I'm all for this... It was out of control and nuisance to the people/businesses that are actually based there.

Personally I don't see a big difference between Halloween in Shibya and hanami, matsuri or fireworks festivals.

All are kind of a nuisance and safety hazards. Why not ban them too or restrict them all to spefic cultural/festival areas like parks & riverside areas?

Personally I don't see a big difference between Halloween in Shibya and hanami, matsuri or fireworks festivals.

Well, hanami, matsuri and fireworks are part of Japan's cultural heritage.

They just go nuts over Halloween because they perceive it as American, and we all know how in thrall Japan is to the USA.

On weekdays, all those young people should be at home studying for their future.

And gather in masses in a park during the weekend where nobody will expect them, to show their displeasure about restrictions if they want to do it. Nothing illegal.

Fun Police control tight in Tokyo's Shibuya, Shinjuku districts

Headline fixed for you.

Watching on live video one person was seriously injured at the Shibuya Crossing. Lots of blood on the road.

This is so sad. Why can't they let kids express themselves & have fun once a year. Need more young ones in politics. These old timers gotta go.

Instead of spending money on security and destroying fun for the young generation why don't they use the money on creating an event at Yoyogi park etc where the kids can have fun but out of the busy traffic areas?!

Once again I am reminded of the charm of living in a country where a bunch of drunken teenagers gathering for a few hours each year is national news.

The alcohol consumption ban is effective daily from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. in areas surrounding JR and Keio Shibuya stations, including the district's iconic crossing. The famous Hachiko dog statue, a popular meeting place, was also been hidden behind a barrier until Friday morning.

Good..

This is so sad. Why can't they let kids express themselves & have fun once a year.

They can, just not impose that on a location that explicitly say they are not welcomed.

Instead of spending money on security and destroying fun for the young generation...

Do you believe the local government in Shibuya is going around all Tokyo telling people what to do? because if not then your criticism makes absolutely no sense, people are free to have fun, just not in this specific way in this specific location.

why don't they use the money on creating an event at Yoyogi park etc where the kids can have fun but out of the busy traffic areas?!

The local government of Shibuya paying for people to party elsewhere? not a realistic suggestion. Specially because the whole appeal of the celebration for the people is doing it on busy traffic areas (specially in Shibuya).

They literally created a merry band of fun police to take the fun out of people's day. Yikes. Also, wasn't part of the ban to reduce noise pollution in the area? I fail to see how the police with their shrill whistles and megaphones are helping this matter. Pot. Kettle. Black.

Go get'em @TokyoLiving

LOOOOL!!

GO HALLOWEEN IN JAPAN!

From 2018:

4 men arrested for allegedly overturning truck during Halloween event

 KYODO NEWS - Dec 5, 2018 - 21:20 | Arts,

Four men were arrested Wednesday for allegedly overturning a small truck during a Halloween event in late October in the busy Shibuya district of Tokyo, police said.

No one was injured in the incident that occurred in the early hours of Oct. 28, but it was one of a series of escalating pranks at the increasingly popular Halloween event in Shibuya.

The four -- Yuta Kuroki, 27, Takaaki Kawamura, 22, Shota Kojihara, 20, and Rikuo Kokubun, 20, -- have admitted to the charge of property destruction. They told the police that they did not know each other prior to the incident.

"I got too excited," Kokubun was quoted by the police as saying. Kawamura told the police he did it "in the heat of the moment after drinking."

The police believe a total of 15 people, including French and Belgian nationals, were involved in overturning the truck. They said the four arrested were particularly culpable as they were seen standing on the vehicle and damaging it.

I believe this was the final straw that leads to a tighter control in Shibuya around Halloween.

It is unfortunate but kinda necessary. People do stupid things when drunk.

@sakurasuki

Japan just know how to spoil the fun.

And will you make a comment on what happens in China??

Probably not!

https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/29/world/asia/china-police-halloween-celebration.html

Yes, Halloween is dangerous. But if you look at the country as a whole, everyone is quite well behaved

Anybody get tased

That picture, tho... So funny :D

But at least is not China, where people get arrested in Shanghai for showing such western "values" as wearing a Halloween costume.

Why don't they just do it? Make the event into a Police parade. They are closing the street, making horrible noise pollution and congesting the sidewalks.

Just close the street, bring your brass bands and march up and down blowing your whistles and waving your batons.

Something for the tourists to watch.

It's agonizing to ask people not to come!!

Complete BS

You had something that developed over years in and of itself organically and then the police shut it down. There's something really oppressive about that. Especially given that there weren't any real problems.

A large part of the popularity of just going to Shibuya and hanging around is due the Streisand Effect. The more they push back, the more people are going to pitch up and loiter

You have literally the WHOLE country to go and celebrate Halloween except for two places that are overcrowded even without Halloween anyway. Don't complain. I'm glad they put the restrictions for the occasion.common sense.

sakurasukiToday  06:45 am JST

Japan just know how to spoil the fun.

Dressed as the character Nami from Japanese manga series "One Piece," one reveler, who only wished to be known as Itsumi, said, "I also came last year. I come (for Halloween) because I can greet a lot of people."

People just do it for good time and simple social interaction, however in Japan, JGovt and Japan Inc only willing to let people have social interaction inside izakaya.

Once we allow this idea that a municipality's locals can abuse their authority to deny a once per year event, other municipalities will follow. Halloween does have a significant following, but not enough they have a "home base" where they hold a majority. Every other region probably does not Net-Benefit from their presence, and the only thing that keeps them quiet is the ingrained sense that we have to allow people to exercise their rights.

Shibuya is now taking a sledgehammer to this psychological barrier on which so much of our freedom depends.

Kazuaki ShimazakiToday  02:43 pm JST

*Once we allow this idea that a municipality's locals can abuse their authority to deny a once per year event, other municipalities will follow. *

Those who live in Shibuya/Shibuya ward, pay taxes, and participate in municipal elections are....exercising their right to not have mounds of garbage that costs money to remove, bunch of drunks who vomit and piss on the street, cause vandalism, and make trouble for businesses in the area. The gathering, it's not an event, doesn't make money for the local businesses that's why the vast majority who live there support the Mayor's decision to not have the gathering in Shibuya. Sounds democratic to me.

Yeah, let's go to Shibuya sit on on dirty streets with no music, food, drinks, or washrooms cause a nuisance to who live there (I don't care cause I don't live there) and pretend we're having a good time. Meanwhile there are hundreds of events in establishments around Tokyo where you can celebrate Halloween with drinks, tables, chairs, music, food, washrooms, etc.

back in the 90's, Shibuya, on some Saturdays in Summer, would cordon off the area between 109 and the Centre Gai, including part of Bunkamura Dōri and Dōgenzaka, making it pedestrians only, and there woud be LOTS of people, bands, people cosplaying to their hearts' content, all sorts of food and drink and entertainment..... lovely atmosphere. that was then, this is now.

Shibuya Halloween could be a world famous event attracting millions in revenue for the city.

This may be surprising to you but people drinking on the street and chasing away customers on the restaurants and bar is not something that brings more revenue, if anything it would be the opposite.

Once we allow this idea that a municipality's locals can abuse their authority to deny a once per year event, other municipalities will follow.

That is not an abuse of power, it is simply rejecting something being forced to the locals by visitors, the argument makes absolutely no sense, you are trying to justify an actual abuse of power by imposing the will of a minority on a place for the only purpose of having fun,

Shibuya is now taking a sledgehammer to this psychological barrier on which so much of our freedom depends.

When your freedom depends on imposing your will over the rights of others then a sledgehammer seems like a proper solution.

Oh, thank goodness they were able to curb all that "unruliness!" Some of it might even have been committed by...gasp...FOREIGNERS!!! Japan is saved!

I remember a couple of years ago, during various Matsuri and Festivals, including Halloween, they will just stop all traffic all together in the center of Shibuya, making it pedestrian only, and filling the place with joy, music, positive energy and play old fun.

Why or where do you think Shibuya got this reputation of the best Haloween place?

Until this oiaji dinosaur came to be the Maior...

Funny looking at all the comments about the authorities being 'fun police'.

No doubt the same punters would be the first to point the finger at them as well if there were a disaster like Seoul.

Until this oiaji dinosaur came to be the Maior

The major is representing what the locals want, people were not able to celebrate in order and caused too many problems (and no benefits) for the locals so they are not welcomed in Shibuya anymore, there is no much that can be said against this.

@virusrex

Do you see any living apartments or houses in the center of Shibuya?? There are only restaurants, shops, bars and clubs. Plus hotels and various office buildings. The local population is living outside the Shibuya crossing and Shibuya stations, what are you talking about?

Stop finding excuses for crase incompetence and for the fun police.

DanteKHToday  11:34 am JST

@virusrex

Do you see any living apartments or houses in the center of Shibuya?? There are only restaurants, shops, bars and clubs. Plus hotels and various office buildings. The local population is living outside the Shibuya crossing and Shibuya stations, what are you talking about?

Stop finding excuses for crase incompetence and for the fun police.

And turn off any of those main streets and walk a few minutes and you'll see apartments and residences. The residents also have to walk through those central areas to access trains and buses. This is what the residents and businesses in Shibuya, who pay taxes, want and they voted to support it. Who are you to demand anything. LOL!

Do you see any living apartments or houses in the center of Shibuya?

Apart from the obvious response in the previous comment, do you see buildings with people working there? with owners that make a living from the business there? that is much more than enough for their opinion to hold weight and for the representatives of the location to listen to them. Visitors that want to make trouble and throw garbage while drinking on the street? not really even comparable.

Stop finding excuses for crase incompetence and for the fun police.

The ones trying to find excuses are those that try to get people with nothing invested in the location to impose their wishes on the locals without any actual valid reason to do it.

@virusrexToday 05:33 pm JST

One function of the government is to not listen to every demand. Consider the case of nearby residents or shopowners complaining about the noise emanating from a school. Yes, those residents may collectively pay a significant amount of taxes while the schoolchildren, of course, pay none. Nor are kids voters, while the adult residents are. Do you think the government should go and stunt the development of children by telling the school to find ways to shut them up?

The ones trying to find excuses are those that try to get people with nothing invested in the location to impose their wishes on the locals without any actual valid reason to do it.

Funny, aren't judges usually supposed to be people who have as little as possible invested in a particular case, in order to maintain neutrality and to not have a conflict of interest?

One function of the government is to not listen to every demand

Specially demands for people that the government is not representing and that try to impose their views over the people that the government actually have a responsibility for. Some people want to drink on the street and cause problems in a location, the government is perfectly justified in not listening to them.

 Consider the case of nearby residents or shopowners complaining about the noise emanating from a school

Which has the same problem of every time you try to use these examples, drinking on the street and make trouble for the locals is not even remotely comparable with the benefit that a school has.

Funny, aren't judges usually supposed to be people who have as little as possible invested in a particular case, in order to maintain neutrality and to not have a conflict of interest?

And who is talking about judges here? this is about the government that is acting according to the interests of the people that they are represented, as it should be.