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Police prepare for Halloween crowds in Shibuya with multilingual guidance system

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Taking your dislike of anti-Americanism to its logical conclusion

if in your opinion celebrating Halloween one night a year in a half-hearted way leads to American cultural hegemony is a logical conclusion, I can’t help you.

Its nothing more than anti-American feelings on your part. Strange that you would feel that way considering it evolved out of the UK

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Readers, please stop bickering. This is about Halloween in Shibuya.

@clamenza

I think it’s safe to say the few posters here lamenting Halloween do so because of their hatred of anything seen as American

Not in my case, but seeing as it's American culture and mass media that dominate the world at the moment (often at the expense of smaller cultures) it's reasonable for people to be concerned about it. Not because it is American, but because it moves across the globe assimilating people and countries as it spreads. It might be another country in the future.

Taking your dislike of anti-Americanism to its logical conclusion, would you like to see every country in the world slowly become more and more like America? Same holidays, same shops, same food, same music, same movies, and so on? Do you think the world would be a richer place if that were to happen? If your answer is no, then where do you propose is an acceptable place for people to draw the line on cultural encroachment? Why is eschewing halloween a step too far? Or should people just be passive and not complain in your opinion?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@goldorak

I’m intrigued. What’s a “toolie”?

Sounds like an engineer in Australia....

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@A_cross

Exactly. I think it’s safe to say the few posters here lamenting Halloween do so because of their hatred of anything seen as American.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Police: please stay away! Your presence is not wanted, not needed, and unhelpful!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

The OP was about police precautions in Shibuya, which people in Japan decided a few years ago was a place to gather wearing halloween costumes, since the US-style house-to-house neighbourhood "Trick or Treat" did not really work here. Comments somehow turned to US "cultural imperialism" polluting the lives of children of other nations. Well I have to say that Halloween is the HIGH POINT OF THE YEAR for my children, and neither of their British/Japanese parents knew anything about Halloween before, you can only blame Walt Disney. So Hollywood "cultural imperialism" yes, but can you expect any child, anywhere in the world, to grow up without Disney?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Who cares if "the corporations" are trying to get people to buy candy or whatever? People are having some harmless fun and enjoying themselves.

I frequent a number of various news websites with comments, and this one by far has the largest number of killjoy negative people out of all of them. What's wrong? Disgruntled about being stuck teaching English in Japan for 10+ years and living in your 8-tatami hellhole apartment while your friends back home advance in their careers and buy real estate? Worried about how other people are experiencing and enjoying "your Japan"? Man, lighten up, people.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

M3.

I agree with you, said that it is also happening within japan with Japanese franchises.

Wherever you go same shops, restaurants, etc no longer travel into Tokyo centre as the same shops, etc are local now.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@muiredach & @pacint,

I think you're both right about the origins of Halloween. Unfortunately, it doesn't really matter anymore. It's a good example of dangers that exist if you don't carefully preserve your traditions and let another society alter and commercialise them, and then re-export them back to you.

@clamenza

Again, nothing wrong with Halloween per se. It just strikes me as unfortunate when the world slowly loses its cultural uniqueness and diversity. Most of us came to Japan to see and do things that we can't experience anywhere else. Halloween is not one of those things. As someone who travels on a regular basis, I'm sick of seeing the same shops, same restaurants, same brands, same fashions, same Valentines/Christmas/Halloween themed displays spreading all around the world. It's soul-crushing when you realise that there is now almost nowhere you can go to escape this new global commercial monoculture.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

M3, Smith - Aren't you two just a couple of sentimental softies!

Don't worry, I'm sure the number of times you both have yelled at kids to get off your lawn have scared them away from trick-or treating wherever you might live..

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Beware of toolies and chikans, they'll be on the prowl on Halloween night, just sayin'!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

M3.

Isn't Halloween Irish in origin and got changed and commercialised in the USA, similar to Valentine's Day.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Those three guys have really un-original costumes!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Halloween is not a North American festive holiday in origin. It originates in Ireland/Scotland and has been traditionally celebrated quite differently in times past from what has emerged as those customs that have emerged in America. For instance, in those countries there are bonfires, a traditional cake and vegetable to be eaten, fruits and nuts instead of candy given to coustumed kids, and turnips instead of pumpkins, and games played the traditional fruit of the season of the season - the apple. It symbolizes the end of the Celtic year. Why should Japanese kids be frowned upon for simply enjoying what what America has made of these very old customs?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

clamenza: "Absolutely. Nothing worse than the smiling faces of children getting candy 1 night a year while dressed up as their favorite heroes."

Where do you see that? I don't see it in Shibuya. Maybe at USJ or Disney World, yes. how much is the entry fee for those places again?

4 ( +5 / -1 )

@clamenza

There are literally dozens of traditional festive holidays around the world that involve sweets and the joyful laughter of children, 95% of which you choose not to celebrate. Why is that? Is it because you hate the laughter of children or is it because in your own country Halloween already serves that purpose and it's enough?

Is it just a coincidence that almost every country around the world has begun to observe the holidays of the most economically influencial countries? Or is money and corporate power playing a disproportionate role? Either way, it seems to me like something to be lamented rather than celebrated.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Dear M3M3M3

,,, few things I hate more than the promotion of Halloween (outside of countries of North America)???!!!

Do you even know what the origins of Halloween and what it’s really all about? The origins of Halloween are outside of North America and the American traditions are not the same as how it has been traditionally celebrated in its homes of origin in Ireland/Scotland.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

There are few things I hate more than the promotion of Halloween (in countries outside of North America). It's the worst example of the shameless corporate cultural imperialism that is making the world a more boring and homogeneous place.

Absolutely. Nothing worse than the smiling faces of children getting candy 1 night a year while dressed up as their favorite heroes.

I can't stand their joyful laughter, either.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

There are few things I hate more than the promotion of Halloween (in countries outside of North America). It's the worst example of the shameless corporate cultural imperialism that is making the world a more boring and homogeneous place.

6 ( +12 / -6 )

 Been rescued, drunk, too many times from various railway stations in my youth. 

There's a story or two in there I feel! Come on, spill dem beans!

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@cuashopboy

Oh, I've got all the time in the world for the cops here. Been rescued, drunk, too many times from various railway stations in my youth. They were always amazingly kind and patient.

They do look miserable, though. I suppose watching others have a good time isn't necessarily a lot of fun....

2 ( +3 / -1 )

They don't work beyond single words, and even then each word could carry a bunch of possible meanings. Heck, you could type in any kind of axiom, proverb, or idiom and it would become a nightmare in translation. For "Life is precious" from Japanese (or into Japanese and back) "The living that is put in the eye is the not hurt thing".

People aren't going to be paying much attention anyway, so just keep it simple, and likely body language would suffice enough.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

So people will be sheep herded to sound of speaker trucks?

In Japan that is what "fun" consists of, have a good one!

1 ( +3 / -2 )

So people will be sheep herded to sound of speaker trucks?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

lucabrasi - I've heard good things about the cops at this event,

https://japantoday.com/category/national/dj-cop-at-shibuya-crossing-a-hit-on-youtube

and each year they safely police an enormous event that tens of thousands enjoy - cut them some slack!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Back in England, after the Notting Hill carnival or cricket matches, we always got to see pictures of laughing coppers, dancing with the crowd or playing with kids.

A fair contrast with the miserable bunch we see here....

3 ( +6 / -3 )

just let em have fun from christs sake

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Every year the same police “precautions” take place which suggest Halloween is a recent fad in Japan and mostly enjoyed by threatening hoards of foreigners.

Wrong on both counts. The NPA are still stuck in 1997.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Somebody bring back the glitterball, eh?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Close the crossing to traffic turn it into an event, make some money!

3 ( +5 / -2 )

That panda's got weird hands.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

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