Shibuya Ward to ban drinking in public spaces during Halloween period

Now as for Japanese beers - there's only really two - Asahi Super-Dry, and Yebisu - the rest all share the same taste - which is why they don't hit the export markets. Japan Brewing Laws are too restrictive, and that curtails creativity to the point that Japanese Beers are generally all the same... (the exception being the too afore-mentioned).

Now-a-days, cheaper, higher Alcohol content drinks are popular, though more dangerous, and it quickens the loss of an individuals self-control.

Make beers an enjoyable experience, then the associated crime rates may drop, and such seasonal evens, may once again become enjoyable.

Elsewhere in Tokyo you do have restaurants, with street seating - Ginza / Shinbashi being an example.

I guess, they too may be impacted by this declaration.

It used to be directed against Foreigners - particularly the Military types who'd turn up in Roppongi - which used to be a "fun" place, but nowadays has been turned into a boring area of boredom.

I don’t understand. Japan cannot constitutionally make people stay home during COVID lockdown, so how can they ban alcohol? It is a travesty of individual freedom and choice.

Amazing. So this is how the government of Tokyo thanks its young people for almost three years of cooperation during Coronavirus: by cancelling the Sumida River summer hanabi event again, telling people not to drink in public on Halloween, and cancelling the NYE countdown. At this point, I think it would be fun to watch if Japan's youth started engaging in mass tax resistance; but there is too much societal obedience here.

wallaceToday  11:53 am JST

The original point is, sensible people won't be out during that time anyway, regardless of whether or not there is a ban because of Covid.

wallaceToday  11:44 am JST

The ban has nothing to do with covid.

Why repeat a concept written in the article?

, revelers are not being asked to stay away as a countermeasure against the coronavirus.

The ban has nothing to do with covid.

Steven MccarthyOct. 22  08:28 pm JST

I find this ban to be the mature and forward thinking thing to do .!. The sensible majority won’t be out catching or spreading Covid .!.

Excellent point.

Many under '30s don't even drink these days.

How lucky we are to live in a country that bans public drinking in one place for only a couple of days in the interests of safety.

There are certain religiously-inspired regimes than ban it completely….

Go to Shibuya and find a cheap izakaya and get drunk as a fish-that’s ok then…

The Japanese government wants to promote drinking among young people because of declining numbers, but bans drinking in public areas during Halloween. The irony. Haha.

Fun police at it again. The reason why there are so many bottles and cans to clean up is because there are no recycle bins in the entire city.

Excellent !!.. But it should be the whole year, a lot of immature teenage kids in Shibuya getting drunk on the street..

One man's chunder is another pigeon's breakfast. That's the Shibuyan cycle of life.

Ultimately Halloween should be more about the costumes and less about drinking... especially drinking heavily and causing a nuisance. If people in the past had maintained decent orderly conduct this probably would not be needed. We all know or have at least seen these idiots... they get drunk and do amazingly stupid crap and ruin things for everyone else. It just proves that Japan is no different from anywhere else... just maybe that they have less tolerance for the disorderly.

Shibuya Mayor Ken Hasebe said he hopes people will celebrate Halloween in an orderly manner.

Yeah, good luck with that. Isn't drunken revelry part and parcel of Halloween in Shibuya? If the Mayor wants Halloween "celebrated in an orderly manner", perhaps they should join the kiddies in kindergarten to make some ghost and pumpkin arts and crafts. People are just going to bypass this "request" and probably go celebrate earlier.

What's the History behind Halloween in Shibuya ?

That’s too easy to not to follow. I’m too old and also not interested in that event, but if I were one of those Halloween party junkies I knew how to do it. I would simply go on that parade with my beer cans on the 27th or 2nd. It they think they are Einsteins and extend prohibiting I would answer accordingly by logic and simply extend the time frame.

the medieval police and secret agents will be patrolling with katanas and specially trained alcohol sniffing shiba inus

So many people complaining about the government trying to maintain safety.

First the Government wants people to drink, to have babies, now you can't drink, the nanny state continues...

Most U.S, states prohibit drinking outside, period. Japan is relatively lenient in this respect.

I've always found fascinating how much the Shibuya ward doesn't seem to have an idea of what to do to avoid chaos when people do what people do.

It's hilarious how they seem to prefer to block the way to everyone to avoid "chaos"... basically creating chaos to avoid it, instead of just understanding this is going to happen, and try to take control by investing that same money and effort in having a more controlled celebration without just banning things.

I hate most people between 18 and 25 and no power on earth would make me go there, that said, what's the problem with letting them have fun? Also, is it just an onegai or an actual crime? If it's the former, good luck enforcing that thing, I would tell them to leave me alone.

@shogun36,

exactly

...I'll add that it's only a "street romp" because like a lot of things in Japan, authorities don't like it, but rather than accept it's something people want to do and are likely going to do, and properly prepare for it and support it.

Tokyo is completely underprepared and just send a thousand cops in to hold hands so people can't cross onto the road.

Why not just call it "Haloween" matsuri and let people enjoy it, make some money off it?

There are festivals all over Japan where people drink on the street and traffic is blocked. That's why they're called festivals. Not that Halloween is an ancient Japanese tradition, but if it's something that thousands of people want to participate in and enjoy, perhaps it can be planned for and accommodated instead of being fought against.

I'm all for cosplay just like everyone is - but why the need to party in the middle of the busiest pedestrian crossing on earth?

Party and celebrate Halloween in the bars, clubs, pubs and izakayas over 10-15 beers on the night. Preferably a pub crawl of at least 5 bars. There'll be music, food and the party will be safer than in the middle of traffic.

Hakman,

The only way that people can have kids is if they hook up with strangers at alcohol-fueled street romps?

It's actually a pretty good way for younger people to meet each other yes, it's a social event and people go with friends, meet other friends and godforbid, exchange telephone numbers and......go on dates!

When there is an event, which tens of thousands of young people seem to really, really enjoy, which is fun (I've been) and could even become a pretty big tourist attraction, like the Sydney fireworks on NYE. What does Tokyo do? Shut it down because of silly non-issues, like some Oba-sans shop door being blocked.

Someone forgot to tell Ken Hasebe to hold his little poster, straight. Looks crooked.

they also should’ve given him some sunglasses and a goatee. Make sure the audience knows he means business.

Besides police, the ward will have 100 security officers on patrol on Oct 29-31.

this sounds like the Abe funeral. Will this event also cost ¥1.6 billion?

100 security officers for a 100,000 people in one gigantic intersection. (Or whatever the number may be.)

what could go wrong?

booooooooooo

I find this ban to be the mature and forward thinking thing to do .!. The sensible majority won’t be out catching or spreading Covid .!.

Last time they decided to treat the public as children and "advised" convenience stores to stop serving alcohol, it wasn't too difficult to find ones that ignored the advice. The "security guards" have no authority so when they tell you to not drink just say "OK. Thank you" and keep walking. Adults are quite capable of having an adult beverage without committing crimes....

To be fair I was on the fence on this one, leaning toward the young people. But then saw some videos put up by ladies who attended in previous years who were basically molested in the streets during the festivities. So I am gonna side with with the Ward on this one.

Overseas public drinking not encouraged or banned in many places. Unfortunately Japan will probably go the same way.... Times are a changin'.

Spoil sports!

It’s not as if they didn’t know Halloween was going to happen, they could have planned for it like cities in the rest of the world, closed off the junction, re-routed traffic and given lots of notice and warning so drivers know to avoid it.

The complaint about blocking access is spurious, businesses benefit from increased footfall, over all there would be an appreciable economic gain.

Provide bins, light touch policing and have people on hand to assist anyone taken I’ll.

Its not exactly rocket science, it’s done in cities across the world, surely the fabled Japanese efficiency could cope?

"There was also a lot of trash, such as bottles and cans, that had to be cleaned up on Nov 1."

When was the last time you saw a streetside bin?

However, unlike the last two years, revelers are not being asked to stay away as a countermeasure against the coronavirus. Shibuya Mayor Ken Hasebe said he hopes people will celebrate Halloween in an orderly manner..

Well that's the real intention isn't it. God forbid if people have fun as they like one day in a year.

Party poopers…

Why not close it off some areas to traffic, put in bins for recycling, have stalls selling something that helps cover costs for bins, portable toilets etc? Why not… because the party poppers rule!

@jexan

The government treats people like children.

well when people drink heavily they actually turn into children!

At least, they prohibited drinking not because they are thinking the corona virus will spread because people are drinking alcohol.

They prohibited drinking to prevent rowdy behavior from over drunken people.

At least that makes a little bit sense.

Japan: Young people, we want you to meet, hookup and have kids.

Young People: Can we have a harmless party in Tokyo once a year?

Japan: Absolutely not! We will not assist at all, you should drink more and have babies instead

??

That's going to be difficult to police in reality.

"There was also a lot of trash, such as bottles and cans, that had to be cleaned up on Nov 1."

Hang on! I thought Japanese people always picked up their trash (and other peoples', even!) and in fact made it a priority to appear on news shows doing so. And also, if they are going to ban alcohol, just do it permanently. There are so many oyaji who get drunk and puke all over the place here and other stations, etc., ESPECIALLY during enkai season. Will they ban it then, too? And what if they catch some salarymen drinking while walking home from a bar, already drunk out of their skulls but having bought more at convenience stores... they going to bust them?

But it created problems for traffic as well as nearby businesses whose entrances were blocked

Any different from the other events, festivals, overflowing lines that occur?

Would these businesses have had significant foot traffic during those times while other businesses enjoyed the increased business?

It seems the LDP and Japan Inc. just hate the spontaneous, unplanned and imperfectly monetized quality of Halloween.

But it created problems for traffic: Have police control the traffic?

as well as nearby businesses whose entrances were blocked: seems kind of trivial, I'm sure businesses benefit from having people actual come into the area.

There was also a lot of trash, such as bottles and cans, that had to be cleaned up: Ever heard of bins in public places.

Can still drink in bars

First the Government wants people to drink, to have babies, now you can't drink, the nanny state continues...

Wow look at his face, he really put a lot of work, meetings, and thought into this no fun Halloween rule.

What a joke.

Even Mayor Hasebe looks surprised!