Shibuya mayor says 'Don't come' for Halloween

When the last time people really listen to their major? And avoid have fun Halloween?

https://www.japan.travel/en/blog/halloween-in-japan/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1l1JyZbN1I

OK, don't come to Shibuya. But Japan's a pressure-cooker the craziness has to get out somehow, Mr. Mayor.

Move it up the road to Yoyogi park, problem solved.

"I don't want people to come to Shibuya if they're only coming for Halloween," Hasebe told a press conference, adding that the district is not a party venue.

Perfect Ok Boomer moment, Japanese edition.

Shibuya is a district of tranquil manors with gentlemen puttering around in their gardens and having drinks in their members only clubs.

Saw and interview with a drinking/dining establishment owner and they are just upset people are enjoying themselves without the need to enter their overpriced establishments.

adding that the district is not a party venue

That makes me wonder about all that vomit, empty highball cans, cigarette butts and other smelly debris strewn on the sidewalks and streets that I always step around when walking through the district in the early morning.

The guy is of a Japanese generation who believes an "entertainment district" is a concentration of department stores and kissaten.

@sakurasuki

Maybe you don't understand than.

There is no enforcement inplace. So people are free to come and go.

Ken Hasebe said it would "not be surprising" if an accident like the one that happened in Seoul last year also occurred in Shibuya

He has a point.

What a kill joy! The more he protests the more people will come. Instead of attempting to ban it he should be updating the infrastructure to accommodate and make it safe for so many people. This is a major event in Tokyo. Get your finger out of your bottom and get it organised baka jiji. Kawasaki has even more people for their halloween event but it is organised and works very well. This event is a major boost for the local shop keepers. I think Shibuya needs a new mayor.

As others have stated, Mayor Hasebes statements are a testament to the essential laziness of the establishment Japanese political class.

Their pronouncement 'don't come' are to be respected as writ and will not be enforced and instead any minor overenthusiasm will be shamed in the controlled media.

Instead of , of course providing infrastructure and events that would stimulate the local community and generate interest.

Halloween in Japan is a complete commercial exploitation promoted by big ad agencies. I don’t understand why so many people celebrate this heathen festival.

Fascism, pure and simple.

If Hasebe wasn't so keen on posturing in front of the media he might have time to fix the stinking drains in Shibuya. It reeks like a medieval midden when the winds are in the wrong direction.

Wonder which legal pretext he his using to curtail the rights of the citizens. People have the right to organize, the police isn't there to stop them but ensure their safety.

In summer, every town in inaka sets off millions of yen's worth of fireworks to get people to go there. The biggest ones have to employ lots of folk to guide traffic. Despite the cost, which will be huge, and the large number of people who turn up with bentos from home or stuff from Lawsons, there are always comments like "the economic benefit is tens of millions of yen".

This mayor gets people coming to his area for no expense and somehow thinks its a problem. If angry letter writers are blaming him for the odd gaijin idiot fighting in the street, piles of puke and girls messing up department store toilets with their special makeup, he should have the balls to say "its just young people having fun". We humans are messing up the planet, so lets at least enjoy ourselves while we are doing it. Simple solutions, like demanding every convenience store and food takeaway set up big temporary garbage cans, could alleviate most of the issues.

Halloween in Shibuya is basically a chance for girls to walk around in their underwear....

It must not be stopped!

Stay safe, stay home.

Halloween in Japan is a complete commercial exploitation promoted by big ad agencies. I don’t understand why so many people celebrate this heathen festival.

Welcome to any holiday/religious event in any country ever.

Human nature being what it is, don't come means come. The Mayor should prepare his city for a much larger turnout this year.

In contrary, I guess it's better to have them all under nearly complete control and surveillance at one concentrated area in Shibuya {or any other} instead throughout whole Tokyo , Kanto or Japan. They won't disappear by some words of a local mayor, they are then only anywhere else, bringing even more chaotic situations to unexpected places.

Who is this message really targeting?

Based on the nuance difference in the wording between English and Japanese it seems much stronger in English…

Japanese: Shibuya is not a venue for Halloween.

English: NO EVENTS FOR HALLOWEEN AT SHIBUYA STREETS.

EXCELLENT !!!..

EXCELLENT !!!..

EXCELLENT !!!..

Thanks Mayor...

He just said that for the sake of it. If something bad happens, like the one in Seoul, or the tragic hanabi taikai two decades ago in Tokyo, at least he can tell in the next press conference that "We.., I told you so..." and he's safe.

C’mon Mr Mayor, let the youth have their freedom!

If something bad happens like what happened in Seoul, the gaijins will blame Japan. Even though it was their fault.

How would lack of security measures for a foreseeable event involving a huge lot of people the fault of anybody but the authorities? Discriminatory remarks and baseless accusations (no, "I saw it on TV" is not a reference) remove all value from your criticism.

Close the darn border! Again. Problem solved. No one enters, no one leaves. North Korea shall be a good role model.

A irrational disproportionate hysterical interference of people right to take responsibility for personal welfare choices, excessive in its nature and authoritarian.

Ken Hasebe said it would "not be surprising" if an accident like the one that happened in Seoul last year also occurred in Shibuya, referring to a fatal overcrowding incident in the neighboring country.

Hasebe unwarranted scaremongering bears little, if no relation to the tragic accident experienced in Seoul, and reeks of a failure in office to competently manage a joyous festival.

If Hasebe feels unable to except the challenge then he must consider personally whether such office is beyond his capabilities.

Accept, dunce warning.

So, over a million people can gather for the fireworks around Asakusa station and that’s no problem, but a much smaller gathering in Shibuya is going to end in disaster? I saw a news article on TV last night about this - it was all gaijin this and gaijin that with interviews with foreigners with their faces blurred out. In the west, the media go hugely out of their way to avoid the perception that foreigners or minorities have been responding for something bad happening - even when they blatantly have, but in Japan they do the exact opposite - they deliberately put emphasis on any foreign participation just to appeal to and amplify the xenophobic attitudes that still prevail here. The vast majority of the Shibuya Halloween lot are Japanese! Instead of trying to ban it, how about embracing it and trying to make it a safe and crime-free event for young people to enjoy?

@Eastman

"...not related to japanese culture,heritage or traditions...at all."

How wrong is that? Halloween marks the transition from the warm part of the year to the cold part of the year, from lightness to darkness. It also coincides with the end of Japan’s rice harvest, offering a brief period of wild celebration before winter sets in.

Halloween is very much in line with Japan's seasonal transitions, so no wonder it’s so immensely popular here.

May be such a change in policy will be better for [the safety] of the streets . . . .

What have I been telling you people? Anything potentially fun in Japan, they want to ban. These people are incapable of not trying to regulate and control everything.

Why not tell people to stay away from hanami? Or the summer fireworks? The Sumida River hanabi looked far more crowded and unsafe than any Shibuya Halloween I've been to. I guess Japanese cultural icons attractive to old people are fine, but things that are too foreign in origin? Can't have that.

Honestly I'm glad I didn't grow up in this country. Young people are endlessly tormented by decrepit control freaks.

4K HDR Tokyo Night Walk Shibuya Halloween 2022 - 3 HOURS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bdcTjI9Ci0

Busy, bustling, fun, manageable with careful responsible control and supervision.

Out of touch, unimaginative, using 'safety' as an excuse for mean spiritedness all while basically shooting yourself in the foot. 0/10 for leadership and a minus score for winning the hearts of the ever disengaged youth.

The results of your incompetence Mr Mayor will mean you have just created and added layer of 'naughtiness', that will add to the buzz of the night, appealing to the youth ( and young at heart ) to come out in droves in a united stance of shared collective defiance! You've actually increased the likelihood of chaos rather put a stop to it with your feeble message. Gunna be a fun night. Look forward to the images!

The J leadership class in all its stupifying glory! What gets me is that they MUST know that this will not work and indeed most likely backfire. Is he just covering his own but by being able to say " Hey , I told them not to come!" if anything bad happens? Highly likely. Dodging responsibility is an art form.

Got to give a nod to the policing, crowded but safe, a master class in crowd control. and planning.

It reeks like a medieval midden when the winds are in the wrong direction.

That's just not in Shibya, eg: Meguro gawa is not exactly fresh water..

Does Osaka have a big knees up for Halloween or is just us lumbered with it?

I hate Shibuya and Halloween, but having this deranged order barked at me would make turn up to spite this loser. It's a free country. People can do what they like.

Halloween had its origins in the festival of Samhain among the Celts of ancient Britain and Ireland...........It seems to have traveled well!

Back in the 70s, they used to block off a few blocks in Ginza for "Hodo Heaven" on Sundays, where no streets were open to cars and thousands (hundreds of thousands?) of people used to walk on the streets. It was so much fun! (If you ever see the videos of McDonald's first store in Japan, you'll see images of what I'm talking about.)

Why Shibuya/Tokyo can't do the same for just one night is perplexing. They could block off entrances to Shibuya crossing to cars for jus a night and have thousands and thousands of people walking and partying freely without a worry. Businesses there would be raking it in.

Japan seems to have lost that feeling of "Let's try this," or "Let's live it up," that they used to have decades ago.

"Halloween or Hallowe'en is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observance of Allhallowtide, the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints, martyrs, and all the faithful departed."

Halloween, a.k.a. All Hallows' Day, is, as the name implies a day to celebrate the saints (hallows). In Japan, this is the Obon festival. It has nothing to do with pumpkins and drinking. Well, some countries have turned this into an abomination (countries that are under the umbrella of we know who). In my country Sweden, this is celebrated by visiting the graves of our ancestors, and lighting a candle.

We get it! Don't come to Shibuya, Mt. Fuji, or any other "crowded" place. Something might happen. Japan is the one country that tries making you feel guilty for trying to have fun.

LOL security guards? What power do they hold? I feel like going to Shibuya just defy their orders, there's nothing they can legally do.

El Rata, When you are a guest in your friends house do you act like a moron? You are guest in this country so you should act the same, no?

Reading these comments, I am so disappointed in people. You are not entitled to go into someone's neighborhood, mess it up and act like morons just because you can. What is wrong with you people? Didn't you learn to respect anything that couldn't beat you into the ground? If people acted properly like they did in "the old days" none of this would be a problem. Come on guys! Lift your game!

El Rata, When you are a guest in your friends house do you act like a moron? You are guest in this country so you should act the same, no?

I'm a natutalised citizen therefore not a guest I can do as I please.

Yay! No Halloween in Shibuya!

Heading to Shibuya for Halloween for certain.

All the outrage at the mayor of Shibuya stating facts. The Halloween goofies who think that they're somehow special and entertaining for dressing in costumes that some of us Americans decided to drop after high school for obvious reasons, are more and more an embarrassment.

Nah, Halloween in Shibuya aint it. - men-children and women-children parading around like they're doing something new and even 'cool' LOL. It would only be a bad joke if these Japanese and foreigners weren't also getting excited over drinking alcohol while showing everybody just how 'fun' and 'cool' they are. Not to mention the dumbos who destroyed people's property and blocked other Japanese and foreigners from going about their business.

Maybe it will take a Seoul-type tragedy to convince those people that they need to throw their own parties for Halloween instead of annoying the public by crowding public spaces as if they are entitled.

Halloween is for children grow up

Doesn't the mayor whine about this every year with futile results? Either impose restrictions and/or fines or set up proper areas for Halloween revelers to enjoy themselves without being a bother to others. Talking and whinging about it without putting anything to action, the go-to Japanese way, doesn't do squat.

They keep referring to the incident in Seoul as if it happened to them. People congregate in the crosswalk, not a tiny alley.

I get they want safety and caution but it’s not exactly the same situation

With all due respect, as a long time foreigner living in Japan, the activities of visitors in Shibuya referred to in this article make my life harder. In my country drinking in public is against the law, and the authorities in Shibuya have been rather indulgent for a long time.

Yes keep them coming.

Not many of you went last year I take it? Halloween in Shibuya has been killed - just police shouting at people to keep moving on loudspeakers, very few costumes, mostly just influencers and shutter bugs showing up to have a gawp.

It was great about 10 years ago when there wasn't such a big crowd of normies but those days are long gone.

Wow. So disappointing. I still remember the good old days of the early 90s riding the loop line in Osaka on Halloween observing mostly foreign people dressed in costumes bar hopping and giving the locals something to laugh at or in some cases abuse and physically jostle.

Halloween is for children grow up

Halloween is for everyone.

Go party in Shinjuku kabukicho where all the yaks are at instead of Shibuya

I usually don't bother with Hallowe'en, but this joyless martinet has just given me a very significant urge to make an effort this year and have a bloody good time just to spite him.

Ludicrous Jiji.

He certainly seems to have changed his tune since a few short years ago:

https://japantoday.com/category/features/lifestyle/%E2%80%9Cturning-differences-into-strength%E2%80%9D-an-interview-with-shibuya-mayor-ken-hasebe

"finding a way to monetize public events such as Halloween or New Year’s countdown, for example, can lead to positive changes."

never had been but seeing a demand to stay away has been issued i must be missing something fun so I’ll go and bring some friends. That’s for the head up.

Massive amount of people in the middle of a city centre with NO organizer. No crowd control, no toilets, no garbage cans. Many stores are going to be closed or won’t sell alcohol. Nobody in Shibuya wants it. Piss, puke, and mounds of garbage on the streets. Those who are so keen on it and actually go should have the responsibility to clean up the next day.

Halloween, a.k.a. All Hallows' Day, is, as the name implies a day to celebrate the saints (hallows). 

Some would say the name Halloween was a failed attempt by the Christian church to take over the pagan festival that celebrated the end of the harvest season. Called Samhain in Gaelic and Calan Gaeaf in Welsh.

Robert Burns' 18th century poem suggests there wasn't much Christian influence on the activities of that night.

https://poets.org/poem/halloween

As for the public order issue, I think it is perfectly acceptable to expect the police to do some work and earn their wages from time to time. There is basically zero enforcement of traffic violations. No-one stops at pedestrian crossings and many cars go through the first five seconds of red lights. If you have issues with noise, neighbours piling up gomi, putting up dozens of flags saying "Death to kohakuebisu! And Tanaka that kusob@ba!", the police will do little to help you. Its not too much to ask them to manage crowds at Halloween time.

The fun police out again to limit what people can and cannot do. Remember people, fun = bad. Maybe this guy didn't have many friends

Then it's settled. I'm coming in full costume! Looking forward to it!

Well, I can't blame the mayor. In the past years, the crowd were always irresponsible. The place was always a mess after Halloween and many properties were broken too.

The Shibuya Halloween event in Tokyo offers a unique and vibrant experience, but it comes with the challenges of overcrowding, safety concerns, and cultural sensitivity. If you're prepared for the crowds and chaos, it can be a memorable and exciting event to attend.

This is what happens when your country's leaders only care for the votes of its aging population.

The younger ones who will have to bear there brunt of their incompetent governance over the years will be left to pick up the pieces when Japan becomes a less than first world country in the not too distant future.

Yen has fallen to nearly ¥150 to the dollar already.

As for the public order issue, I think it is perfectly acceptable to expect the police to do some work and earn their wages from time to time. There is basically zero enforcement of traffic violations. No-one stops at pedestrian crossings and many cars go through the first five seconds of red lights. If you have issues with noise, neighbours piling up gomi, putting up dozens of flags saying "Death to kohakuebisu! And Tanaka that kusob@ba!", the police will do little to help you. Its not too much to ask them to manage crowds at Halloween time.

Excellent post. The lack of enforcement of traffic rules for cars AND bicycles is mind boggling. I am sorry for the death threats...

Find a big corporate sponsor to pay for bins, crowd control and first aid stations.

Stop every other Yamanote Line train from stopping at Shibuya at the first sign of dangerous congestion.

Manage pedestrian flows at potential bottlenecks.

I dont understand how Halloween is a holiday

you want to party? Party throughout the year, meet friends, have fun. In my country its not popular at all, thank God and I dont see how I can’t have a good time any other day or way

e Shibuya Halloween event in Tokyo offers a unique and vibrant experience

What kind of experience?

Its a pity partying has become more popular than a meaningful experience.

Sorry, its little popular I think but not that much :)

I'm with Meiyouwenti (没有問題) and don't understand the thumbs-down...I was in Ibaraki one afternoon many years ago, when I found myself in a kissaten called Halloween (in katakana). Back then, Halloween was all but unknown in Japan, so I asked the middle-aged proprietress whence the name. She looked anxious and asked whether it was somehow insulting. Iie, I reassured, her, saying I thought it rather kawaii. She said that her children had suggested the name...Halloween began as a, yes, pagan Celtic custom, celebrating the beginning of autumn. It then spread to America with Irish immigrants and became thoroughly Americanized, having nothing to do with All Hallows Eve. I remember how it was first introduced in Germany, much to the disgust of those around me...There's nothing inherently wrong with the custom itself, but even in 19th-century America it became an excuse for vandalism and mayhem...I support the mayor!

but even in 19th-century America it became an excuse for vandalism and mayhem..

I too am old enough to remember the 19th century. But we must not let our Victorian sensibilities impede on the hard fought freedoms of the current era.

I say, let there be Halloween for those who wish it and let those who not wish it do literally anything else as is their inalienable right.

Then where can I wear my Dylan mask and Bud Light Costume? Kirin City in Shinjuku?

Alex DeLargeToday  07:48 pm JST

What an idiot. Isn’t the city and land owned by the public? Last time I checked people who work pay for everything and government officials contribute nothing. Who is this person to tell everyone else what they can or can’t do. I am going to bring my own alcohol!

Alex

You are just wrong on so many levels here. First off, the mayor was elected! It is in his power to do this. It is called democracy not anarchy. There is no excuse or justification for bad behavior. Being a D head is not enshrined into the constitutional rights of any country. Get over it.

I will go if I want to, thank you very much. And I will drink there if I want to as well. And dress up. Nothing you can do to stop it. Period.

@smithinapan

How about the vandalism? Will you clean up after the chaos? Will you stop the drunk from destroying private properties? I have nothing against Halloween parties, but During the Halloween it’s always the old volunteers who are cleaning up the mess that the partygoers leave behind, that’s why I can’t blame the mayor for just doing his job to keep the peace and order of his area. Just Do the Halloween parties indoors.

It's getting worse every year.

If someone or some people got killed or seriously injured, the mayor would be held responsible for it.

It makes sense that he would want to avoid that

Pre-COVID, Rapper and board member of the Shibuya chamber of commerce, Zeebra, suggested setting up a venue with street stalls and performances in Miyashita Park.

There are tons of private Halloween parties at bars, clubs, and other venues. You have music, tables, chairs, food, toilets, alcohol and servers. In Shibuya, you have none of the above. Yeah let's sit on the dirty streets and party with no music, food, or toilets.

When people wear costumes, it's a known phenomena that some act out of character because they have on a disguise. It emboldens people to do things they might normally not do because they can't be easily identified. If you add thousands of people into the mix, you also have a feeling of anonymity. Add alcohol into the mix with no organizers and no security.

It's basically a drunk, costumed mob.

…the tragic hanabi taikai two decades ago in Tokyo.

Refresh our memories exactly when that was.

The Shibuya "City" mayor, an elected official of a city, does not want many visitors from other cities in Tokyo "State" or the surrounding prefectures "States" during Halloween.

Unless he put roadblocks at the city limits and does not allow people from disembarking from the trains, I do not see how he will enforce this rule.

It is Shibuya (city), Tokyo (state) no such place as Tokyo (city), Tokyo (state)!

A better idea is to close off access to all the main roads and only allow people to gather in a large open concrete area. It is easy to keep an eye on people and easier to clean.

Or pretend this a museum and make it a street crawl where people start in Shibuya and can only walk designated paths that end in another city or train station. People can walk from Shibuya to Shinjuku, Harajuku, Ebisu, Meguro.....to, Suidobashi, Kanda, and Akihabara. They either walk the path or leave by train. That will keep everyone moving and no one city has to deal with the problem alone.

If people are allowed to loiter, then the problems start.

The Shibuya "City" mayor, an elected official of a city, does not want many visitors from other cities in Tokyo "State" or the surrounding prefectures "States" during Halloween.

Unless he put roadblocks at the city limits and does not allow people from disembarking from the trains, I do not see how he will enforce this rule.

It is Shibuya (city), Tokyo (state) no such place as Tokyo (city), Tokyo (state)!

You're getting frustrated because Japanese concepts are being pigeonholed into English words that don't accurately reflect the Japanese concepts, they're approximations.

If you want to really get down to it, Tokyo is not a state, the equivalent of a state would be a 県, whereas Tokyo is a (well, the) 都, which is like a greater district of cities and areas. How many cities have a 'greater [city]' and a central city. 都 is often translated as metropolis. Shibuya is not a city, as the equivalent of a city are the 市, a number of which are in Tokyo, whereas Shibuya is a 区, translated as ward.

So if you really want to get accurate with your lingo, the leader of Shibuya ward does not want people from the wards and cities of the metropolis of Tokyo to come to Shibuya for Halloween.

Hasebe told a press conference, adding that the district is not a party venue.

ummm....yes it is.....LMAO Mayor of Shibuya and you don't think that it's a major party area?!?

Here's a great idea. Let's close every fun holiday ever created. Close Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's, White Day. Let's see how the economy goes after that. I'm sure the restaurants, beer companies, chocolate and candy companies won't mind at all. Let's give JapanToday nothing to write about. Photographers need not go to Shibuya either. No pictures to take.

And when it's all said and done, Mr. Hasebe, let's see how well your district contributed to the economy. My guess is you'll be out of a job if that money ever stops rolling into the Shibuya district.

Redtail SwiftToday  02:33 pm JST

Here's a great idea. Let's close every fun holiday ever created. Close Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's, White Day. Let's see how the economy goes after that. I'm sure the restaurants, beer companies, chocolate and candy companies won't mind at all. Let's give JapanToday nothing to write about. Photographers need not go to Shibuya either. No pictures to take.

And when it's all said and done, Mr. Hasebe, let's see how well your district contributed to the economy. My guess is you'll be out of a job if that money ever stops rolling into the Shibuya district.

Exaggerate much?

Do thousands of people descend on one area of Tokyo get drunk and make a complete mess of the area for Christmas, Valentines, and White Day? You're seriously making this comparison. LOL. I didn't realize that Halloween, Valentines, and White Day are holidays.....White Day is fun?

Even the businesses in Shibuya don't want the Halloween mob. Some businesses have been damaged and alcohol won't be sold so how much revenue comes in compared to the trouble it causes them.

Shibuya is one of the most popular areas in Tokyo. I don't think money will stop rolling in because you don't want a Halloween mob.

@MilesTeg

Name-call much?

Did you really just call them a mob? Use a derogative term when it suits your point. Didn't realize you represent all restaurants and bars in the area. You' obviously are sitting on a stockpile of data and surveys.

MONEY TALKS...period. Don't ever dare to think that the people can't bankrupt you. You can't stop freedom and you definitely can't control the people. ( NOT MOB ). If they don't go to Shibuya, they'll take their money elsewhere.

Allow me to help you though. If you don't want Halloween revelers ( proper term ) in your area, how about sending your army, oops wrong term, pigs....oops wrong term again, militia...argh! I just can't find that positive terminology to describe those good guys with guns. Help me out MilesTeg. You're good at this.

Strangerland

You're getting frustrated because Japanese concepts are being pigeonholed into English words that don't accurately reflect the Japanese concepts, they're approximations.

If you want to really get down to it, Tokyo is not a state, the equivalent of a state would be a 県, whereas Tokyo is a (well, the) 都, which is like a greater district of cities and areas. How many cities have a 'greater [city]' and a central city. 都 is often translated as metropolis. Shibuya is not a city, as the equivalent of a city are the 市, a number of which are in Tokyo, whereas Shibuya is a 区, translated as ward.

That is all wrong! There is no pigeon-holing Japanese into English. Japanese is not some mysterious language that only the initiated can understand. A metropolis means a major city. Not a collection of minor cities in a major city.

The Wards call themselves "cities." Tokyo is a state. The same way my address would say Funabashi (city), Chiba (State). My address is Tokyo would say Shibuya, Tokyo.

The whole idea of naming of Tokyo (Metropolis) was a scheme by the Tokyo government to make it easier to convince people to viisit, hold international events and to make the country look more global/international because not one city alone in Tokyo would be enough to attract the international community.

Using the different kanji does not change the reality of the situation.

If the original Tokyo city existed, it would be able to draw the Olympics.

Back in the 70s, they used to block off a few blocks in Ginza for "Hodo Heaven" on Sundays, where no streets were open to cars and thousands (hundreds of thousands?) of people used to walk on the streets. It was so much fun! (If you ever see the videos of McDonald's first store in Japan, you'll see images of what I'm talking about.)

They still do on Saturdays atleast probably Sundays, too. I see it all the time near Ginza Itchome!

If the original Tokyo city existed, it would be able to draw the Olympics.

Not!

The European Space Agency wrote:

Tokyo, officially Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan and one of its 47 prefectures. The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world. It is the seat of the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese government. Tokyo is in the Kanto region on the southeastern side of the main island Honshu and includes the Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands. Formerly known as Edo, it has been the de facto seat of government since 1603 when Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu made the city his headquarters. It officially became the capital after Emperor Meiji moved his seat to the city from the old capital of Kyoto in 1868; at that time Edo was renamed Tokyo. Tokyo Metropolis was formed in 1943 from the merger of the former Tokyo Prefecture and the city of Tokyo.

Tokyo is often referred to as a city, but is officially known and governed as a "metropolitan prefecture", which differs from and combines elements of a city and a prefecture, a characteristic unique to Tokyo. The Tokyo metropolitan government administers the 23 Special Wards of Tokyo (each governed as an individual city), which cover the area that was the City of Tokyo before it merged and became the metropolitan prefecture in 1943. The metropolitan government also administers 39 municipalities in the western part of the prefecture and the two outlying island chains. The population of the special wards is over 9 million people, with the total population of the prefecture exceeding 13 million. The prefecture is part of the world's most populous metropolitan area with upwards of 37.8 million people and the world's largest urban agglomeration economy. The city hosts 51 of the Fortune Global 500 companies, the highest number of any city in the world. Tokyo ranked third in the International Financial Centres Development IndexEdit. The city is also home to various television networks such as Fuji TV, Tokyo MX, TV Tokyo, TV Asahi, Nippon Television, NHK and the Tokyo Broadcasting System.

Notice that phrase "metropolitan prefecture." A prefecture is a state, and there is no Tokyo Ward or ku (city hall or city). The "metropolitan" just means it has a large population and is the location for the center of government for the country which is all true! You add all the cities in one state and population is huge. The same population as some international cities around the world. It is a scam to trick the ignorant!

It happened after the Great War to help open up the country to the international community. Tokyo city, which was the largest in the area, was flattened, so in the rebuilding process with the US, they combined all the surrounding cities then they created a new prefecture and named it after the largest city that was destroyed.

That is all wrong! There is no pigeon-holing Japanese into English. Japanese is not some mysterious language that only the initiated can understand.

Actually, it is. That's why only Japanese, and people who study very hard, learn Japanese.

But that wasn't my point. My point was that English and Japanese do not have a common linguistic ancestry, nor does Japan have equivalent geopolitical boundaries to countries that define theirs in English (eg - there aren't really equivalents to 道 and 府 in 都道府県).

A metropolis means a major city. Not a collection of minor cities in a major city.

And Tokyo is a collection of minor cities, in a major city. Metropolis is the translation often used, but the English meaning isn't a direct equivalent of the Japanese 都, and therefore, is attempting to pigeonhole Japanese concepts into English words that don't have the same meaning.

And before you get all uppity, it goes the other way too. How many weird uses of "English" are there in Japanese?

The Wards call themselves "cities."

The rough equivalent of city is 市, but the wards are 区.

Tokyo is a state.

No, the rough equivalent of state is 県, but Tokyo is a 都.

The same way my address would say Funabashi (city), Chiba (State). My address is Tokyo would say Shibuya, Tokyo.

Which isn't accurate as to the meaning in Japanese. As I repeatedly say, it's pigeonholing Japanese concepts into English words that don't have an equivalent meaning.

Using the different kanji does not change the reality of the situation.

Um, in Japan, the kanji are the source of truth. Anything English is an attempt to represent a foreign concept, in a foreign language, that has not evolved to accurately reflect the foreign concepts in the same way that the foreign language has evolved to reflect it's own concepts.

This is true of every language that does not share a common ancestor. Language 101.

I am looking forward to the chaos.

Um, in Japan, the kanji are the source of truth. Anything English is an attempt to represent a foreign concept, in a foreign language, that has not evolved to accurately reflect the foreign concepts in the same way that the foreign language has evolved to reflect it's own concepts.

This is true of every language that does not share a common ancestor. Language 101.

LOL!

Tokyo (/ˈtoʊkioʊ/;[7] Japanese: 東京, Tōkyō, [toːkʲoː] i), officially the Tokyo Metropolis (東京都, Tōkyō-to), is the capital and the most populous prefecture of Japan.[8] Tokyo's metropolitan area (including neighboring prefectures as well as Tochigi, Gunma and Ibaraki; 13,452 square kilometers or 5,194 square miles) is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 million residents as of 2018;[9] although this number has been gradually decreasing since then, the prefecture itself has a population of 14.09 million people[4] while the prefecture's central 23 special wards have a population of 9.73 million.[10] Located at the head of Tokyo Bay, the prefecture forms part of the Kantō region on the central coast of Honshu, Japan's largest island. Tokyo serves as Japan's economic center and is the seat of both the Japanese government and the Emperor of Japan.

Originally a fishing village named Edo, the city emerged into political prominence in 1603, when it became the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate. By the mid-18th century, Edo was one of the most populous cities in the world with a population of over one million people. Following the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the imperial capital in Kyoto was moved to Edo, which was renamed "Tokyo" (lit. 'Eastern Capital'). Tokyo was devastated by the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, and again by Allied bombing raids during World War II. Beginning in the 1950s, the prefecture underwent rapid reconstruction and expansion efforts, going on to lead the Japanese economic miracle. In 1968, Japan became the second largest economy, only behind the United States.[11] Since 1943, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has administered the prefecture's special wards (formerly Tokyo City), various commuter towns and suburbs in its western area, and two outlying island chains known as the Tokyo Islands.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo

It is a state with no city named Tokyo.

No, the rough equivalent of state is 県, but Tokyo is a 都.

Yes, because Tokyo the prefecture (state) also be came the new location for the national government because the prefecture was growing and the Japanese government outgrew the size of Kyoto. That is why Kyoto city is the capital of Kyoto the prefecture.

https://www.mlit.go.jp/kokudokeikaku/iten/English/qa/chapter02.html

The English translation by the Japanese government explaining and supporting everything I said about Tokyo being a state and reasons for giving it city privileges to benefit the government and its image.

LOL! Do you think you know more than the Japanese? What happened to the mysterious language and the initiated?

About 15 years ago, before Halloween really took off for Japanese people (by the way, blame Disney and USJ for that), the Osaka government sent out a memo that was aimed at ALTs in the wider region. It specifically told us not to ride on the Midosuji line to hold Halloween parties.

The problem with all of this is that it is not an officially sanctioned event, and worse still, not a traditional Japanese event. The disaster in Korea last year has exacerbated the situation, but there are just too many aspects out of it that are out of their control. They also make nothing from it, but there is inevitable disruption. As others have pointed out, they cannot really effectively stop people from doing it anyway, but they would be liable if they did not try to deter people from doing it. As the Korean situation showed us, there can be loss of life if something gets out of hand.

I'm a generation removed from the desire to attend such an event, but I can understand the thrill of attending it and to some extent I think its kids having fun, in the same way as they do when they have their coming-of-age ceremony in January. The solution: make an appealing official event with proper control. Stock it up with the usual festival wares and live music etc. and embrace the change. If done correctly, they could make a fortune from all of those people.

The funny thing is, even that article ends up referring to it as a city lol. So you can take your pedanting to your death bed with you but people will still be calling it a city.

What's even funnier is the lack reading comprehension being displayed.

The population of the special wards is over 9 million people, with the total population of the prefecture exceeding 13 million. The prefecture is part of the world's most populous metropolitan area with upwards of 37.8 million people and the world's largest urban agglomeration economy. The city hosts 51 of the Fortune Global 500 companies, the highest number of any city in the world. Tokyo ranked third in the International Financial Centres Development IndexEdit. The city is also home to various television networks such as Fuji TV, Tokyo MX, TV Tokyo, TV Asahi, Nippon Television, NHK and the Tokyo Broadcasting System.

Show the whole quote which at this point is referring to the Tokyo 23 ku" which is the location of 51 companies and TV stations. Each one of those "ku" call themselves "cities" with their own mayors.

Bias much?

https://www.mlit.go.jp/kokudokeikaku/iten/English/qa/chapter02.html

LOL!

Tokyo ranked third in the International Financial Centres Development IndexEdit. The city is also home to various television networks such as Fuji TV, Tokyo MX, TV Tokyo, TV Asahi, Nippon Television, NHK and the Tokyo Broadcasting System.

Lol! You are not reading, obviously. The Japanese

*Tokyo** (/ˈtoʊkioʊ/;[7] Japanese: 東京, Tōkyō, [toːkʲoː] i), officially the Tokyo Metropolis (東京都, Tōkyō-to), is the capital and the most populous prefecture of Japan.[8] Tokyo's metropolitan area (including neighboring prefectures as well as Tochigi, Gunma and Ibaraki; 13,452 square kilometers or 5,194 square miles) is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 million residents as of 2018;[9] although this number has been gradually decreasing since then, the prefecture itself has a population of 14.09 million people[4] while the prefecture's central 23 special wards have a population of 9.73 million.[10] Located at the head of Tokyo Bay, the prefecture forms part of the Kantō region on the central coast of Honshu, Japan's largest island. Tokyo serves as Japan's economic center and is the seat of both the Japanese government and the Emperor of Japan.*

*Originally a fishing village named Edo, the city emerged into political prominence in 1603, when it became the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate. By the mid-18th century, Edo was one of the most populous cities in the world with a population of over one million people. Following the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the imperial capital in Kyoto was moved to Edo, which was renamed "Tokyo" (lit. 'Eastern Capital'). Tokyo was devastated by the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, and again by Allied bombing raids during World War II. Beginning in the 1950s, the prefecture underwent rapid reconstruction and expansion efforts, going on to lead the Japanese economic miracle. In 1968, Japan became the second largest economy, only behind the United States.[11] *Since 1943, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has administered the prefecture's special wards (formerly Tokyo City), various commuter towns and suburbs in its western area, and two outlying island chains known as the Tokyo Islands.

LOL! They are referring to the 23 ku part of the former Tokyo City which no longer exist except in the minds of the "willfully ignorant"

It is a state

No, it is a 都. Japanese does not have the word 'state', it is not English, nor does it share a common langauge.

The English translation by the Japanese government

The translation into English, which does not have words with a one-to-one equivalent in English.

Over 150 people were killed in the crowd crush on Oct 29 in Seoul's Itaewon entertainment district after tens of thousands gathered to join the first Halloween revelry since COVID-19 restrictions were eased.

A totally unforeseeable event and one which is irrelevant to Shibuya.

A totally unforeseeable event and one which is irrelevant to Shibuya.

That would be wrong, experts called the disaster preventable, predictable and avoidable,

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/01/how-do-crowd-crushes-happen-stampede-myth-what-happened-in-the-seoul-itaewon-halloween-crush

Obviously they know what they are talking about.

And it is obvious how this is related to a similar event that will happen in Shibuya and that will require safety measures to avoid the risk of ending in tragedy as well, the article even mention some of those measures since it is completely foreseeable that people will keep going even after the declarations of Hasebe.

That would be wrong, experts called the disaster preventable, predictable and avoidable,

You are completely mistaken and the handful of "experts" in your "source" were just talking about crowd control and disasters in general.

None of the experts "predicted" the disaster would happen in Itaewon. If they did, how come these "experts"--in England--didn't warn Korean authorities?

It is obvious every tragedy of every kind is "preventable" when looking back in time.

And it is obvious how this is related to a similar event that will happen in Shibuya

Wrong, and your source provides no such "prediction".

You are completely mistaken and the handful of "experts" in your "source" were just talking about crowd control and disasters in general

Calling the disaster preventable, predictable and avoidable is a literal quote from the article, the experts that contradicted your personal opinion are simply much more likely to be right.

Crowd crushes are wholly preventable, predictable and avoidable, experts say. Here is what we can learn from the Halloween crowd crush in Seoul

None of the experts "predicted" the disaster would happen in Itaewon. If they did, how come these "experts"--in England--didn't warn Korean authorities?

The experts say this was predictable, and that the authorities were in a position to do preventive measures, they choose not to do it, Maybe because of the same mistaken opinion as you have, thinking the experts must be wrong,

Wrong, and your source provides no such "prediction".

Since you are unable to even argue how this is wrong that means the experts are actually right even if you can't accept their professional opinion. That Shibuya is already preparing safety and security measures according to this article obviously also disproves your claim.

What's the fuss about anyway? Japanese are always going on about how much better they are than Chinese and Koreans. Japanese are so well-mannered compared to other Asian nations. We have nothing to worry about, do we?

Japanese are never unruly or mob-like, right? OR does anyone want to go on record to say otherwise?

Oh, were you about to comment that it's Koreans, Chinese, Americans, and other foreigners causing the problem? Then the solution is simple! Publicly restrict their freedom. Would love to see your conviction on full display.

Crushes and stampedes have happened here.

The Akashi pedestrian bridge accident was a human crush that occurred on 21 July 2001 in Akashi, Hyōgo, Japan. Killed 11 people.

Using the bridge to the station from the beach would not be safe with any large crowd. It should have been shut off.

Narrow side streets in large crowds should be shut off.

Calling the disaster preventable, predictable and avoidable is a literal quote from the article, the experts that contradicted your personal opinion are simply much more likely to be right.

A journalist with The Guardian wrote that.

There's your "expert".

The experts say this was predictable, and that the authorities were in a position to do preventive measures, they choose not to do it,

Wrong again.

And obviously no one predicted it.

We attended the annual Kobe fireworks display for many years. The last time was in 2017 with more than 100,000 spectators. Before the end, we began to feel unsafe and left before the ending. In a huge crowd, you need an exit plan.

A journalist with The Guardian wrote that.

1Which is a much more reliable source that nameless people in the internet saying no expert said that. Unless you can produce any source with a name that says this was unpredictable this is still journalists from different sources saying you are wrong.

There's your "expert".

John Drury, an expert on the social psychology of crowd management at the University of Sussex is the expert interviewed for the article that reach that conclusion, why pretend this is something not involvind any expert if it is easy to confirm the opposite by reading the reference? do you expect anybody else to skip reading it so they can believe no expert was involved?

Wrong again.

And obviously no one predicted it.

A source you have been completely unable to refute says it is not wrong and it was easily predictable, others say the same

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/11/01/asia-pacific/south-korea-crowd-crush-avoidable/

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/south-korea-seoul-halloween-crush-tragedy-avoidable-police-investigate-rcna54988

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-koreas-deadly-halloween-crush-was-avoidable-experts-say-2022-10-31/

The police and the authorities can learn from all large crowd events especially those that ended with fatal accidents. They can try to stop Halloween but it will happen anyway. Better it is organized and controlled by the police to try and avoid fatal accidents.

Will be interesting to see what that mayor does when the Halloweeners appear anyway? It is not like he can shut down Shibuya...

I mainly go to shibuya on Halloween just to view the spectacle that is shibuya on Halloween. It's crazy how it gets compared to a normal night.

Good luck to all the people working that day in shibuya. GladI don't work on shibuya.