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Shibuya to ban drinking on streets during Halloween

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Tokyo's busy Shibuya district has decided to ban drinking alcohol on some streets during the Halloween season, officials said Monday.

Every year after this rule being enacted there must be people that have no clue there is prohibition for drinking in public on certain street in Shibuya. Especially in since in Japan there's no prohibition for drinking in public at all. I don't know whether this rule will be effective at all.

10 ( +10 / -0 )

Halloween fun will be banned from next year. Kids being kids is anathema in japan. Only obedient robots need apply.

-4 ( +6 / -10 )

Good, adults take your cosplay back into clubs where it belongs and let the real kids have Halloween back. Hint, you can still drink on the trains on Oct 31. "party like it's 1989!"

-2 ( +8 / -10 )

One small truck was tipped over after the obstinate driver tried to drive through 1,000s of people having a good time. A panel of experts now have come to the conclusion that based on the actions of one idiotic driver, drinking will be banned on some streets, but around the corner it's ok. Where do they find these geniuses.

8 ( +15 / -7 )

adults take your cosplay back into clubs where it belongs and let the real kids have Halloween back.

Oh please, this is Japan not America. Let Japanese have their own style of Halloween. Let people enjoy wearing whatever they want.

6 ( +12 / -6 )

I guess they have never heard of "pre-gaming". Nor do they seem to know that there are all kinds of novel ways to sneak booze into places it's not allowed. My personal fave is the bra flask. wink

While I agree this street party is getting out of hand, banning drinking isn't going to fix it, and the next logical step in the police's eyes will be to ban people in costumes. That's the way things went to stop the Halloween train, and I don't think they have any other less heavy-handed tools or much common sense available.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Drinking alcohol on streets should be banned in Japan too, like it is in many countries.

-14 ( +7 / -21 )

Yeah i dont see what banning drinking on "some" streets will achieve. Its not like you will sober up when you walk into those streets.

10 ( +11 / -1 )

The problem seems to be that the kids are coming from all over the country to rage out in Shibuya... An outlet is needed, but why does it need to be in one specific area. Each town/city should hold their own street festival for it, so that it isnt so concentrated/crowded in the one area.

7 ( +7 / -0 )

Japanese young people should not be allowed to have fun. It’s anti-Christian. Next the young scum will have pre marital sex. It’s a slippery slope to Satan’s den. I think curfews for under 30s is the best option. No reason to be under 30 and outside after dark.

7 ( +14 / -7 )

Fun police are knocking at my window...

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Its more of a suggestion than anything. You can't start giving out tickets when there are this many people gathered, it just doesn't work. And in disguise too.

The most they can do, is ask convenience stores and donki to prohibit sale of alcohol. And that won't change much either, though I guess the streets might be slightly less littered after.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Glad I don't pregame near the intersection so they can't spoil my fun.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Very good. Such mainstream party wasn't enjoyable much but just loud and crowd for the first one hour, then goes same dull and boring throughout the night.

I urge Japanese to enjoy Halloween at Iya Valley, Tokushima Prefecture and some forest at Aomori Prefecture. Let's see if they can able to return back to Tokyo.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

300,000?! That is the population of Japanese of about Japan's top 30 to 60th largest cites.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Oh please, this is Japan not America. Let Japanese have their own style of Halloween. Let people enjoy wearing whatever they want.

Right, not America. Halloween was never really a thing in Japan until cosplay became normal. It used to be the preserve of young drunken ex-pats racing around the train system in costumes, all the Japanese complained but no trucks ever got tipped up. Japanese should stop cultural appropriation and invent their own fun festivals. Oh they have them already. And they drink at them, must be the foreign influence of Halloween that makes it so bad.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

How about doing the same for the bonenkai season? Far more incidents then.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

I'm sure nobody will put their alcohol into green tea bottles or other containers in order to circumvent this rule.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Agreed this point:

Let Japanese have their own style of Halloween. Let people enjoy wearing whatever they want.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

And that’s why you can’t have nice toys.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

So they drink before they come outside or disguise their drinks in a thermos bottle no harm done

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I am all for fun and playing dress up. But many are missing the point: property damage, fights, and sexual assaults have been reported since this took off a few years ago.

If the kiddies behaved mommy and daddy wouldn't be putting their feet down.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

 Especially in since in Japan there's no prohibition for drinking in public at all. I don't know whether this rule will be effective at all.

Not true. Bans are in effect in some public spaces, especially parks.

I doubt that Shibuya officials really think a ban will stop drinking. What it does do is give the police a basis for busting people who look like they may cause trouble.

"Public intoxication" or "drunk and disorderly" are charges readily available to police in the US. No good reason for Japan not to have something similar although I personally favour a laid back approach even though I do not drink alcohol myself.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Halloween fun will be banned from next year. Kids being kids is anathema in japan. Only obedient robots need apply.

They overturned a light truck... that's criminal behaviour, not 'fun'.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

That light truck was driving through the crowd. It was a light truck and easily tipped. Not condoning it but if the driver had an ounce of intellectual matter he would have assessed the situation and made a detour. Borderline criminal behaviour high spirits would be a better description. Why wasn't the driver charged? He wantonly put others at risk.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Thunderbird2Today 05:02 pm JST

Halloween fun will be banned from next year. Kids being kids is anathema in japan. Only obedient robots need apply.

They overturned a light truck... that's criminal behaviour, not 'fun'.

Dude...'They' were what....4 or 5 idiots out of a crowd of thousands.

To take your logic to an extreme we should all walk to work because sometimes people grope others on trains.

Any rule introduced to curb the actions of a tiny minority are senseless.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Ya can enjoy Halloween without drinking

But TP-ing is a must - no ifs or buts about it! Lol

(TP = toilet paper)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

A couple years back, it was an angry protest that threatened to break windows and tip the vehicle. The driver floored it through the crowd killing and injuring several. Is that self-defence or is that criminal?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Driver said he feared for his life

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Driver was stupid enough to drive into a crowd, I'm guessing if he breathed at the same time as doing simple maths his life would be in danger.

A huge crowd of people in front of me (deep breath) I think I'll drive through that crowd (deep breath) oh this is unusual (rapid deep breaths) I guess I will alight from my veichal (more rapid breathing) 2+2= ahhhhh. Heart attack.

Dont try to drive through a crowd in a toy truck. Dumb arse.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

There's no way they can enforce that. There's going to be people drinking either way.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

First Roppongi, (Yr 2000), Now Shibuya, rigamortis is slowly working its way from location to location within Japan - but by whom and why ?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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