Oct 6, 2023

October 05, 2023 13:31 Shibuya Halloween, which takes place at the end of October, will be the first since the coronavirus pandemic moved to Category 5, and there are concerns that crowding will cause deaths and injuries, crimes such as groping, and disorder caused by drinking on the street. Against this backdrop, Shibuya Ward Mayor Ken Hasebe held a press conference held by the Foreign Correspondents’ Association in Marunouchi, Tokyo, on October 5th, and strongly appealed to people both in Japan and abroad, “Do not come to Shibuya for Halloween.” ●There are concerns that “accidents with fatalities or injuries like those in Itaewon” could occur. Last year, 2022, was the first Halloween in three years with no restrictions on movement, so many people gathered in Shibuya. That year, many young people gathered in Itaewon, South Korea, resulting in crowd accidents that resulted in 154 deaths. Among the victims were Japanese women in their teens and 20s. According to Mayor Hasebe, the number of people visiting Shibuya on Halloween peaked at about 40,000 in 2019, before the coronavirus, and was two-thirds of that number in 2022. However, considering the increasing number of foreign visitors to Japan, in the “worst case scenario,” more than 60,000 people are expected to visit this year, and if no measures are taken, “Itaewon-like casualties and injuries” will occur. I’m worried that an accident could happen. Therefore, we decided to send a message to people both domestically and internationally: “Do not come.” ●Some people don’t know about the “Shibuya City Ordinance” Shibuya Ward will take the following measures this year. ・Based on the ward’s ordinance, prohibition of drinking on the streets will be prohibited in the Shibuya ward area from the night of October 27th to the next morning of October 31st. ・During the period, around 300 security guards and around 150 ward staff, an increase from last year, will be patrolling and warning against drinking on the streets. ・Ask station kiosks and nearby convenience stores to refrain from selling alcoholic beverages. It is said that they receive a lot of cooperation every year. Currently, the majority of people visiting Shibuya are foreigners. “Shibuya is not a venue for Halloween events. Please reconsider coming for Halloween. I think some people from overseas may not know the Shibuya Ward ordinance. We want to make sure everyone knows that drinking on the street is prohibited. (Mayor) Although people can be arrested for illegal acts such as assault, there are no penalties such as fines for drinking on the street under the ward ordinance. The mayor says he feels “remorseful” about this. “It is difficult to impose a fine. All over the world, fines are imposed for drinking on the street, and that is the job of the police.According to the ordinance, the responsibility falls to city officials. When it comes to dealing with people like this, ward staff are not specialists. It’s difficult to secure human resources, and it costs a lot of money to do it year-round.” ●Will there be a “Shibuya blockade”?It is possible that the station will be closed While various countermeasures have been proposed, the city has even considered closing the Shibuya area. “The city cannot be closed off due to the authority of the ward.There are also business issues, so I think it will be difficult.I thought about closing down Shibuya Station, but there are people who live there and use the station for daily life. There may be times when we have no choice but to decide on a lockdown, but to prevent that from happening, I think it’s important to ask people not to visit for Halloween.” “We don’t deny the aspect of it as a celebration. The Irish ambassador taught us how to enjoy Halloween at home. I would like to call on people to be careful about causing trouble.” It seems that many people visit to post their Halloween experiences in Shibuya on social networking sites such as Instagram and TikTok. Shibuya Scramble is also a popular photo spot. According to Mayor Hasebe, the idea of ​​restricting communications during the Halloween period in the Shibuya area was also considered, although the hurdles would be high to make it a reality. 2023-10-05 04:31:00