People move on the streets in Tokyo. (Photo: VNA)
The governor of Tokyo's Shibuya ward has urged people to stay away from the popular Halloween spot, citing safety concerns for the annual party night.
In a statement on September 12, District Governor Ken Hasebe said it would "not be surprising" if a similar accident that happened in Seoul (South Korea) last year also happened in Shibuya, referring to the Halloween tragedy in Seoul that killed 151 people due to jostling and stampeding on the night of October 29, 2022.
“Shibuya is not a party place and I don’t want people to come here if they only come on Halloween,” said Mayor Hasebe. He said street drinking had become commonplace on the day, with fights, brawls and large amounts of litter also posing safety risks.
Shibuya is one of Japan's most popular tourist destinations, famous for its Shibuya Crossing, which sees millions of people pass through it during peak times. Many people, including foreign tourists, are expected to converge on Shibuya for Halloween after Japan downgraded the Covid-19 epidemic status to that of influenza.
Tokyo will ban drinking around Shibuya Station from the evening of October 27 to early November 1. Restaurants around the area will be asked to limit alcohol sales from October 28 to 31. About 100 security personnel are expected to be deployed, along with increased messaging to domestic tourists.
Governor Hasebe had asked people to limit their visits to the area in 2020 and 2021 during the Covid-19 outbreak.
VNA
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