Tokyo’s Shibuya shuts down Halloween celebrations amid crowd safety concerns

One of the world’s premiere locations to celebrate Halloween is taking steps to crack down on crowds. Tokyo’s Shibuya ward has officially “closed for Halloween” this year, as authorities move to prevent chaos experienced in recent times.

Shibuya has a reputation for street parties, drawing crowds since the early 2010s. As the crowds grew, so did the problems, with drunken behavior, vandalism and even violence during these parties.

Last year, Japanese officials took a stand. They started a campaign with signs which read, “No event for Halloween in Shibuya streets,” and this year, they’re doubling down with a new message, “Shibuya is closed for Halloween.”

A year-round overnight alcohol ban on the street around Shibuya Station was also introduced. Officials are asking shops not to sell alcohol in the last week of October.

There will be a significant amount of police also present, with extra crowd control measures in place. Interestingly, they can’t technically ban people from dressing up or walking around, but the plan is to make Shibuya as inconvenient as possible for partygoers, hoping it will drive them somewhere else.

In the past, “somewhere else” has been Shinjuku ward, and recently the two wards announced that they will be working together to lessen these crowds. The ban on alcohol consumption is in effect daily in Shibuya from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. in areas surrounding JR and Keio Shibuya stations, while Shinjuku’s ban will be in effect for 12 hours, starting at 5 p.m. on Oct. 31.

These precautions reflect the growing concern globally about the dangers of overcrowded areas, whether it’s locals or tourists. This is a fear brought into stark focus by the tragic events in Seoul in 2022.

Just last week, another police officer was sentenced to prison in South Korea for his failure to prevent the deadly Halloween surge that resulted in 159 deaths.