As Halloween approaches, two of Tokyo’s most iconic nightlife districts, Shibuya and Shinjuku, are taking drastic measures to curb public drinking and the disorder it often brings.
The mayors of both districts, Ken Hasebe of Shibuya and Kenichi Yoshizumi of Shinjuku, have announced a joint initiative to tackle these issues, with a particular focus on Halloween, when thousands of revellers flood the streets.
The plan, which has been met with both support and criticism, includes a blanket ban on street drinking from 6pm to 5am in Shibuya’s bustling Centre-Gai area.
Shibuya had previously banned public drinking on specific days like Halloween since 2019, but this new ordinance extends the ban to every evening for 11 hours.
The district has long struggled with Halloween-related chaos, including a notorious 2018 incident when a group of revelers overturned a truck, resulting in charges of affray against several individuals.
“Drinking on the street has led to environmental damage, including loud noise and littering,” Mayor Hasebe said during the announcement.
He added that efforts by Shibuya alone are insufficient and urged for stronger citywide measures to prevent overtourism.
Shinjuku, home to the famous Kabukicho nightlife district, has also faced similar problems, particularly during Halloween.
In response, Mayor Yoshizumi announced a public drinking ban for 12 hours starting at 5pm. on Halloween night.
He expressed concerns over “really troublesome crowds” in the narrow, bar-filled streets of Kabukicho, where accidents and fights have been known to break out.
Both mayors have called on the Tokyo metropolitan government to develop citywide legislation that would allow authorities to enforce fines for violators, a measure currently missing from local ordinances.
They stressed the importance of these actions to avoid potential tragedies, referencing the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush in Seoul that killed 159 people.
The new measures have garnered widespread support from the public, with many Tokyo residents welcoming the crackdown on disorderly behaviour.
“It’s both foreigners and Japanese, but it’s a problem however you look at it,” Shibuya local Issei Kamata told MyNews.
“That whole area is such an iconic part of Tokyo, and it looks awful a lot of the time.”
However, not everyone is in favor of the increasing restrictions.
Some bar owners and locals argue that the measures unfairly target tourists and may be too harsh.
John Coyle, who owns the What The Dickens bar in Shibuya, called the total ban on outdoor drinking “very shocking and pretty draconian.”
The plan has also led to some commenters calling for similar measures during Japan’s traditional festivals, where public drinking is commonplace.
“Why don’t they do this for matsuri, when people are drunk as skunks walking around neighborhoods?” asked one online commenter.