Tokyo's Shibuya 地区 raises alarm against unruly Halloween, even caging 目印 statue
TOKYO (AP) - Tokyo's busy shopping, 商売／仕事 and entertainment 地区 of Shibuya is trying hard to keep 訪問者s at bay during this year's Halloween 週末.
旗，新聞一面トップの大見出し／大々的に報道するs across town say no drinking and no Halloween events on the street, and town 公式の／役人s are 非常線，警戒線ing off the famed statue of Hachi - an unceasingly loyal dog - behind 保護の 塀で囲むs.
"Shibuya streets are not party 発生地s for Halloween," 市長 Ken Hasebe said in an interview Friday with the Associated 圧力（をかける）. "Anyone who is thinking about visiting Shibuya for Halloween, please be aware that the 状況／情勢 has changed this year ... 安全 will be tighter and it won't be enjoyable."
Hasebe, a native of Shibuya, says his 91-year-old town - 設立するd by people from around Japan - prides itself as an inclusive, innovative and diverse place open to 訪問者s, but there should be a 罰金 balance between freedom to enjoy the public space and the 居住（者）s' 権利 to live 平和的に.
"We just want to 強調する／ストレス, as a 支配する of our town and 意気込み／士気 of this country, that street drinking can 原因（となる） trouble and should be 避けるd," Hasebe said. "It's time to 再考する partying on public streets for Halloween."
恐れる has run high that a large number of partygoers and tourists across Japan and the world に引き続いて the COVID-19 pandemic could 原因（となる） a 災害 類似の to last year's 致命的な （人が）群がる 鎮圧する in South Korea's 資本／首都, ソウル.
A 巨大（な） public notice 旗，新聞一面トップの大見出し／大々的に報道する from Shibuya distrct, which reads in Japanese "Shibuya is not Halloween event "is seen at the Shibuya 歩行者 crossing Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, i n Tokyo. Ahead of this year's Halloween 週末, Tokyo's busy shopping, 商売／仕事 and entertainment 地区 of Shibuya is trying hard to shoo away 訪問者s. 旗，新聞一面トップの大見出し／大々的に報道するs across town say no drinking and no Halloween events on the street, and town 公式の／役人s are 非常線，警戒線ing off the 目印 statue of Hachi with 保護の 塀で囲むs.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
The 交差点 by Shibuya´s train 駅／配置する, which is known as "緊急発進する crossing" 予定 to the large number of 歩行者s typically 試みる／企てるing to cross, has become a popular 目的地 for 居住（者）s and tourists on Halloween, 製図／抽選 tens of thousands of 衣装d young people every year.
Halloween in Shibuya started out as a 平和的な, happy event in the 2010s when revelers gathered in 衣装s and took photos. The city 供給するd 洗面所s and changing booths for the 訪問者s, and a team of volunteers cleaned up everything on the morning of Nov. 1.
That started changing when the （人が）群がる size grew, clogging 支援する streets and 誘発する／引き起こすing safety 関心s. Hasebe said he started worrying about a 災害 long before the 致命的な 鎮圧する in the Itaewon area of ソウル last year that killed about 160 people.
In 最近の years, the 大多数 of the people in Shibuya during Halloween were 集会 just for drinking and partying on the street, 誘発する／引き起こすing vandalism, 大規模な littering and noise.
During COVID-19, when restaurants and 妨げる／法廷，弁護士業s were の近くにd, young Japanese started drinking alcohol on the street, a practice that continued after pandemic 制限s were 除去するd.
That sent a wrong message to foreign tourists, Hasebe says. With the number of tourists 速く growing this year, some 支援する streets 近づく the Shibuya 駅／配置する area "lo ok like (outdoor) pubs," he said.
About 40,000 people gathered in the area in 2019, just before the COVID-19 pandemic. The number 減少（する）d during the pandemic, but Shibuya's streets were packed again on Halloween last year, and city 当局 恐れる this year's 人出／投票者数 could be higher, with a 重要な 増加する of foreign tourists 追加するing to the （人が）群がる.
After seeing South Korea's 鎮圧する, Hasebe earlier this year 協議するd with police about stepping up 安全 対策 starting from the 週末 事前の to Halloween.
A city 法令／条例 禁止（する）s alcohol 消費 in the 地区 近づく the 駅／配置する between Oct. 27 and Oct. 31., and Shibuya is beefing up the number of 安全 guards and 公式の／役人s to 施行する it. During that period, many shops and eateries are の近くにing 早期に and convenience 蓄える／店s are requested to 抑制する nighttime alcohol sales. Traffic 制限s will also be in place in the night and 早期に morning hours.
Natsuki Mori, 18, a student at a university in Shibuya, says she has classes on Oct. 31 but is 決定するd to go straight home to celebrate Halloween there after seeing the （人が）群がる in Shibuya and what happened in ソウル last year.
"I don´t feel 安全な to be here on Halloween," Mori said. "I think it´s good that the 市長 is 説 `Don´t come to Shibuya.´"
A public notice 旗，新聞一面トップの大見出し／大々的に報道する from Shibuya 地区 reads "No Events for Halloween on Shibuya Streets" 近づく the Shibuya 歩行者 crossing Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, in Tokyo. Ahead of this year's Halloween 週末, Tokyo's busy shopping, 商売／仕事 and entertainment 地区 of Shibuya is trying hard to shoo away 訪問者s. 旗，新聞一面トップの大見出し／大々的に報道するs across town say no drinking and no Halloween events on the street, and town 公式の／役人s are 非常線，警戒線ing off the 目印 statue of Hachi with 保護の 塀で囲むs.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Ken Hasebe, 市長 of Shibuya, speaks during an interview with the Associated 圧力（をかける） Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, in Tokyo. Ahead of this year's Halloween 週末, Tokyo's busy shopping, 商売／仕事 and entertainment 地区 of Shibuya is trying hard to shoo away 訪問者s. 旗，新聞一面トップの大見出し／大々的に報道するs across town say no drinking and no Halloween events on the street, and town 公式の／役人s are 非常線，警戒線ing off the 目印 statue of Hachi with 保護の 塀で囲むs.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
A 巨大（な） public notice board from Shibuya 地区, which reads "No Events for Halloween on Shibuya Streets" is seen at the Shibuya 歩行者 crossing Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, in Tokyo. Ahead of this year's Halloween 週末, Tokyo's busy shopping, 商売／仕事 and entertainment 地区 of Shibuya is trying hard to shoo away 訪問者s. 旗，新聞一面トップの大見出し／大々的に報道するs across town say no drinking and no Halloween events on the street, and town 公式の／役人s are 非常線，警戒線ing off the 目印 statue of Hachi with 保護の 塀で囲むs. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
A 巨大（な） public notice board from Shibuya 地区 reads "No Events for Halloween on Shibuya Streets" at the Shibuya 歩行者 crossing Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, in Tokyo. Ahead of this year's Halloween 週末, Tokyo's busy shopping, 商売／仕事 and entertainment 地区 of Shibuya is trying hard to shoo away 訪問者s. 旗，新聞一面トップの大見出し／大々的に報道するs across town say no drinking and no Halloween events on the street, and town 公式の／役人s are 非常線，警戒線ing off the 目印 statue of Hachi with 保護の 塀で囲むs.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
A foreign 訪問者 films ビデオ with a 動きやすい phone at the Shibuya 歩行者 crossing Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, in Tokyo. Ahead of this year's Halloween 週末, Tokyo's busy shopping, 商売／仕事 and entertainment 地区 of Shibuya is trying hard to shoo away 訪問者s. 旗，新聞一面トップの大見出し／大々的に報道するs across town say no drinking and no Halloween events on the street, and town 公式の／役人s are 非常線，警戒線ing off the 目印 statue of Hachi with 保護の 塀で囲むs.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
A 巨大（な） public notice 旗，新聞一面トップの大見出し／大々的に報道する from Shibuya 地区, which reads in Japanese "Shibuya is not Halloween event "is seen at the Shibuya 歩行者 crossing Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, in Tokyo. Ahead of this year's Halloween 週末, Tokyo's busy shopping, 商売／仕事 and entertainment 地区 of Shibuya is trying hard to shoo away 訪問者s. 旗，新聞一面トップの大見出し／大々的に報道するs across town say no drinking and no Halloween events on the street, and town 公式の／役人s are 非常線，警戒線ing off the 目印 statue of Hachi with 保護の 塀で囲むs. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Public notice 旗，新聞一面トップの大見出し／大々的に報道するs from Shibuya 地区, which read in Japanese "No Drinking on the Street" are seen 近づく the Shibuya 歩行者 crossing Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, in Tokyo. Ahead of this year's Halloween 週末, Tokyo's busy shopping, 商売／仕事 and entertainment 地区 of Shibuya is trying hard to shoo away 訪問者s. 旗，新聞一面トップの大見出し／大々的に報道するs across town say no drinking and no Halloween events on the street, and town 公式の／役人s are 非常線，警戒線ing off the 目印 statue of Ha chi with 保護の 塀で囲むs. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Public notice 旗，新聞一面トップの大見出し／大々的に報道するs from Shibuya 地区, which read in Japanese "No Smoking on the Street" are seen 近づく the Shibuya 歩行者 crossing Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, in Tokyo. Ahead of this year's Halloween 週末, Tokyo's busy shopping, 商売／仕事 and entertainment 地区 of Shibuya is trying hard to shoo away vis itors. 旗，新聞一面トップの大見出し／大々的に報道するs across town say no drinking and no Halloween events on the street, and town 公式の／役人s are 非常線，警戒線ing off the 目印 statue of Hachi with 保護の 塀で囲むs.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
訪問者s walk at the Shibuya 歩行者 crossing Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, in Tokyo. Ahead of this year's Halloween 週末, Tokyo's busy shopping, 商売／仕事 and entertainment 地区 of Shibuya is trying hard to shoo away 訪問者s. 旗，新聞一面トップの大見出し／大々的に報道するs across town say no drinking and no Halloween events on the street, and town 公式の／役人s are 非常線，警戒線ing off the 目印 statue of Hachi with 保護の 塀で囲むs.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
訪問者s take souvenir photos with a statue of a Japanese Akita dog 指名するd "Hachiko", a 会合 位置／汚点／見つけ出す of Shibuya shopping 地区, Friday, Oct. 27, 2023, in Tokyo.(AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
