"Prevent Crowds in Narrow Back Alleys" ... Tokyo Metropolitan Police Strengthen Security for Shibuya Halloween

Plan to Deploy About 350 Police Officers in Shibuya Today
Japanese Netizens React "Sad" to Itaewon Tragedy News

Two days before Halloween, on the 29th, Tokyo Shibuya street. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Culture Young Intern Reporter] Ahead of Halloween, Japanese police and administrative authorities, who had heightened vigilance in preparation for the crowds expected in Tokyo's bustling Shibuya district, have further strengthened security measures in response to the Itaewon crowd crush tragedy in Seoul.

The Shibuya area has entered a more stringent state of alert than ever before. On the 30th, Yomiuri Shimbun and Kyodo News reported that Japanese police were intensifying controls in Tokyo's entertainment districts and Shibuya ahead of Halloween. At Shibuya's famous landmark, the large scramble crossing, crowds dressed in Halloween costumes gathered, reportedly causing a temporary standstill where people could not move.

Police officers known as "DJ Police" also appeared. They guided citizens to maintain order and broadcast announcements through speakers installed on police cars, saying, "Please secure a wide space and do not cut in from the front."

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department plans to deploy about 350 officers in Shibuya on Halloween day, the 31st. A police official stated, "Taking the Seoul accident into consideration, we are focusing on preventing crowds from gathering in narrow back alleys." The Metropolitan Police strengthened security in the Shibuya area on the 30th, considering the Itaewon tragedy, and appealed to people not to stop walking to take photos.

Shibuya Ward banned nighttime street drinking in certain areas such as parks and roads from 6 p.m. on the 28th of this month until 5 a.m. on the 1st of next month, and requested about 30 stores, including convenience stores, to refrain from selling alcoholic beverages from the night of the 31st until early morning of the 1st.

In response to the news of the Itaewon tragedy, Japanese netizens expressed sorrow. The major Korean drama "Itaewon Class," which was very popular in Japan, was set in Seoul's Itaewon, where 154 people died in the crowd crush. Japanese media also covered the tragedy and the Korean government's response as major news. Asahi Shimbun published an interview with a Japanese witness on its online edition, where a Japanese woman in her 20s said, "I suddenly got so scared that I couldn't stop crying," shocking readers.

Two Japanese nationals were also among the victims of the Itaewon tragedy. Kyodo News and local public broadcaster NHK reported, citing Japanese government officials, that among the victims were one Japanese teenage female and one woman in her 20s. Following these reports, some netizens urged people not to go to Shibuya. One netizen appealed on Twitter, saying, "Of course, I won't go to Shibuya's Halloween, but let's all not go," urging restraint.

The private broadcaster news network ANN reported that from the night of the 29th to the morning of the 30th, up to 6,300 people temporarily gathered in Tokyo's Shibuya for the first Halloween in three years without requests to refrain from going out due to COVID-19, but no arrests or injuries occurred. This outcome is analyzed to be due to various measures prepared by Japanese police and administrative authorities to prevent incidents and accidents related to Halloween even before the Itaewon tragedy.

Previously, Shibuya has had strong vigilance toward Halloween since 2018, when about ten excited young people caused a riot by overturning a truck during Halloween. Also, in July 2001, in Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture, a crowd gathered on a pedestrian bridge to watch fireworks, similar to the Itaewon tragedy, resulting in 11 deaths and 247 injuries. Following this incident, Japan established a "crowd control" clause in related laws in 2005.

Additionally, on October 31 last year, a man dressed as the movie character "Joker" attacked passengers with a weapon and set a fire on a Tokyo subway train, raising concerns about this year's Halloween. In response, Shibuya Ward Mayor Hasebe Ken emphasized at a press conference on the 20th, "I do not want to encourage people to come during Halloween," urging visitors to follow the rules.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.