Halloween revellers in Tokyo’s Shibuya told to stay away, fearing repeat of Seoul crowd crush

Shibuya’s streets, including its famous pedestrian crossing, became the unofficial party venue for young, costumed revellers. - AFP

TOKYO (Bloomberg): The mayor of Tokyo’s Shibuya district asked Halloween partygoers to avoid its streets this year, fearing the post-pandemic return of tourists may lead to chaotic mobs and crowd crushes like the fatal incident in Seoul last year.

"This year we are making it clear to the world that Shibuya is not a venue for Halloween,” Ken Hasebe said in a news conference on Thursday (Oct 5). People should avoid gathering in the area for festivities around Oct 31, and drinking alcohol near the station will be banned for a few days around that time, he said. Stores in the area will also be asked to restrict liquor sales.