TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police in Shibuya Ward have thrown up barriers, halted traffic, and shrouded the ward’s beloved Hachiko statue in cloth sheeting as authorities launched a sweeping pre-emptive crackdown ahead of Halloween on October 31, deploying the operation a full 24 hours before the main event, reports Nippon News Network (Oct. 31).
Shibuya Ward, which has branded its hardline approach with the slogan “Goodbye Bad Halloween,” moved early on October 30 to choke off the street-party chaos that has plagued the area in previous years. Officers erected fencing and closed roads to vehicles, while the famous Hachiko dog statue was wrapped in a heavy covering to prevent crowds from gathering around it, a perennial flashpoint for rowdy scenes.
Despite the show of force, costumed revelers began massing in the Center-gai shopping area through the evening. Among them was a first-year high school girl dressed as a princess, who told reporters she had come all the way from Machida. “I got a little lost,” she said cheerfully. “I’m looking for my prince.” She added that strangers had been calling out to her warmly, making the night feel welcoming and fun.
A university student nearby said he intended to enjoy the night “without causing a nuisance to anyone,” a sentiment the ward has been pushing hard through public announcements urging attendees to refrain from drinking alcohol or smoking on the streets.
A crepe shop owner in Center-gai said the police presence was a relief. “Because the police are regulating and guiding people, I feel reassured about all of that,” he said.
The night carried an additional meteorological footnote: forecasters predicted temperatures across the Kanto and Kyushu regions would hit 25 degrees Celsius or above on Halloween day itself, making October 31 a rare midsummer-like day.
For Tokyo, it would mark the first such occurrence in 31 years, an eerie warmth to go with the ghosts and goblins.
