Shibuya Mayor Asks Foreign Visitors to Stay Away during Halloween

Jiji Press

17:12 JST, October 5, 2023

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Ken Hasebe, mayor of Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward, spoke to foreign media on Thursday and asked tourists not to visit Shibuya to celebrate Halloween.

Speaking at a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo, Hasebe called on foreign tourists to “reconsider” their plans if they are thinking about visiting Shibuya for Halloween on Oct. 31 and during several days before. Citing last year’s deadly crowd crush in Seoul’s Itaewon district just ahead of Halloween, Hasebe warned that an accident like that “can happen anytime” also in Shibuya.