Photo/Illutration Shibuya Mayor Ken Hasebe, center, and others patrol the streets of Shibuya holding a banner that reads “No Drinking on the Street” on the evening of Oct. 1. (Yuka Honda)

Drinking alcohol on the streets and in public spaces is now prohibited from 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily around Shibuya Station, as a year-round ban took effect on Oct. 1.

This new ban expands on an existing ordinance that previously applied only during Halloween and New Year’s Eve to deal with littering and noise caused by drunken partying.

However, with no penalties in place, the effectiveness of the rule relies on the public's cooperation.

The large crowds that gather around Shibuya Station for Halloween and New Year’s Eve celebrations have often led to recurring noise and alcohol-related disturbances.

In 2019, Shibuya Ward enacted the first ordinance in Tokyo banning public drinking, targeting specific times and locations.

However, public drinking persisted, particularly on weekends, so the ward revised the ordinance to extend the ban year-round and expand it to a wider area.

The ban now covers not only Shibuya Center Street to Miyashita Park, but also the area around Shibuya Station’s east exit and Maruyamacho with its concentration of nightclubs.

No penalties are imposed on offenders.

During last year’s Halloween period, the ward asked local stores to voluntarily refrain from selling alcoholic beverages on certain days in accordance with the ordinance.

This had some effect, with the number of people drinking on the streets halved compared to usual weekends.

But a ward official said, “We cannot ask stores to voluntarily refrain from alcohol sales year-round due to the issue of compensating (those affected by lost revenue).”

The official said the ward has to rely on visitors’ good manners on usual days.

According to the ward, foreign nationals account for 60 to 70 percent of those drinking publicly.

The ward has made fliers in English to inform tourists that the ban will be in effect year-round.

It also strengthened its patrols, which are carried out by a private security company, starting on Oct. 1.

At 6 p.m., security guards began walking through the restricted areas carrying trash bags. 

An international group the guards approached near the scramble crossing was told "no drink" to their open cans of "chuhai" barley or vodka-based beverages.

The group apologized, saying “sorry” and handed their cans over to the guards.

On the evening of Oct. 1, Shibuya Mayor Ken Hasebe also participated in the patrol, holding a banner that read “No Drinking on the Street” as he walked through Shibuya Center Street.

“Being able to tell people that public drinking is prohibited under the ward’s rules is a major step forward,” he said. “We want to clearly convey that public drinking is not part of this ward’s culture.”

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