With Halloween around the corner, Tokyo administrators are exploring ways to curtail the rise in public drinking, noise and other nuisances in popular neighborhoods that evening.

While some municipalities in Tokyo will welcome ghosts and goblins for various Halloween events, others have taken stricter approaches to the spooky holiday.

At a news conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward on Oct. 7, Shibuya Ward Mayor Ken Hasebe announced that there will be no Halloween events on the streets of Shibuya this year again.

Shinjuku Ward Mayor Kenichi Yoshizumi also spoke at the news conference, displaying a sign reading, “No drinking on the street.”

In both Shibuya and Shinjuku wards, which are home to some of Tokyo’s busiest areas, Halloween is increasingly known for public drinking and related troubles--a real headache for administrators.

Last year, Shibuya Ward officials made an unusual request, asking people not to come to the area for Halloween.

That request was largely successful and only about 15,000 people came to Shibuya on Halloween, about one-quarter of what had been expected.

However, Halloween revelers then flocked to Shinjuku instead, increasing littering and other problems, according to Shinjuku Ward officials.

As a result, Shinjuku Ward is taking Halloween countermeasures this year for the first time.

In June, Shinjuku Ward passed an ordinance that bans public drinking and other nuisances on Halloween.

The ward will ban drinking on streets and request that stores voluntarily refrain from selling alcohol around JR Shinjuku Station and the Kabukicho area from 5 p.m. on Oct. 31 through 5 a.m. on Nov. 1.

The ward will also mobilize about 100 municipal officials and security guards to patrol the area.

The joint news conference held with the Shibuya Ward mayor to call for Halloween countermeasures reflects a growing sense of crisis.

At the news conference, Yoshizumi urged visitors to drink responsibly and be considerate.

“Even the locals were afraid to approach the area last year," he said. "If you want to drink alcohol, please enjoy it inside bars or restaurants, in accordance with the rules.”

CREEPY CRAWLY CULTURE CLASH

However, it can be difficult to introduce countermeasures and communicate rule changes effectively, since the target audience includes people who are not Japanese.

In other countries, Halloween is an event enjoyed with families and neighbors, while in Japan, its image has become completely different—an event where people cosplay and cut loose, said Yoshihiro Sataki, a professor at Josai International University and an expert in tourism.

As a result, Tokyo’s Halloween has become widely known on social media, since visitors “can enjoy a completely different Halloween in Japan.”

In addition, Sataki said many countries prohibit public drinking. So, the number of foreign visitors who think that in Japan “we won’t be told off even if we drink on the streets" may be increasing.

As a result, both Shibuya and Shinjuku wards are considering taking countermeasures against foreign visitors in addition to the news conference that was held at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan.

Shinjuku Ward will display posters and videos on large screens prohibiting public drinking in several languages.

Shibuya Ward will provide translation machines to the security guards on patrol.

“Even if we educate foreigners after they arrive in Japan about the prohibition of street drinking, the effect is minimal," Sataki said. "If Shibuya and Shinjuku are off-limits, there is a significant chance they will just move to another bustling area without regulations.” 

He added that many foreigners do not receive information through traditional communication channels utilized by authorities.

"So, it is important to utilize influencers on social media, where information about street drinking has spread, to convey messages such as, ‘street drinking is no longer allowed in Japan’ and ‘please drink inside bars and restaurants,’” Sataki said.

SCREAM QUEENS WELCOME IN IKEBUKURO

However, not all municipalities plan to regulate or restrict Halloween events.

Toshima Ward, which includes the bustling Ikebukuro district, will hold the Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival in Sunshine City and other locations from Oct. 25 to 27.

A total of 140,000 people visited the event last year.

According to Toshima Ward officials, the municipal government will deploy the same security staff as for regular events and it will not take special countermeasures on Halloween, since there were no unusual problems on that day last year.

“There haven’t been any issues with the streets becoming dirty or other disturbances around Halloween before,” said Miyuki Takagiwa, mayor of Toshima Ward, at a news conference in September. “We don’t want to introduce regulations unless things become a problem.”

However, the mayor said she will see whether the strengthened regulations in Shinjuku and other wards will affect events closer to home. 

“I will observe how things will go in Ikebukuro this year,” Takagiwa said. 

(This article was written by Masashi Kisanuki, Yuka Honda and Ryo Takeda.)