Shibuya Ward actually doesn’t need individuals crowding the neighborhood to ring in 2025.
Final month, directors introduced that Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward wouldn’t be holding any New 12 months’s Eve countdown occasions this yr. It’s a part of a seamless effort to remove the drunken, rowdy, ill-mannered crowds that used to congregate within the space round Shibuya Station for Halloween and New 12 months’s, turning a lot of the neighborhood right into a de-facto avenue celebration and leading to broken property, accidents, and ugly quantities of litter.
However although we already knew the neighborhood wasn’t going to have something additional occurring for New 12 months’s Eve, an replace now reveals that Shibuya Ward goes to be much less welcoming on New 12 months’s Eve than a median night time. Not solely will there be no particular occasions (and the year-round Shibuya public consuming ban nonetheless in place), the statue of devoted canine Hachiko, probably the most well-known landmark and assembly place within the district, will probably be coated up and sealed off on New 12 months’s Eve, simply because it was on Halloween.
▼ Hachiko’s Halloween protecting
Additionally mirroring this yr’s Halloween protocols, barricades and pedestrian site visitors flow-restricting partitions will probably be put up within the space round Shibuya Station for New 12 months’s.
Concerning the choice, Shibuya ward head Ken Hasabe stated “We’re collaborating with quite a few public establishments with the intention to strengthen safety round Shibuya Station on New 12 months’s Eve and to stop accidents and accidents. Doing so is troublesome with giant crowds, so we ask for everybody’s understanding and cooperation in stopping overcrowding.”
The Hachiko protecting and different boundaries are scheduled to go up at 6 p.m. on December 31, and are presently projected to be in place till 1 a.m. the next morning, so in order for you a snap a photograph with Hachiko, you’ll have to plan your go to for an additional time (hopefully when this man is current).
Supply: Shibuya Keizai Shimbun
Photographs ©SoraNews24
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