Arab News Japan 

TOKYO: Tokyo’s main district, Shibuya, famous for its fashion and attractions, was bristling with thousands on Sunday evening as people in creative costumes for Halloween crowded the area while police forces were vigilantly controlling the mostly young milling crowd.

The horrifying accident in the downtown area of Seoul, South Korea, where a large number of young people were crushed to death as they celebrated Halloween on their first night out without needing to wear masks, was a warning to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department to strengthen its vigilance around Shibuya Station in preparation for the large crowd.

From the evening before, policemen asked people to walk carefully as many sightseers stopped in the middle of the famous scramble crossing and the Center Street to take pictures. In an effort to avoid any hazardous event, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department deployed a larger than usual number of police officers in addition to riot police and the “DJ police”, as they encouraged the crowd of people to keep moving slowly and carefully. 

Despite the increased number of people from areas outside Tokyo who traveled to Shibuya on Oct. 30 and 31, no incidents were reported, and all went smoothly, according to a police officer who spoke to Arab News Japan.

It was a remarkable Halloween in Japan as it was celebrated three times in three days. As Oct. 31 fell on a Monday, many people flocked to the Shibuya and Roppongi districts in Tokyo on Saturday and Sunday on the assumption that people would rather stay home on Monday, a normal business day, and would prefer to celebrate Halloween on the weekend before. In fact, Shibuya was at its most crowded on Monday night, reflecting the seemingly strong desire of people to share in festivities as corona restrictions are being relaxed. 

Elsewhere in Tokyo, many people held private parties and people all over Tokyo could be seen wearing amazing costumes.