TOKYO: This year’s Halloween festivities were subdued compared with previous years at the iconic scramble crossing near Shibuya Station in Tokyo amid the novel coronavirus epidemic, with fewer people dressing up in their favorite costumes for the celebrations.

On Saturday night, crowds of people flooded the crossing area popular among young generations, but no major confusion was seen.

“I’m scared of the coronavirus, but I’m happy to see an unexpectedly large number of people here,” said a 17-year-old high school student from the city of Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, who was wearing a costume of a character from the popular Pocket Monster, or Pokemon, anime series. Still, he said, “It’s regrettable to see not many people in Halloween clothes.”

A 23-year-old male corporate employee from Chiba Prefecture, east of Tokyo, visited the site in a Halloween costume for the first time. “I think the number of visitors to the crossing is smaller than I saw on television, but I’m ready to enjoy myself,” the man, who dressed up as a character from a Minions movie, said excitedly.

“The number of people in Halloween costumes is around one-third of the usual levels,” said a man in his 30s from the city of Funabashi in Chiba, who started visiting the place four years ago. “The streets are clean, and it’s now normal,” he said. He made himself up as Kaonashi (No-Face), a character from Spirited Away, a popular anime movie directed by Hayao Miyazaki, a renowned Japanese film director.

At the crossing and Center-gai, a nearby shopping street, police officers from Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police Department called on gathering crowds not to get close to each other or stop.

Jiji Press