It is hardly surprising that Shibuya is busy. Described by Tripadvisor as “the social hub of one of the world’s largest metropolisis”, it is a throbbing neighbourhood southwest of central Tokyo that is also popular with tourists who come to see some of the capital’s best-known spots, such as the Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi Park. The trendy district is now set to introduce new rules on street drinking in a drive to address anti-social behaviour and its consequences on the local residents.
Organised chaos
The neighbourhood’s forested surroundings contrast with the “organised chaos” of the “Shibuya scramble,” where five zebra crossings traverse what is said to be the busiest intersection in the world. One of three large sub-centres in the Japanese capital, it is a self-governing area that can make its own local rules.
The area is also synonymous with nightlife, but like other popular nightspots in holiday destinations around the world, the sheer number of visitors, especially since the post-Covid tourism surge that has brought 3 million visitors per month to Japan this spring, is causing problems. The city denounced “property damage caused by drinking in the street, altercations with local residents, and littering of large amounts of empty cans and bottles,” in a statement made when Halloween festivities were banned last October.
Enjoy your drinks inside
Now the latest measures, likely to be brought into effect from October 2024, will mean that alcohol consumption on streets or in public places will be outlawed between the hours of 6 pm and 5 am every day. The idea behind the ban, says Mayor Ken Hasebe, is to send out a strong message that street drinking is not welcome in the area: “We have been stepping up patrols and other efforts over the last year,” he said, “but we have had people say, ‘Well, the rules say you can drink, don’t they?’ By establishing the rule, we would like to convey the district’s intentions, including during patrols — we would prefer people to enjoy their drinks inside restaurants.”
Tokyo joins a number of other places legislating to rein in the anti-social effects of tourist partying. These include: Milan, Italy, which has recently moved to ban the night-time consumption of food and drinks in some areas; Seville, Spain, where rowdy bachelor parties are out of favour; and Amsterdam, The Netherlands, which has gone as far as to implement a “stay away” campaign.
