Shibuya Halloween 2019 was another unforgettable street party. But it was marked by a significant police presence and new regulations. For about a week, locals and tourists, many in costumes, flooded the Shibuya Crossing and Center Gai to revel in the festive atmosphere. A public drinking ban was intended to curb the chaos of previous years, but the volume of people still created an intense experience.
In response to chaotic scenes from the previous year, when a group of drunk attendees overturned a small truck, Shibuya Ward officials banned public drinking for 2019. This resulted in a noticeably quieter, better-behaved crowd. But the massive turnout still led to bottlenecks in some areas.
The police were out in full force, determined to prevent a repeat of 2018’s mayhem. They actively dispersed any groups that lingered for too long. While I appreciated their efforts to maintain order, their approach felt overly aggressive at times, likely dampening the festive spirit for some attendees.
As always, the highlight of Shibuya Halloween was the incredible array of costumes. The effort and creativity on display were fantastic. My favorite was a man dressed as a corpse, complete with worms crawling over his body. It was the type of detailed artistry commonly found at this event.
Despite the heavy police presence, Halloween in 2019 was a great experience. It might not have had the wild energy of past years, but it was enjoyable nonetheless. I don’t have official figures, but it felt like the crowd was smaller than in 2018. In fact, pre-pandemic attendance peaked in 2019 with about 40,000 people.
Rohan has photographed Tokyo since 2011. He shoots it with his Canon EOS R5 these days. The project will take more than one lifetime to complete.
On October 31st, 2018, I dove headfirst into the main event of Halloween in Shibuya. I’d been to the “prequel” the night before, but nothing prepared me for this—it was crazier than any other year I’d witnessed. An enormous, pulsing street party had returned, and for a street photographer, it
Most New Year’s Eves find me cozied up at home, but an ancient legend brought me into the chilly Tokyo night. On the last evening of 2019, hundreds of us gathered near Oji Station, not for fireworks, but to follow a procession of foxes to Shozoku Inari Shrine. It was
Can’t visit Tokyo’s Ghibli Museum? See the Hayao Miyazaki-designed clock in Shinbashi instead. Inspired by Howl’s Moving Castle, it comes to life four times daily and offers a magical photo opportunity. A must-see for Ghibli fans and Tokyo explorers!
Stepping onto the Business Day show floor at Tokyo Game Show 2018 was a full-sensory assault. The air crackled with a cacophony of thumping bass from countless stages, the roar of virtual crowds from intense fighting games, and the dazzling, ever-shifting glow of a thousand screens. As a photographer, my
External related websites