Police controlling Halloween revelers in Tokyo

Nov 01, 2017 | News On Japan

Nov 01, 2017 (NHK) - Tokyo police are on increased alert as young people and foreign nationals in Halloween costumes descend on the city's busy Shibuya district.

Areas around Shibuya railway station are crowded with revelers in gruesome horror make-up and anime costumes.

The police have deployed riot squads to prevent accidents.

At the famed scramble crossing near the station, a special public relations unit known as the "DJ police" is using loudspeakers to tell pedestrians in Japanese and English not to pause for pictures in the middle of the street.

The police have been patrolling the city's main entertainment districts since Friday. They say that no major trouble has been reported so far.

The police will remain on the alert and remind revelers to obey traffic rules and display good manners.

Typhoon No. 15 Disrupts Obon Travel

Typhoon No. 15 caused growing disruption to Japan's Obon holiday travel on August 11, with dozens of flights canceled and railway services suspended as the storm made landfall in southern Ibaraki Prefecture at around 8 p.m.

Typhoon No. 15 Makes Landfall in Ibaraki

Typhoon No. 15 (Chan-hom) made landfall in southern Ibaraki Prefecture at around 8 p.m. on August 11, marking the first typhoon landfall in the prefecture since official statistics began in 1951, as strong winds and heavy rain spread across eastern Japan.

H3 Rocket No. 9 Successfully Launches Japan GPS Satellite

Japan's H3 Rocket No. 9 successfully placed the Michibiki No. 7 navigation satellite into its planned orbit after lifting off from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture at 4:23 a.m. on August 11, marking the country's second consecutive successful H3 launch.

Tokaido Shinkansen Runs First Overnight Service

The Tokaido Shinkansen operated its first overnight service ahead of the Obon holiday period, offering travelers a 15,000 yen trip from the Tokyo area to Kyoto and Shin-Osaka while allowing them to save on hotel costs and arrive earlier than the first regular morning trains.

Typhoon No. 15 to Disrupt Travel on August 11

Typhoon No. 15 is expected to approach and likely make landfall somewhere in the Kanto region on August 11, bringing strong winds and heavy rain that could disrupt conventional rail services, expressways and flights while also affecting a wider area extending into Tohoku.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Osaka Police Pound on Door Before Raiding Yakuza Office

Osaka Prefectural Police searched an office linked to the Yamaguchi-gumi crime syndicate in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, on July 29 as part of an investigation into suspected receipt of money obtained through special fraud.

Zombie Cigarette Drug Busts Rise Across Kansai

Authorities in Kyoto and Osaka have arrested three men in separate drug cases involving so-called zombie cigarettes containing the designated drug etomidate, as investigators step up efforts against the illegal trade in the Kansai region.

Raccoon Damage Surges Across Japan

Raccoons are increasingly invading homes across Japan, damaging roofs and wiring, contaminating buildings with large amounts of urine and feces, and raising concerns over agriculture, native wildlife and the spread of disease as their population continues to expand.

令和8年8月8日 Sparks Wedding Events Across Japan

Japan marked August 8, 2026, with a wave of weddings, special discounts and commemorative events as the date produced a rare alignment of three eights - the eighth day of the eighth month in Reiwa 8 - a combination regarded as especially auspicious because the character for eight is traditionally associated with expanding prosperity.

Woman Arrested Over Fatal Assault on Brother-in-Law

A 41-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of fatally assaulting her brother-in-law at her home in Shibukawa, Gunma Prefecture, after allegedly telling emergency services that he had fallen from a roof.

Imperial Family Enjoys Nasu Retreat

The Emperor and his family are spending time at the Nasu Imperial Villa in Tochigi Prefecture as the retreat marks 100 years since its establishment, with the visit coming as debate in the Diet over revisions related to the Imperial House Law enters a critical stage.

The Case of the Missing Kappa

Two kappa statues that served as symbols of a bridge in Ebina, Kanagawa Prefecture, have been stolen after being cherished by local residents for 34 years, with police investigating whether the thieves targeted the sculptures for their copper.

Man Arrested for Selling Stolen Bridge Nameplates

A 63-year-old man from Shizuoka Prefecture has been arrested on suspicion of selling 10 stolen metal plaques, including nameplates bearing the names of bridges, to a scrap metal dealer in Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture.

< 2 3 4 5 >