Society | Dec 31

Streets in Shibuya ready for New Year's countdown

A section near Tokyo's Shibuya railway station will be made a vehicle-free promenade for the upcoming New Year's countdown.

Tokyo police will close streets around Shibuya's famous pedestrian crossing to vehicle traffic from 9 PM on the New Year's Eve to 2 AM on New Year's Day.

The police introduced the measure last year to prevent incidents and accidents as crowds of young Japanese and foreign revelers gather.

Large riot police buses will be parked sideways around the station to block vehicles that might be used for a terror attack. The blockade is in response to a string of vehicle attacks in crowded parts of cities outside Japan.

An emergency response team with an elite firearms unit will be on standby to respond to any contingency.

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